Car-and-Safety.com
Pontiac Sunfire Steering Rack And Pinion Safety Report | July 05, 1999
Reported on July 05, 1999
| THE POWER STEERING ACTUALLY HAD TWO INTERMITTENT INCIDENTS THE SAME DAY THAT INDICATED A PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING. THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP TWO TIMES, ONCE PULLING ME INTO A CURB AND THE SECOND TIME PULLING ME INTO A MEDIAN IN A PARKING LOT. EACH OF THESE TWO TIMES, THE POWER STEERING RELEASED AND WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AGAIN. I, HOWEVER, HAD ABOUT 9 MILES TO GO TO GET HOME AND FELT THAT IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. I CONTINUED ON MY WAY HOME. I TURNED LEFT ONTO A STREET, WHERE OTHER CARS WERE ONCOMING, AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP AS I TURNED. FORTUNATELY, THE STEERING LOCKED AS I TURNED LEFT AND SUDDENLY PULLED ME TO THE RIGHT AND OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT MY STEERING NEVER RELEASED AGAIN. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND WAS TOWED TO JK PONTIAC ON OGDEN AVENUE IN DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS. THEY INFORMED ME ON JULY 6TH THAT THE RACK AND PINION HAD GONE OUT OF MY CAR. I FEEL THAT MY CAR HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE FOR THIS TO HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANYONE HAVING THEIR RACK AND PINION GOING OUT OF THEIR CAR, LET ALONE FOR IT TO GO OUT OF A CAR AT THIS LOW MILEAGE. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAD A PONTIAC GRAND AM IN THE SHOP WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES ON IT THAT HAD ALSO HAD THE RACK AND PINION GO OUT OF IT. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT PONTIAC NEEDS TO GIVE ATTENTION TO. MY INCIDENT, FORTUNATELY, ENDED WITH NO ACCIDENT, INJURIES OR FATALITIES. HOWEVER, HAD THIS OCCURRED ONE DAY LATER, ON MY WAY TO WORK, THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED, IF NOT KILLED. I DRIVE FIVE DAYS A WEEK ON A MAJOR TOLLWAY (I-355) IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA TO AND FROM WORK, USUALLY AT ELEVATED SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 65 MPH. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE TOLLWAY, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IT WOULD BE MY FAMILY WRITING THIS, NOT ME. I DID CONTACT PONTIAC REGARDING THIS, AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PARTS INVOLVED IN THIS REPAIR. HOWEVER, I AM PAYING FOR LABOR ($350). * | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Sunfire |
| Manufactured by: | General Motors LLC |
| Year: | 1996 |
| Was a crash reported? | |
| Was an injury reported? | 0 person(s) were injured. |
| Was a death reported? | 0 person(s) died. |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | WOODRIDGE IL |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 3G2JB1247TS |
| Mileage: | |
| Speed: | 20 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | |
| Vehicle type: | FWD |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS N/A. |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
| Previous Report:Steering Rack And Pinion | Next Report:Air Bags |