1998 Chevrolet CORVETTE: complaints, problems and recalls

STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP. WITH THE KEY IN THE INGNITION AND THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILS TO RELEASE. THUS MAKING THE VEHICLE INPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 53,096 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000083 at NHTSA ↗

STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP 1998 CORVETTE. CAR STARTED AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE, BUT THERE WAS NO STEERING AS THE COLUMN LOCKED UP. TS REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 36,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000300 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED CAR NEW.AT ABOUT 5000MILES STARTED TO NOTICE VIBARATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED . AT ABOUT 10000MILES VIBRATION WAS SEVERE UNDER HARD BRAKING.DEALER[JON HALL CHEVROLET] DETERMINED ALL 4 ROTORS WERE WARPED AND RESURFACED AT NO CHARGE.AT ABOUT 15000 MILES STARTED TO NOTICE VIBRATION AGAIN.CAR NOW HAS 22000 MILES IS OUT OF WARRANTEE AND VIBRATION IS AGAIN SEVERE UNDER HARD BRAKING. I WOULD LIKE A GENERAL MOTORS REPRESENTATIVE TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. DEALER INFORMED ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1998 MODELS.I BEL…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000632 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING WAS INVOLVED INTO A COLLISION WHICH HE THINKS IT WAS CAUSED DO TO STEERING PROBLEMS. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALLED. TS *TT

Owner-reported narrative. 63,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001417 at NHTSA ↗

STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP AND COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED. CAR WAS IN PARKING LOT AT THE TIME. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****770778 REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 49,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10006559 at NHTSA ↗

STEERING COLUMN LOCK UP. PH REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007556 at NHTSA ↗

STEERING COLUM LOCK UP AND SHIFTER LOCK UP REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 28,594 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007598 at NHTSA ↗

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION: WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR REVVED UP UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION.

Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007630 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2000-04-17 (April 17, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LAP BELT WEBBING CAN TWIST ALLOWING THE WEBBING TO BECOME JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR.

Consequence: WHEN THE BELT WEBBING BECOMES JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR, THE SEAT BELT MAY BE UNUSABLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL INSERTS TO THE BELT WEB GUIDE OF EACH LAP BELT RETRACTOR.

Reported: 2004-02-09 (February 9, 2004)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEMS (ECL), WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED TO "LOCK," THE ECL SYSTEM PREVENTS TURNING OF THE STEERING SYSTEM. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, THE ECL UNLOCKS THE STEERING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED SO THAT IF THE COLUMN FAILS TO UNLOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED AND THE CUSTOMER TRIES TO DRIVE, THE FUEL SUPPLY WILL BE SHUT OFF SO THAT THE VEHICLE CANNOT MOVE WHEN THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE STEERED. IF VOLTAGE AT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE IS LOW OR INTERRUPTED, HOWEVER, THE FUEL SHUT OFF MAY NOT OCCUR AND THE VEHICLE CAN BE ACCELERATED WHILE THE STEERING SYSTEM IS LOCKED. ALSO WHEN THE CONTROL SYSTEM SHOWS THAT THE ECL IS UNLOCKED AND THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, THE LOCK PIN LOCATION CAN VARY. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE LOCK PLATE RELATIVE TO THE SWITCH TRANSITION POINT, THERE COULD THEN BE CONTACT BETWEEN THE LOCK PLATE AND PIN CAUSING THE STEERING TO LOCK WHILE DRIVING .

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER WILL DISABLE THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK BY REMOVING THE COLUMN LOCK PLATE. WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS REMOVED, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WILL LOCK BUT THE STEERING COLUMN WILL NOT LOCK. ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER WILL REPROGRAM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, PERFORM A DIMENSIONAL CHECK OF THE COLUMN LOCK AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE LOCK PLATE. THE STEERING COLUMN ON THESE VEHICLES WILL CONTINUE TO LOCK WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED. OWNER NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS OF 1997 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS BEGAN ON APRIL 26, 2004. OWNERS OF 1998 THROUGH 2004 VEHICLES (EXCEPT 1997-1998 MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES) WILL BE NOTIFIED BEGINNING ON AUGUST 2, 2004. THE REMAINING OWNERS (1997-1998 MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES) WILL BE NOTIFIED LATER IN 2004, WHEN PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.