Maybe now's a fun time to mention my father in law's 2004 Tahoe 4x4 LT Z71 with a complete brake booster failure goin 75 mph on the highway. Pedal went straight to the floor. Where's the front line news article on CNN!?!?

 

Nope, you are wrong again. While driving, go through the public files and read what the issue was that lead to the recall. The steering could lock up intermittently while driving. Not only at start up.

Make: CHEVROLET
Model: CORVETTE
Type: ANY
Year: 2003
Recall Number: 04V060000
Summary:
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.
Notes:
GM RECALL NO. 04006. CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

 

Coulda', woulda', shoulda'....show me where it actually happened.

No-one on the Corvette forum has had it happen...or has even heard of it happening...only "rumors".

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ock&forum_id=1

Point is, all car manufacturer's have recalls, but only some get front page news.....

 

Go to NHTSA's web site and call up the investigation and read for yourself. There is about a gig of pdf files that are not linkable.

Do some work.

Here is one complaint filed with NHTSA.

Make: CHEVROLET
Model: CORVETTE
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2000
Complaint Number: 10100614
Summary:
STEERING COLUMN LOCKED WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION AT APPROX 15 MPH. THE PROBLEM TURNED OUT TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE AND WAS REPAIRED BY GM UNDER RECALL BY COLONIAL CHEVROLET-BUICK, INC. OF TALLADEGA ALABAMA. DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, COLUMN LOCKING WHILE IN MOTION, EVEN THOUGH GM SAID THE RECALL WOULD PREVENT THIS DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. FURTHERMORE IN THE PROCESS OF PERFORMING THE RECALL SERVICE, COLONIAL CHEVROLET-BUICK, INC. DAMAGED AND REPLACED THE CAR'S RADIATOR. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE RADIATOR WAS NOT REINSTALLED PROPERLY AND ITS HOUSING IS BROKEN. I AM UNAWARE OF WHAT POSSIBLE DANGERS MAY BE PRESENT DUE TO THE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED RADIATOR, AND HAVE DISCONTINUED USE OF THE VEHICLE PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION IN THIS MATTER AND THE COLUMN LOCKING AGAIN. FOLLOWING SERVICE, THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TO A TIRE SHOP AT COLONIAL'S RECOMMENDATION AND THEN STRAIGHT HOME. THE CAR HAS NOT LEFT THE HOUSE SINCE AS THE SECOND INSTANCE OF THE COLUMN LOCKING AT SPEED OCCURED ON MY HOME'S DRIVEWAY.*AK

 

Just as I thought...he drove off with it locked....he was still in his driveway....

 

well by that idea if you have one of these fireball van's then you shouldn't leave it idled for 2+ hours

 

As I repeat again, go back and read GM's documents provided to NHTSA in the investigation. I did, there are allegation that the steering locked while vehicle was traveling at highway speed.

"STEERING COLUMN LOCKED WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION AT APPROX 15 MPH."

Even in this allegation, the complainant stated locked, not did not unlock.

 

If I could decipher this in english...I'd ask if you've ever been in a traffic jamb?

"Honey, what's that burning smell?........."

 

Guy get's in car...starts it, put's it into reverse...backs down driveway...."oh crap, the steering wheel won't turn!".....

I'd venture a guess that more Chrysler minivans suddenly lock up the transmission (more like an internal explosion...happened to my bro-in-law...TWICE) at highway speeds than ever happend to a Corvette.....no car is 100% perfect.

But I'd say it again, if this was a car like the Solstice or the Oprah G6's, the news would have had a field day....

 

We can agree on that!

 

Which is the main point of this thread. All the nitpicking about the details of the Corvette steering column recall doesn't really matter. Doug's original point was that this Mazda recall went rather unnoticed by the press. Had it been a GM recall (especially one that results in fires), it would have gotten a bit more exposure.

I more or less agree with that general premise. Of course, as he mentioned, the hurricane coverage was sort of dominating everything, because the news media often sucks donkey *****, if you'll forgive my moment of immaturity there. So in this case that could be why it wasn't widely publicized (that plus the fact that the problem was found before retail deliveries really started).

 

Yeah, I remember hearing about this on the news awhile back. They were pretty explicit with the fact that it could happen while people were driving.

 

Mechanical parts can fail you know... This happens to everybody. I would venture to say there is not one car out there that in a 200k lifetime will not have "Something" fail. Anything from a Interior piece, Window Motor, to an Idler Arm. It's really a moot point to say this statement.

The only thing that has any validity is documented problems reevaluated and proven by "Engineering" to be a valid design defect. Then a recall takes place.

Saying, my Mother-In-Law's, Cousins, In-Bred Son had a Dodge and the Engine shot a rod through the block, which exploded the battery and the poor boy had to live the rest of his life in a cage. So what?

I have more respect for the company that is not afraid to admit a recall and get the problem resolved fast and easy for the customer. I give Mazda credit for issueing the recall, but I take it immediately away because of their 30 day fix times and not knowing what the problem is.

I wonder if they're going to give them a Months Depreciation Check for the time it sits in their garage?!?!

 

I couldn't agree more.
The company that accepts responsibility and fixes the problem gets my vote every time over the comapny that fights doing the recall and forces NHTSA to mandate it. Rarely do I ever bat an eye at a voluntary recall - regardless of the carmaker. When mandatory recall notices hit the news, I cringe.

As for the invitation to go and search NHTSA's website for complaints on the Corvette (which was recalled and fixed)... I'd rather look at the HUNDREDS of complaints about the stumbling, fumbling, hesitation-prone drive-by-wire system and the electronically controlled transmission that seems to be getting MANY Toyota/Lexus drivers in wrecks (and injured, and killed) because of a poor control system that ALL DEALERS and Toyota know about, but refuse to admit to or resolve...

Make : TOYOTA Model : CAMRY Year : 2004
Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Crash : Yes Fire : No Number of Injuries: 1
ODI ID Number : 10074472 Number of Deaths: 1
Date of Failure: March 14, 2004
VIN : Not Available
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Make: TOYOTA
Model: CAMRY
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2004
Complaint Number: 10074472
Summary:
DIFFICULTY SHIFTING FROM PARK TO REVERSE, THEN UPON SHIFTING INTO DRIVE THE CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY, WOULD NOT STOP, COLLIDED WITH A MOBILE HOME, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF ONE PASSENGER AND INJURY OF DRIVER *LA
-----------------------------------------------------
Make: TOYOTA
Model: CAMRY
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2004
Complaint Number: 10098287
Summary:
I HAVE A 2004 V6 CAMRY. THE CAR HAS NO CLUES AS TO WHICH GEAR IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN. HALF OF THE TIME YOU CAN PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS AND IT WILL GO AND HALF THE TIME IT WILL NOT. I HAVE ALMOST GOTTEN HIT SEVERAL TIMES CHANGING LANES OR PULLING OUT DUE TO THE CAR BEING STUCK IN GEARS. THE SHIFTING BETWEEN 2 AND 3 WILL JERK YOUR NECK. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIPS OVER FOUR TIMES AND EVERYTIME I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS A CHARTERISTIC OF THE CAR. I WENT LAST WEEK...THE GENERAL MANAGER TOLD ME HE FELT THE JERKS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND PROCEEDED TO CALL TOYOTA TO FIND OUT HOW TO FIX IT.30 MINUTES LATER I WAS TOLD THAT I AM ON MY OWN WITH IT. ANOTHER DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TOYOTA HAS HAD THEM REPLACING 02 SENSORS AND MANY OTHER USELESS IDEAS TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE IS ON EVERY SINGLE COMPLAINT WEBSITE (INCLUDING THIS ONE) AND I WANT TO KNOW IF SOMEONE HAS TO BE KILLED BEFORE TOYOTA IS MADE TO CORRECT THEIR MISTAKES? THE BRAKES ARE THE SECOND ISSUE...THEY DO NOT WORK!! THEY HAVE BEEN REPORTED OVER AND OVER AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. I HAVE CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE BRAKES BEING SMASHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR JUST NOT STOPPING.*AK
------------------------------------------------
Make: LEXUS
Model: ES330
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2005
Complaint Number: 10128908
Summary:
ENGINE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP OR A ROLLING STOP. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE LEXUS ES'S FOR 3-4 YEARS. OTHER LEXUS MODELS DO NOT PERFORM LIKE THIS. WHY DOES THIS MODEL AND WHY HASN'T IT BEEN CORRECTED AFTER THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AROUND THE COUNTRY??
------------------------------------------------------
Make: LEXUS
Model: ES 330
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2004
Complaint Number: 10068413
Summary:
DURING THE FIRST WEEKS, THE TRANSMISSION ACTED ERRATICALLY. DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS, WHEN I RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR TO COAST, AND THEN ACCELERATE, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS OR TAKES TIME TO ENGAGE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH FORWARD. (THIS HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A "DELAY/HESITATION IN SHIFTING," OR THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS "SEARCHING FOR A GEAR.") THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT UP OR DOWN SMOOTHLY. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN. THE SERVICE TECH ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM. I WAS THEN ASKED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AND LEAVE IT FOR A FEW DAYS. NOT HEARING BACK FROM ANYONE, I CALLED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. A FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS TOLD TO PICK UP THE CAR. I SPOKE WITH KEITH HOLLIS. HE INFORMED ME THAT LEXUS DROVE THE VEHICLE AND SPECULATED THE CAUSE WAS THE GAS. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO "RUN THROUGH A FEW TANKS OF GAS." WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE, I WAS READING THE SERVICE TICKET AND SAW A STATEMENT ON THE TICKET THAT: "NO FAULT FOUND." DESPITE THIS, THE TICKET WAS INACCURATE. WORK WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING RESETTING THE MEMORY, REPLACEMENT OF A FILTER AND NEW GAS. I THEN SPOKE WITH MR. PERNELL, SERVICE MANAGER. HE CONCEDED THAT THE SERVICE TICKET WAS INACCURATE. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE. HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THE LEXUS ENGINEERS WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE NOW DRIVEN 2-3 OF THESE CARS, AND THE SYMPTOMS ARE CONSISTENT. I CONTACTED LEXUS. THEY STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE CAR, AND THAT THERE "WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR." LEXUS KNOWS THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE, BUT THE FIX IS TOO COSTLY. SO, CONSUMERS ARE GOING TO BE STONEWALLED. THE NHTSA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY RECALL ALL LEXUS VEHICLES WITH THE 330 ENGINE MATED TO THIS NEW 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED/KILLED. IF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME AT 713/781-6815.
--------------------------------------------------
Make: LEXUS
Model: ES 330
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2004
Complaint Number: 10105974
Summary:
ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS THIS CAR HAD ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN PUTTING IT IN GEAR BOTH FORWARD AND REVERSE.N THE LAST OCCURRENCE THE CAR SHOT FORWARD, JUMPING A LOW CURB AND HITTING A TREE.*AK I HAD NO CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENED AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR ANY MORE.
--------------------------------------------------------
Make : LEXUS Model : ES 330 Year : 2004
Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Crash : Yes Fire : No Number of Injuries: 1
ODI ID Number : 10041601 Number of Deaths: 0
Date of Failure: October 10, 2003
VIN : JTHBA30G945...
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK

Make: LEXUS
Model: ES 330
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2004
Complaint Number: 10041601
Summary:
AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE GARAGE AT MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, I CONTINUED TO BOUNCE OFF THE WALL SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE CAR WOULD STOP. I FELT THAT THE BRAKES FAILED OR THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER, THEY CALLED ME BACK 30 MINUTES LATER AND SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR AND I COULD PICK IT UP. I FELT AS IF I HAVE BEEN "BLOWN OFF' AND I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED THE CORPORATE OFFICES AND PLACED A COMPLAINT, HOWEVER, THIS ISSUE STILL REMAINS UNRESOLVED. THE FORM WILL NOT LET ME ENTER THE CORRECT MODEL OF MY CAR, IT IS AN ES330 NOT AND RX. *LA
----------------------------------------------------------
Make: TOYOTA
Model: AVALON
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2004
Complaint Number: 10109571
Summary:
WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE REVVED UP AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. *NM THE RPM REACHED 7000. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THIS MARKS THE FOURTH TIME THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD THIS ISSUE. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED 10099310. HEAVY SMOKE CAME FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CRASH. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION TO STOP THE ENGINE FROM RACING. *TC *JB
----------------------------------------------------
Make: TOYOTA
Model: AVALON
Type: PASSENGER CAR
Year: 2004
Complaint Number: 10125733
Summary:
HAVING TRAVELED UP A STEEP ROAD, I PROCEEDED TO TURN INTO AN ACQUAINTANCE'S DRIVEWAY. I BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKE AS I CAME TO PARK BEHIND HER VEHICLE. SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING, MY 2004 TOYOTA AVALON SURGED AHEAD AND CRASHED INTO HER PARKED VEHICLE CAUSING MY FRONT BUMPER TO GO UNDER THE BACK OF HER 2004 SEBRING CONVERTIBLE LIFTING IT UP OFF THE GROUND. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I CALLED MY TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SUGGESTED I NOT DRIVE IT (I WAS TO GO OUT OF TOWN FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND). SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AS I WANTED THEM TO CHECK THIS ACCERLATION PROBLEM. I HAD $2537.16 DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF MY AVALON. THE SEBRING HAD APPROXIMATELY $650 DAMAGE. THE DEALER SAID THAT HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. IT WAS HOOKED UP TO A COMPUTER TO SEE IF ANY SYSTEMS HAD FAILED. HE ALSO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I FEEL CERTAIN THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A POWER SURGE OF SOME KIND. MY AVALON HAS ONLY 9500 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT IT IN JULY OF 2004 AND IN SEPTEMBER 2004, I EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR POWER SURGE. TRAVELING UP A HILLY ROAD NO MORE THAN 30 MPH, AS I REACHED THE TOP OF THE HILL AS THE ROAD STRAIGHTEN OUT, THE CAR TOOK OFF. IT LASTED ONLY A FEW SECONDS, BUT SCARED ME. HOWEVER, I DID NOT REPORT IT. THE THOUGHT OF ANOTHER POWER SURGE HAS ME VERY HESITANT ABOUT FEELING SAFE IN THIS AUTOMOBILE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ACCIDENT FREE FOR 47 YEARS. I AM IN VERY GOOD PHYSICAL HEALTH.


So this crap has been going on in MANY models for several years - there are literally HUNDREDS of complaints, with death and injuries, yet we hear nothing about it in the news.

Just watch yourself if you see a Toyota or Lexus in your rear view mirror guys.

 

This entire post has gotten really retarded.