GM is recalling C5s for a steering column lock problem. The steering column has an electronic lock, and if the steering wheel fails to unlock, the fuel to the engine is supposed to shut off. Apparently some C5 steering columns are failing to unlock, and the fuel is NOT being shut-off. No known accidents because of this problem at this time. Recalled vehicles are apparently all 1997-2004; 127,000 vehicles total.
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
Nice to see GM is finally addressing this problem. I fixed both of our C5's by installing a column lock bypass so they never lock. This is the FIRST modification I make to a C5 when I get it. -
Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
"...finally addressing this problem". Why, Allen, you must not have yelled loud enough...they claim they haven't had any customer complaints (see article link below).
It must be disconcerting to drive away in your late model Corvette, and find you can't turn the steering wheel.
GM Recalls CorvettesComment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
I don't know how they can say they haven't had any customer complaints. A friend of mine was on the 10:00 Houston news last year along with several other people who have had this problem. He has had his car fixed three times for the problem; he's too stuborn to put on a bypass.
There must also be a hundred threads in the Corvette Forum.
I had one lock up within a week of buying the car, but I managed to pull hard enough on the steering wheel while turning the key to get it unlocked. I then went straight home and immediately put on the column lock bypass that I purchased at the time I bought the car.Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
I ordered a '02 coupe, never heard of this problem, have talked with many C5 owners and this topic never came up as a problem with these cars. I haven't even seen a thread about this subject on any Corvette forums.Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
My 99 has 73K on it, never had a problem, or heard of the problem. Maybe it's the low mile cars, not broken in yet.
BrianComment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
had the bypass unit put in quite awhile ago by the dealer when I had my 2001 Z06 in for an oil change - there have been several TSB's on the problem and this has been discussed on the Corvette Forum as well as the Corvette Action Center to name two forums where this problem has been discussed for at least 2 yearsRick Aleshire
2016 Ebony C7R Z06 "ROSA"Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
Thanks for the update .I have an 02 automatic and never had a problem with it.(I have heard of tons of people who have had a problem thought thru the online forums)
I have a freind who purchased a 01 stick corvette and his wife had the steering lock on her while in a shopping center parking lot.He immediately contacted GM to purchase the car back and they would not even with all of the documentation he had taken off the web sites of this problem.He sold the car with less then 600 mile on it and a about $8,100.00 loss (because the of sales tax and depreceation and has sworn off all GM cars forever.He put her in a jaguar instead.
Was this collum lcok problem just on the stick cars?Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
Larry,
problem was on both autos and sticks - it has been documented for all Corvettes 1997-2003 - we should be getting notices in the mail starting around March 1 directing us to take out Corvettes in to the dealer for them to determine if we need to have fix applied or notRick Aleshire
2016 Ebony C7R Z06 "ROSA"Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
Given the fact there is a "fix" at the dealership per the previous posts, that was pretty "dumb" in my opinion to sell the car and take the huge loss.
Given the quickly declining values of C5's, maybe he really was "smarter than the average bear"!
But then again, maybe the "princess", his wife, really did not like the car? There is usually a "rest of the story" that is never told by the person involved when I hear this type of story involving an attempted GM repurchase of a car.Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
I can tell you honestly the only motivation for selling the car was the family saftey. This car was less then a month old.At the time his dealer told him there is nothing wrong with her car.And there is nothing they could do to correct a non excistant problem that they could not duplicate.At the time he sold the C5 they had no problem with value's The C6 was still a dream.Remember this is almost 3 years ago.
And again to correct you THERE WAS NO FIX AT THE DEALERS before this month GM has just now admitited to a problem with the steering collumComment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
There was a "Customer Satisfaction Campaign" that was launched in July 2001 for 1998-2001 vehicles for the Steering: Column Locking Anti-Theft. This was launched after many complaints about being unable to unlock the steering wheel, etc. So to say there was no fix is NOT TRUE. Like I stated before, my 2001 Z06 had the fix applied when I had the Z06 in for an oil change.
Now it is true there was NO RECALL until now! But there was a fix. And it only became a recall when enough folks complained about the condition. Fortunately, AFAIK, there were no accidents that were caused by this condition.Rick Aleshire
2016 Ebony C7R Z06 "ROSA"Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
Rick, I believe it became a recall when the fail-safe back-up system failed on some cars. After that, any collision with even remote possibility of column lock malfunction would have been GMs liability.
As long as the column lock was failing, and the fuel system was shutting down the engine to prevent any movement of the vehicle, it was just a terrific PITA annoyance for the customer. Then, when there were instances of the secondary protection system failing, it became an severe irritant and liability to GM. Memories of (contrived) investigations showing flaming Chevrolet pick-up gas tanks on television probably began to flash through executive heads, and the problem took on a whole new urgency for the corporation.Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
What I am unclear about is the "fix" that will be performed. There are two issues. One the potential for the column locking. The other is the fuel continuing to be delivered to the engine which would allow you to drive off with the car that has a "locked" steering wheel. Will the "fix" address the locking problem or is it a programming change to cut the fuel off?Comment
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Re: C5s Being Recalled By GM...
The fix that was performed on my 2001 Z06 was to replace the locking mechanism (if my short memory is correct as this was several years ago!) - haven't had any problems since the fixRick Aleshire
2016 Ebony C7R Z06 "ROSA"Comment
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