Warren, Mich.—June 26, 2017—A new Chevrolet recall pertains to thousands of vehicles with a potential power steering issue. According to an acknowledgment statement filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers in certain Chevrolet SS models could suddenly lose electric power steering assistance while the vehicle is in motion. The specific models involved cover the years from 2014 to 2016 for the Chevrolet SS, though the recall itself comes from General Motors.
The Defect
The statement said that a power steering connector could suffer conductivity issues through fretting corrosion, possibly cutting off assistance altogether. This could in turn activate a warning light and noise to alert the driver, even though it might still technically be possible to drive the car. Estimates indicate approximately 95 percent of the 6,204 vehicles may have this issue. The affected components themselves are from Mando Corporation.
Timeline of Events
- May 14, 2013: This was the earliest production date listed in the same NHTSA statement, applying specifically to the 2013 Chevrolet SS vehicles in the recall.
- April 27, 2016: The production period for the 2016 vehicles involved in this recall ended on this day, making it the last of all of the included vehicles overall. The report did not list how many vehicles of each model year were included.
- July 26, 2016: The gold-plated terminals, which were listed as part of the solution to the issue, were introduced on this date. However, the manufacturer reportedly didn’t discover this until it had begun its investigation the following year.
- September 28, 2016: A related chronology document, also filed with the NHTSA, said that this date was when a report on steering warranty data brought the matter to GM’s attention.
- March 23, 2017: The manufacturer began its official investigation on this day, with the actual recall decision coming on June 9.
The Resolution
The original statement listed the dealer notification date as June 15, with no date listed for owner notification at that time. The replacements will involve the previously introduced gold-plated terminals to fix the assembly, if such a repair is needed.
