NHTSA complaint: 2016 CHEVROLET TAHOE — WHEELS
WHILE TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65-70MPH (POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 65) MY 2016 CHEVROLET TAHOE SEEMED TO HAVE NO STEERING, SIMILAR TO HOW A STEERING WHEEL FEELS WHEN VEHICLE IS OFF, AS THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING OVER A KNOLL WITH A SLIGHT CURVE TO THE LEFT. THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED TO CHECK TO SEE IF VEHICLE WAS IN FACT STILL RUNNING, WHICH IT WAS, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT WHICH TIME THE TAHOE DARTED LEFT INTO THE OTHER LANE WHERE ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING, CAUSING THAT VEHICLE TO HIT THE TAHOE IN THE DRIVERS SIDE BACK DOOR. THE TAHOE THEN CONTINUED BROADSIDE UNTIL IT BROKE FREE OF IMPACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE, AND TURNED BACKWARD INTO THE MEDIAN. THE TAHOE TRAVELLED BACKWARDS THRU THE MEDIAN FOR APPROXIMATELY 80FT AT WHICH TIME THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED TO THE FLOOR IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE TAHOE OUT OF NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC. THE TAHOE CAME OUT OF THE MEDIAN BROADSIDE, BACK INTO THE LEFT LANE & STOPPED. THE STEERING WHEEL NEVER MOVED DURING THIS ACCIDENT. THE STATE TROOPER SUGGESTED THAT THE FRONT WHEELS WERE LOCKED THE ENTIRE TIME BASED ON THE BLACK MARKS IN THE ROAD. ALSO, EVEN WITH A DIRECT SIDE IMPACT BY THE OTHER VEHICLE, THE SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation