WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, AND WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING, STEERING WHEEL INSTANTLY LOCKED UP WHEN A LEFT TURN WAS INITIATED. TURN COULD NOT BE COMPLETED AND THE VEHICLE WENT OFF ROAD AND INTO A YARD BEFORE COMING TO STOP. NO INJURIES, BUT HAD SPEED BEEN HIGHER, OR AN OPEN YARD NOT AVAILABLE, THIS WOULD HAVE IN MY MIND BEEN A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE THREATENING EVENT. ENGINE WAS RUNNING, AND SERPENTINE BELT HAD NOT BROKEN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND REPORTEDLY HAD STEERING GEAR BOX REPLACED. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED GIVEN THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A SERIOUS COLLISION.*AK