NHTSA complaint: 1999 DODGE DURANGO — STEERING:LINKAGES
I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ONE MORNING AND WAS JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM MY HOME WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY STEERING WHEEL JUST STARTED SPINNING AROUND IN MY HANDS, A BOLT ABOUT 3-4 INCHES HAD WORKED IT'S WAY OUT OF THE LINKAGE. I APPLIED MY BRAKES, BUT THE TRUCK WAS COMING DOWN A HILL AND I ENDED UP AT THE BOTTOM OF A 20 FOOT CULVERT. LUCKILY THE VEHICLE DIDN'T ROLL, OR I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. WE HAD WORK DONE ON IT 6 MONTHS AFTER WE LEASED IT (DEC, 1999) AND WERE TOLD THEY HAD TO REMOVE THE STEERING COLUMN TO FIX THE HEATER--AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THEY HAD NO RECOLLECTION OF DOING ANY SUCH WORK AND EVEN TRIED TO TELL ME THAT WE HAD NOT LEASED THE VEHICLE FROM THEM, THEY NEVER HAD THAT VIN# IN THEIR SYSTEM. MY INSURANCE COMPANY INVESTIGATED IT AND TOLD ME THAT OVER TIME, THE VIBRATION MADE THE BOLT FALL OUT OF THE VEHICLE.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation