# 1993 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS — STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR
> NHTSA complaint `479514` · 2004-06-12 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** OLDSMOBILE
- **Model:** CUTLASS
- **Year:** 1993
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR
- **Miles at failure:** 120,000
- **Speed:** 65 mph
## Narrative
ON JUNE 10TH, TWO DAYS AGO, I TOTALED MY 93 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME ON I-93 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.   WHILE MY YEAR (93) HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED, 88 -91 WERE ALL RECALLED FOR SEPARATION OF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FROM THE STEERING GEAR AS A RESULT OF CORROSION OF 2 BOLTS WHERE ROAD SALT USE IS HIGH, INCLUDING IN MASSACHUSETTS.    I HAVE BEEN COMMUTING FROM BOSTON TO HANOVER NH TO TEACH FOR THE PAST 10 WEEKS.   A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I STARTED WORRYING ABOUT STEERING.  HAD TWO REAR TIRES REPLACED LAST WEEK AND ON THE DAY OF THE CRASH A BALL JOINT AND A TIE ROD REPLACED AND AN ALIGNMENT.      BUT ON 93 SOUTH IN LONDONDERRY I STARTED TO MOVE INTO THE PASSING LANE, SAW A CAR THAT HAD BEEN IN MY BLIND SPOT SO SWERVED A BIT TO THE RIGHT.  BUT I COULD NOT STRAIGHTEN MY CAR OUT - IT JUST KEPT GOING RIGHT, THEN IT SWERVED TO THE LEFT, I CRASHED INTO THE GUARD RAIL, BOUNCED BACKWARDS AND STOPPED HORIZONTALLY TO THE TRAFFIC BLOCKING BOTH LINES OF TRAFFIC.      AT FIRST I ASSUMED I WAS AT FAULT FOR LOSING CONTROL OF THE CAR.  THEN ON THE WAY TO THE TOW LOT, THE DRIVER ASKED ME IF A TIE ROD HAD SNAPPED.  I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW BUT HAD JUST HAD ONE REPLACED.  AT THE TOW YARD, HE AND A CAR DEALER (BOTH INSPECTORS) CHECKED - THE WORK I HAD DONE LOOKED FINE BUT UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE STEERING WHEEL SHAFT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL GEAR WHICH THEY SAID SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN - THEY SHOULD BE BOLTED TOGETHER.  GIVEN MY DESCRIPTION OF LOSS OF CONTROL AND THE BIZARRE SKID MARKS, THE
---
*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*