# 1976 CHEVROLET CORVETTE — STEERING
> NHTSA complaint `558650` · 2005-11-02 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** CHEVROLET
- **Model:** CORVETTE
- **Year:** 1976
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** STEERING
- **Speed:** 50 mph
## Narrative
WITH NO WARNING I LOST ALL STEERING.  IT FELT LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL HAD COME OFF THE SHAFT AS THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THERE WAS TRAFFIC IN FRONT, BEHIND AND ON MY RIGHT WITH A CONCRETE BARRIER TO THE RIGHT OF THE SLOW LANE, AND BRIDGE SUPPORTS  TO MY LEFT. LUCKILY I WAS ON A STRAIGHT SECTION OF ROAD AND THERE WAS A SLIGHT CROWN TO THE ROAD.  I LITERALLY LEANED LEFT WHEN I CLEARED THE BRIDGE AND THE CAR STARTED TO THE MEDIAN. WHEN MY FRONT TIRES REACHED THE GRAVEL SHOULDER I HIT THE BRAKES AND SKIDDED TO A STOP IN THE MEDIAN SHORT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC.  AFTER REGAINING COMPOSURE, I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT WHILE THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED THE ROD GOING INTO THE STEERING GEAR BOX, THE GEAR BOX DID NOT TURN THE WHEELS AT ALL.  I COULD TURN THE WHEEL LOCK TO LOCK WITH NO WHEEL MOVEMENT. A HALF MILE LATER I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON A FREEWAY WITH 65-70 MPH SPEEDS.  IF I HAD BEEN ON A CURVE WHEN IT HAPPENED I WOULD HAVE BEEN INTO AND ACROSS THE MEDIAN BEFORE I COULD HAVE STOPPED THE VEHICLE. EARLIER I HAD BEEN CROSSING THE U OF M CAMPUS IN HEAVY PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. I E-MAILED CHEVY THE NEXT DAY. THEY ASSIGNED THE CASE BUT AFTER A WEEK OF LEAVING VOICEMAIL MESSAGES AND CONTACT NUMBERS I GAVE UP AND CALLED THE MAIN NUMBER. THEY TOLD ME: A. SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE IT TOWED TO A GM DEALER THEY  HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY FINANCIALLY.  B. THEY ONLY KEPT RECALL RECORDS BACK TEN YEARS SO THEY HAD NO INFO FOR ME. BUT I COULD CALL A DEALER AND THEY COULD GIVE ME THE INFO.  I DID, AND THE DEALER SYSTEM 
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*