2004 GMC SIERRA Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A LOUD EXPLOSIVE NOISE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SEPARATED FROM THE ARM AND THE BOLT HAD BECOME SHREDDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHERE AN INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE STEERING BOX AND PITMAN ARM BOLT HAD SHREDDED FROM THE TIE ROD CENTER LINK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

Mileage: 79,000

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE YOU GET A LOUD THUMP AND SHAKE FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED, WHEN THE VEHICLE HITS A BUMP IN THE ROAD OR TURNING. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN TRACED TO THE STEERING SHAFT ON ALL CHEVROLET AND GMC PICKUPS FROM THAT YEAR. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SIERRA 1500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN A CLUNKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THE DEALER CONFIRMED ON BOTH OCCASIONS THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

Mileage: 85,000

CLUNKING NOISE ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF 2004 GMC 1500 WITH 33000 MILES. WAS IN AT DEALER TODAY AND THEY SAID THEY COULD ONLY TEMPORARILY FIX PROBLEM. WAS INTERMEDIATE STEERING SECTION AND GM HAD NOT FOUND FIX FOR IT. SAID THAT THE CLUNKING WOULD RETURN IN FEW MONTHS. THEY PUT NEW GREASE IN. WHAT AM I TO DO WHEN WARRANTY EXPIRES IN 3000 MILES AND IT RETURNS? IS THIS GOING TO CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND EVEN WORSE? *JB

MY CONCERN IS ONE FOR TRYING TO PREVENT A FUTURE ACCIDENT. I OWN A GMC SIERRA 2500 PICKUP AND THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND IN GOING OUT AGAIN. THIS ALL WITHIN 40,000 MILES. I FEEL THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE PART. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THE STEERING SHAFT FAILS, THE DRIVER WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

Mileage: 23,209

CLUNK NOISE THAT CAN BE FELT THROUGH STEERING COLUMN WHEN TRAVELING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT AND IS MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT. MANUFACTURER HAS KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND STILL HAS FAILED TO CORRECT IT FOR MANY CUSTOMERS. MOST DEALER SERVICE CENTERS TELL CUSTOMERS THAT THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM BY LUBRICATING THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS WORKS FOR MANY BUT IS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX AS IT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY THAT THE PROBLEM RETURNS AND IN MOST CASES AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED. SOME OWNERS HAVE REPORTED RETURNING TO THE DEALERSHIP AS MANY AS 5 TIMES. *NM

Mileage: 15,272

#1 04 SIERRA 4X4 RETURNED TO DEALER AFTER 2 WEEKS (9/18/04) WITH 1523 MILES FOR HARD SHIFTING. CLUTCH WAS NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY FROM FACTORY. ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE POINT IN CLUTCH PEDAL TRAVEL IS AT FULL DEPRESSION INTO THE FIREWALL. #2 PASSENGER DOOR HARD TO CLOSE FULLY. DRIVER SIDE DOOR CLOSES AS EXPECTED WITH LITTLE EFFORT. PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY WITHOUT UNDUE FORCE BEING APPLIED OR A WINDOW CRACKED. #3 RETURNED TRUCK TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP ON 9/15/05 WITH 8,190 AND AGAIN 12/15/05 WITH 10,282 MILES. FOR A KNOCKING NOISE DURING TURNING, CLUTCH NOT ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING CORRECTLY, PASSENGER DOOR NOT CLOSING COMPLETELY, AND A NEW RATTLING NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION ALONG WITH A WHINE NOISE FROM THE GEARS. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE KNOCKING NOISE FROM A SERVICE BULLETIN CONCERNING A STEERING BUSHING. THIS DEALERSHIP ALSO STATED THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CLUTCH OR THE TRANSMISSION OR THE PASSENGER DOOR. NONE OF THE PROBLEMS WERE FIXED #5 I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE TRUCK TO AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP FOR A 3RD OPINION ON 12/20/05 WITH 10,284 MILES. HIS OPINION WAS FLATLY STATED THAT THE TRUCK HAS MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCH AND THE TRANSMISSION. HIS EVALUATION WAS THE CLUTCH WAS NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY FROM THE FACTORY AND DEPRESSION INTO THE FIREWALL WAS NOT CORRECT. THE TRANSMISSION HAS SYNCHRONIZER AND POSSIBLE BUSHINGS AND BEARINGS THAT WERE FAILING. HE STATED THE NOISES ALONE WERE DEFINITE INDICATORS THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS PROBLEMS AND THAT ANYONE WOULD KNOW THAT A CLUTCH IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE DEPRESSED INTO THE FIREWALL FOR PROPER OPERATION WHICH IN TIME WILL LEAD TO PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE. THIS EVALUATION COST ME $30 AND 3 HOUR LOST FROM WORK. *JB

Mileage: 1,534

DT: CONTACT STATES SINCE 7-04 HAD STEERING PROBLEMS. IN 3-05 HE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GMC STATING THAT THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 2-11 OR 100,000 MILES BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE PROBLEMS HE HAD BEEN HAVING WITH THE CAR. HIS WARRANTY WAS ABOUT TO RUN OUT AND HE WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH HIS TRUCK. HE WAS GOING TO FORWARD OTHER PERTINENT DOCUMENTS LATER CONCERNING THE NUMEROUS REPAIR WORK HE HAS DONE. *AK

Mileage: 21,412

CONSUMER STATES: SET 2 YR OLD SON IN PASSENGER SEAT TOOK KEYS OUT OF SEAT LAID IN CONSOLE, CHILD STUCK KEY IN SWITCH TURNED ENOUGH TO TURN ON GEARS WITHOUT TOUCHING BRAKING. TALK TO GM SAID THEY WERE DESIGNED

Mileage: 32,000

WHEN TURNING LEFT THE STEERING WHEEL SQUEAKS. WHEN TAKING MINOR BUMPS ON THE ROAD THERE'S A RATTLING OR A PULSING FEELING COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN. DRIVER DOOR MADE A RATTLING NOISE (WHICH WAS FIXED) AND THERE WAS A PUMPING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH BOARD BY THE FLOOR (WHICH WAS FIXED).*JB

Mileage: 5,000

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A STEERING PROBLEM. THE STEERING LOCKED UP. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND ALSO CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE DEFECT. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALER DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. *AK

Mileage: 18

NO SUMMARY FOUND. *AK

Mileage: 14,700

THE CENTER HUB OF THE WHEELS CONSTANTLY FALLS OFF. THE PLASTIC SCREWS THAT HOLD THE HUB ON THE WHEEL ARE NOT SECURING THE HUB PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER HAS LOST SIX OF THESE HUBS SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE. *JB THE VEHICLE WOULD BUCK WHEN PUT INTO 4LOW AND SHIFTING INTO PARK OR NEUTRAL FROM REVERSE OR DRIVE. THE VEHICLE MADE A THUMPING NOISE WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS AND THE CONSUMER COULD FEEL IT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. *NM

Mileage: 1,000

CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT. HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SHAFT SECTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK