1997 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 review from North America
"I love this truck, but after 2 garages, 7 visits, still have an unknown steering issue"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Since Mid December, I have been to 2 garages, 7 visits to garage, $2,000 in work, and still have a steering issue.
When this started, I had two problems... the steering was extremely loose and it would spontaneously jerk in direction of turning (similar to a binding effect, then it will break loose suddenly jerking in that direction). I had the steering box replaced, this helped with the loose steering, but the sudden "jerking" in steering continued. This will occur at random, I can go days to a week without it happening, or it can happen on every turn/bend in a single day. The faster I am going or harder turn I am taking, the more noticeable and scary it is.
Parts that have been replaced in attempt to fix this issue are:
Steering box
Pit-man arm
Steering pump and lines
Linkages were checked and lubricated (not replaced)
Shocks
Things ruled out as they are not on this model:
Steering box sensors
Steering pump cooling system.
One garage mentioned that the steering shaft had a "little bit of play", but not enough to be of concern.
I am at a complete lost with not being comfortable driving this truck, running out of money to spend on it, and have a large headache.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 5.7 Automatic |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 25000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 120000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 19th February, 2009 |