Chevy Cruze steering-wheel comes off while driving

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Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
It's probably a very isolated case, but it's still one of those quality control horror stories that can make a car look really bad. At least GM was quick to correct it.

If it wasn't so dangerous, it would be kind of funny.

We got a 4x4 side by side UTV in at work for repair that was missing some bolts from the steering column for some reason. It's probably not the fault of the manufacturer; the dealer is the culprit in this case. It's drivable, but the steering column just flops around. That's one way to get tilt steering.


+1
 
Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
GM quality at its best! I'll stick with my Toyota. Toyota may have its faults, but at least their steering wheels are not coming off.


No, with Toyotas you can still steer while going 100 mph down the hwy unable to slow down or stop.



crackmeup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: subiedriver
GM quality, lmao. I'll stick with my Subaru, heeheee.

Good thing your Subaru isn't a 2002-03 Impreza:

NHTSA investigating Kia, Subaru vehicles for defects

Quote:
NHTSA is also investigating 84,000 2002-03 Subaru Impreza vehicles. NHTSA has received seven complaints alleging failure of a control arm because of excessive corrosion. The failures allegedly occurred at speeds of 50 mph or greater. Two of the complaints alleged a loss of vehicle control.

56.gif
 
Wow @ all the GM hatin'. Even from owners of GM cars, no less.

And to prance on this as a chance to get politics and anti union rhetoric involved...
 
Originally Posted By: maersk
Wow @ all the GM hatin'. Even from owners of GM cars, no less.

And to prance on this as a chance to get politics and anti union rhetoric involved...


It happens all the time
wink.gif
. It's funny how to some GM=low quality=UAW but Ford does not
smirk.gif
. I suspect that if Japanese, Korean and other foreign automakers in the US were to been unionized, magically they wouldn't be considered as good anymore lol.
 
Look at the worn splines on both the steering wheel and column. That has been grinding for quite awhile and should have been noticeable to even the most retarded driver.

Not excusing that the wheel may have been installed wrong, but something just does not seem right.
 
Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada
Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
GM quality at its best! I'll stick with my Toyota. Toyota may have its faults, but at least their steering wheels are not coming off.


No, with Toyotas you can still steer while going 100 mph down the hwy unable to slow down or stop.


In the time it takes the average Toyota out there (that being Corollas, Echos, Rav4s, Yaris, Tercels and 4cyl Camrys) to reach 100mph, I would hope that the driver would have thought of neutral or turning off the ignition. But I digress...



+1... we were taught in my drivers ed class how to stop a vehicle that was stuck on cruise control...
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Look at the worn splines on both the steering wheel and column. That has been grinding for quite awhile and should have been noticeable to even the most retarded driver.

Not excusing that the wheel may have been installed wrong, but something just does not seem right.

Bingo!
 
Originally Posted By: Big_Kat
Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada

In the time it takes the average Toyota out there (that being Corollas, Echos, Rav4s, Yaris, Tercels and 4cyl Camrys) to reach 100mph, I would hope that the driver would have thought of neutral or turning off the ignition. But I digress...



+1... we were taught in my drivers ed class how to stop a vehicle that was stuck on cruise control...


Supposedly several drivers who experienced this tried to put the car into neutral, and turn the engine off, and the car would not let them do either. I heard one person testify to Congress say this (had CSPAN on for a few min. that day). She likely isn't alone with the symptom or even testifying about it in this way.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Look at the worn splines on both the steering wheel and column. That has been grinding for quite awhile and should have been noticeable to even the most retarded driver.

Not excusing that the wheel may have been installed wrong, but something just does not seem right.


A very good point. That kind of damage doesn't really look like something that happened all at once. There had to be some sort of noise or weird movement in the steering wheel before it happened.
 
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Look at the worn splines on both the steering wheel and column. That has been grinding for quite awhile and should have been noticeable to even the most retarded driver.

Not excusing that the wheel may have been installed wrong, but something just does not seem right.


A very good point. That kind of damage doesn't really look like something that happened all at once. There had to be some sort of noise or weird movement in the steering wheel before it happened.


It almost makes me wonder if the driver at one time had the wheels turn hard left or right against the stops and then yanked the wheel even harder, thereby stripping the splines?

If you look again, it looks like the stripped splines show half length engagement. Even with this theory, GM would be at fault but you still can not give a pass to the driver for not being adept of their driving condition.

Either way, not a design issue, just an assembly (human) error.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Look at the worn splines on both the steering wheel and column. That has been grinding for quite awhile and should have been noticeable to even the most retarded driver.

Not excusing that the wheel may have been installed wrong, but something just does not seem right.


You bring up a good point. Maersk asked in the video thread if it was normal for the steering wheel to be held on with just silicone. I replied but the thread was locked before it posted. I lost my post but the gist of my post was,

The steering wheel splines are a press fit on to the steering column shaft. The steering wheel retaining nut or bolt has to be tighten to get the press fit on, and even if you loosen and remove the nut the steering still should not come off without a steering wheel puller. Apparently some of these steering wheels didn't get tighten down properly so may never have developed an adequate press fit either. A lot of cars use to have a retainer lock ring above the nut so even if the nut and wheel came loose it could not back all the way out. I don't know why they moved away from using a retainer ring.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx

You bring up a good point. Maersk asked in the video thread if it was normal for the steering wheel to be held on with just silicone. I replied but the thread was locked before it posted. I lost my post but the gist of my post was,

The steering wheel splines are a press fit on to the steering column shaft. The steering wheel retaining nut or bolt has to be tighten to get the press fit on, and even if you loosen and remove the nut the steering still should not come off without a steering wheel puller. Apparently some of these steering wheels didn't get tighten down properly so may never have developed an adequate press fit either. A lot of cars use to have a retainer lock ring above the nut so even if the nut and wheel came loose it could not back all the way out. I don't know why they moved away from using a retainer ring.




If you look at the original article, the assembly process was bypassed becaused the steering wheel had to be replaced later down the assembly line, so that is where human error came into play.

I would almost bet that at the original assembly point for the steering wheel install, they had a computer monitored air ratchet that would count the number of turns and the torque of the assembly bolt for the steering wheel. If this was off, a computer alarm would have noticed it and flagged the error. Since the wheel was replaced down the line, I would speculate it was done manually, incorrectly and probably by someone who is not familiar with that operation.

I would love to be in on their quality review system for the RCCA (Root Cause, Corrective Action) process.
 
Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
Originally Posted By: Big_Kat
Originally Posted By: Craig in Canada

In the time it takes the average Toyota out there (that being Corollas, Echos, Rav4s, Yaris, Tercels and 4cyl Camrys) to reach 100mph, I would hope that the driver would have thought of neutral or turning off the ignition. But I digress...



+1... we were taught in my drivers ed class how to stop a vehicle that was stuck on cruise control...


Supposedly several drivers who experienced this tried to put the car into neutral, and turn the engine off, and the car would not let them do either. I heard one person testify to Congress say this (had CSPAN on for a few min. that day). She likely isn't alone with the symptom or even testifying about it in this way.

The car could be shifted into neutral.
With push button start you have to push the button and hold for 3 seconds for the engine to shut down.
The woman on CSPAN was a joke.
That same car was still on the road at the time of the hearings with over 30K miles and no incidents.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: mechanicx

You bring up a good point. Maersk asked in the video thread if it was normal for the steering wheel to be held on with just silicone. I replied but the thread was locked before it posted. I lost my post but the gist of my post was,

The steering wheel splines are a press fit on to the steering column shaft. The steering wheel retaining nut or bolt has to be tighten to get the press fit on, and even if you loosen and remove the nut the steering still should not come off without a steering wheel puller. Apparently some of these steering wheels didn't get tighten down properly so may never have developed an adequate press fit either. A lot of cars use to have a retainer lock ring above the nut so even if the nut and wheel came loose it could not back all the way out. I don't know why they moved away from using a retainer ring.




If you look at the original article, the assembly process was bypassed becaused the steering wheel had to be replaced later down the assembly line, so that is where human error came into play.

I would almost bet that at the original assembly point for the steering wheel install, they had a computer monitored air ratchet that would count the number of turns and the torque of the assembly bolt for the steering wheel. If this was off, a computer alarm would have noticed it and flagged the error. Since the wheel was replaced down the line, I would speculate it was done manually, incorrectly and probably by someone who is not familiar with that operation.

I would love to be in on their quality review system for the RCCA (Root Cause, Corrective Action) process.



That is what I was saying above. I have been involved in many report outs like this...it is not pretty.
 
Originally Posted By: TurboLuver
Wonder if those 2,100 cars were built on a friday close to quittin time?


The robot must have had a really BIG weekend planned, eh?
 
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