Complaint 144014

Complaint Summary

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

Owner Narrative

WHILE DRIVING DOWN HWY 288 AT 70 MILES PER HOUR MY POWER STEERING BELT BROKE AND CAUSED THE WHEEL TO LOCK. I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT ON TO HWY 6 AND LUCKILY I WAS SLOWING DOWN THE BELT AND ALL KINDS OF SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, BLINDING ME AND MAKING ME THINK THAT THERE WAS A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. ALSO THE WHEEL LOCKED UP ON ME AND I COULD NOT STEER, BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING IS CONNECTED TO THAT BELT ALONG WITH THE AIRCONDITIONING. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPLACED BECAUSE THE BELT WAS ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE BELT WAS GOOD BUT THE CONDESOR HAD CAUSED THE CAR TO LOCK BECAUSE THE AIR CONDITIIONING AND THE POWER STEERING ARE ON THE SAME BELT. IF I HAD NOT BEEN A STRONG PERSON I DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE WRECKED MY CAR, SOME ONE NOT AS STRONG OR OLDER WOULD HAVE DRIVEN OFF THE ROAD. PLEASE CHECK AND SEE IF THIS MATTER HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AND PUT A BULLETIN OUT TO THE PUBLIC TELLING THEM HOW THIS CAN CAUSE A WRECK BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE CAR.

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.