1997 Chevrolet Lumina Steering Problems
Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 93,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “rack pinion” (31% of reports).
- 88steering complaints
- 93,500median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 18%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 27 of 88 complaints (31%)
- Steering gear: mentioned in 10 of 88 complaints (11%)
- Making turn: mentioned in 9 of 88 complaints (10%)
- Wheel locked: mentioned in 6 of 88 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 38 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 88 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury.
Chevrolet Lumina steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Lumina | 1 | 100% | 250,000 |
| 2000 Lumina | 3 | 10% | 84,000 |
| 1999 Lumina | 7 | 7% | 79,528 |
| 1998 Lumina | 56 | 25% | 81,400 |
| 1997 Lumina | 88 | 25% | 93,500 |
| 1996 Lumina | 19 | 8% | 139,000 |
| 1995 Lumina | 18 | 4% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:rack and pinion
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Risk: If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I'm driving and my steering is tight and when turning while in motion and while its park. You can also smell like some thing burning
Key stuck in on position will not allow engine to be turned off in either park or neutral. Will turn towards start. Car will drive but unable to turn car off unless power is unplugged from steering column. Was at work with no way to turn car off had to leave running till power was disconnected…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet lumina. While driving 35 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Chevrolet Luminas have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 88 owner complaints about steering for the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina (25% of the 347 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 93,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina?
The most frequent phrase is “rack pinion”, in 27 of 88 complaints, followed by “steering gear” (10).
Other 1997 Chevrolet Lumina problems
See all 1997 Chevrolet Lumina problems or steering problems across all Lumina years.