Sudden Loss of Power Steering WHEN DRIVING

[mirrabucca]

More than ticking a checkbox online...

Do we know how this is progressing?

 

[Calsports]

Recently bought a March built 2016 Calais from a dealer, car has full service history, 97,000ks. Less than 500ks after purchase I was slowing down at an intersection and the dash showed the classic fault message '!Service Power Steering, Drive with Care'. I drove through the intersection with no power assist and got the car into a turning lane just up the road, it was like maneuvering a battleship. Family in the car with me on an 80kph stretch of road. If my wife was driving there is NO WAY she would have been able to steer the car...at all.

Took it to Holden service centre, they said:

• Computer showed diagnostic trouble code (DTC) C-0565
• Carried out further testing and recommend new power steering rack
• Car VIN is not on the recall list, so GMH will not pay for repairs
• Total cost of repair including labour, just over 5k

Rang the dealer I bought the car from as it is still under the 3 month stat warranty and told him it needs a new steering rack. He was pretty pleased.

 

[mirrabucca]

Recently bought a March built 2016 Calais from a dealer, car has full service history, 97,000ks. Less than 500ks after purchase I was slowing down at an intersection and the dash showed the classic fault message '!Service Power Steering, Drive with Care'. I drove through the intersection with no power assist and got the car into a turning lane just up the road, it was like maneuvering a battleship. Family in the car with me on an 80kph stretch of road. If my wife was driving there is NO WAY she would have been able to steer the car...at all.

Took it to Holden service centre, they said:

• Computer showed diagnostic trouble code (DTC) C-0565
• Carried out further testing and recommend new power steering rack
• Car VIN is not on the recall list, so GMH will not pay for repairs
• Total cost of repair including labour, just over 5k

Rang the dealer I bought the car from as it is still under the 3 month stat warranty and told him it needs a new steering rack. He was pretty pleased.

Thanks. Did the dealer accept the fact they have to replace the rack? And I wonder why your car wasn't on the recall list?

 

[Calsports]

Thanks. Did the dealer accept the fact they have to replace the rack? And I wonder why your car wasn't on the recall list?

Taking it back to dealer in a couple of days, we'll see what he says. Statutory warranties are pretty weak so I won't be surprised if there is some negotiating coming my way. The Holden service centre said they have a VIN list from GM related to the recall and if you aren't on it, then tough. GM in the US/Canada etc. recalled over a million cars because of this fault, the published VF recall list in Australia is currently sitting at about 73,000 cars, hardly any of them are 2016 models, but the service centre didn't look at that list, he looked at the official GM one.
I also rang GM Holden, yes they still exist, on their 1800 number. I was told essentially the same thing as the service centre told me....they have a list of VIN and if you aren't on it, they don't have to pay for the fix. You can however make an individual case to GMH via an 'out of warranty claim' that the GMH service centre can assist you with, where GM 'may' reimburse the costs of the fix. I won't be holding my breath on that one.

 

[wetwork65]

Taking it back to dealer in a couple of days, we'll see what he says. Statutory warranties are pretty weak so I won't be surprised if there is some negotiating coming my way. The Holden service centre said they have a VIN list from GM related to the recall and if you aren't on it, then tough. GM in the US/Canada etc. recalled over a million cars because of this fault, the published VF recall list in Australia is currently sitting at about 73,000 cars, hardly any of them are 2016 models, but the service centre didn't look at that list, he looked at the official GM one.
I also rang GM Holden, yes they still exist, on their 1800 number. I was told essentially the same thing as the service centre told me....they have a list of VIN and if you aren't on it, they don't have to pay for the fix. You can however make an individual case to GMH via an 'out of warranty claim' that the GMH service centre can assist you with, where GM 'may' reimburse the costs of the fix. I won't be holding my breath on that one.

I filtered the list from https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/recalls/rec-000535
for 2016, and I get this small list.
Therte may be a better list and there may also be an internal Holden list?

 

[Skylarking]

This issue should be handled on two fronts.

(1) through the selling dealer and your state consumer affairs group on an ACL statutory warranty basis. Why because it can be argued that such failures are because the product is not free from defect or durable. Quite frankly a durable steering system would last the life of the vehicle and much much longer than 73,000kms

(2) through lodging a safety complaint with ACCC who administers the product recall mechanism as it seems obvious Holden (the manufacturer) haven't fully isolated all impacted vehicles if those young vehicles that are not on the recall list are now having failures !

Yes it's a pain but people need to attack it from both angles for the safety of their passengers and those who travel on our public roads. After all regulators need to be pushed to do the correct thing...

Likelyhood is that GM would play the "guesture of goodwill" to avoid opening up a can of recall worms yet again. But opening up that can of worms is whats needed. I have little comfort that this issue is fully resolved just like I have little comfort the injector issue isn't fully going to bite us all with premature failures (which should have been resolved via injector recall)...