THE SEAT BELT SENSOR HAS A FAILURE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE BELT NOT TO RETRACT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS UNDETERMINED.
2009
STEERING
I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 90 MINUTES IN A SNOWSTORM. THE ROAD WAS SNOWPACKED BUT IT WAS DAYTIME AND VISIBILITY WAS ACCEPTABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS HANDLING JUST FINE AS ONE WOULD EXPECT WHEN TAKING EXTRA CARE DUE TO INCLEMENT CONDITIONS. I FELT SAFE AND IN CONTROL AT ABOUT 45 TO 50 MPH. WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR BEGAN FEELING STRANGE....LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE HANDLING HAD GOTTEN LOOSE. IT FELT LIKE WE WERE SWAYING, AND LIKE WE WERE SLIPPING INTO RUTS, BUT THERE WERE NONE. ROAD CONDITIONS HAD NOT CHANGED. MY PASSENGER SAID THAT IT FELT LIKE SHE WAS IN A BOAT. I KEPT FIGHTING THE STEERING SO IT WOULDN'T CROSS INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. I SLOWED TO ABOUT 30. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD ONTO THE SHOULDER TO EXAMINE THE WHEELS, BUT FOUND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. WE PRESSED ON AT SLOW SPEEDS AS OTHER VEHICLES BEGAN PASSING US. I PULLED OFF AGAIN AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THOUGHT ABOUT CALLING AAA, BUT WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE-OF-NOWHERE, ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN GUYMON, OK AND TUCUMCARI, NM. WE WERE DETERMINED TO GET TO TUCUMCARI WHERE WE COULD STOP AT A DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE OUT-OF-CONTROL, SWAYING SENSATION PERSISTED UNTIL WE DROVE THROUGH A SECTION OF HIGHWAY THAT MUST HAVE BEEN SALTED, BECAUSE IT WAS SLUSHY. AFTER A FEW MINUTES IN THAT SLUSHY CONDITION, THE CAR BEGAN STABILIZING, AND RESUMED NORMAL HANDLING. EVEN THOUGH WE ENCOUNTERED MORE SNOWPACKED STRETCHES, THE MALADY NEVER RETURNED. IT HAD BEEN A TERRIFYING COUPLE HOURS. WE TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER IN MESA. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. RECENTLY THE DEALER HERE IN MINNESOTA FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE CAR EXAMINED IT AND FOUND NOTHING, ALTHOUGH THEY SUSPECTED AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. THEY SUGGESTED ADVISING YOU. WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM SINCE THAT ONE TIME. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN THROUGH A SNOWSTORM SINCE THEN....AND, FRANKLY, WE WILL BE NERVOUS THE NEXT TIME WE DO ENCOUNTER SIMILAR SNOW CONDITIONS IF NOTHING IS RESOLVED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. *TR
