Our client, Marie Buchanan, left her home in a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer. While driving on a rural road in North Georgia, her vehicle suddenly veered off course. She corrected back onto the road, but the Trailblazer lost control and rolled into a ditch. Tragically, Marie did not survive the crash.
At first, investigators assumed this was a single-vehicle accident caused by driver error. Marie’s husband, however, asked The Cooper Firm to review the case to determine if a hidden defect might have contributed to the loss of control.
Initial Investigation
Our early focus was on the ignition switch, since the Trailblazer was manufactured during the same time period as vehicles recalled for defective ignition switches. But further investigation revealed a different and more troubling issue.
A Defective Steering Wheel Angle Sensor
The 2007 Trailblazer was equipped with a faulty steering wheel angle sensor that disabled the vehicle’s electronic stability control system (“StabiliTrak”)—a critical safety feature designed to prevent rollovers and crashes.
StabiliTrak works by monitoring steering, speed, and direction, automatically intervening when it detects a potential loss of control. However, when the steering angle sensor malfunctions, StabiliTrak shuts down entirely. In Marie’s case, the vehicle’s diagnostic data confirmed a trouble code tied to this defective component. That failure meant StabiliTrak could not activate at the very moment it was most needed.
GM’s Response
In 2018, following evidence uncovered during the Buchanan case, General Motors launched its own investigation into the steering sensor. Internal documents revealed more than 73,700 warranty claims related to this part—nearly 10% of all GM SUVs built with the sensor between 2006 and 2009.
Despite this alarming number, GM declined to issue a recall. The company insisted that the Buchanan accident was the only known case involving a crash caused by StabiliTrak disengagement linked to a defective steering sensor. GM also pointed to a warning light in Marie’s vehicle, which had flashed repeatedly prior to the crash, and emphasized that—even without StabiliTrak—drivers should still be able to steer and brake safely.
The Larger Concern
Marie’s husband maintained that her case was not an isolated incident and that other rollover or loss-of-control accidents may have stemmed from this same hidden defect. GM, however, reviewed more than 5,800 customer and dealer complaints, three legal claims, and thousands of warranty reports before asserting that it found no other accidents tied to the component failure.
The Buchanan case underscores the need for a product liability investigation when a crash is written off as “driver error.” Safety-critical electronics—like the steering-wheel angle sensor – are the difference between life and death.
Paralegal, Doreen Lundrigan