CHULA VISTA, Calif. - A Chula Vista police officer had what was described as an "unnerving" experience when his patrol car lost its power steering at 50 mph.
It wasn't until later that the officer put everything together and realized the Chevy Caprice police pursuit vehicle he was driving was one of 6,300 cars recalled by General Motors.
RELATED: GM recalls about 6K police cars for steering problem
The recall came after some 2014-2016 models experienced corrosion on a connector for the electric power-assisted steering.
The Chula Vista officer was able to safely drive his car to the maintenance yard for service. He told other officers the steering worked, but difficult to turn.
He was lucky the steering didn't go out during a chase, or when something or someone was in the road in front of him.
"Any car in our fleet could be in a pursuit at a moment's notice," said Chula Vista Police Department spokesman Lt. Fritz Reber.
Reber said having the cruisers in "tip-top shape" is important to both the department and the community.
Reber said all 21 Caprice models in the department's fleet were either already repaired or were in the shop waiting for parts.
Team 10 has learned a Carlsbad police officer had an incident where the steering went out several months before the recall was announced. The officer was able to keep his vehicle under control.
