Column Collapse Feature
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 1994 Pontiac Grand Am, 1994 Oldsmobile Achieva, and 1994 Buick Skylark. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Steering column is designed to collapse if impacted during a collision. Steering shaft and column jacket are both 2-piece units which are internally injected with plastic. The plastic protrudes from holes in each unit, keeping 2 separate pieces together as one unit. See Figure and Figure . If the column or steering wheel is forcefully impacted, plastic pieces break off, allowing column and shaft to collapse.