NHTSA Complaint #10054668 — 1999 BUICK REGAL

MY 1999 BUICK REGAL LS CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE AN OCCASIONAL POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURS WITH A FIRST START/COLD START OR AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AFTER BEING OPERATED. THE PROBLEM IS A LACK OF "POWER STEERING" WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT, I.E. WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING LOT AND A HARD LEFT TURN IS REQUIRED. THE SITUATION IS NEGATED AFTER THE STEERING WHEEL IS RETURNED TO A STRAIGHT POSITION OR FULL RIGHT POSITION. THIS OCCASIONAL FAILURE HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR MORE THAN 40,000 MILES BUT HAS BEEN MORE FREQUENT WITH THIS WINTER'S EXTREME COLD WEATHER. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 99,000+ MILES. THE RECENT RECALL BY GM OF 1996-1998 REGALS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS PROMPTED MY REPORTING OF THIS FAILURE WITH MY VEHICLE.