NHTSA Complaint #10091144 — 2004 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

(1) I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ON JULY 30,2004. THE PROBLEM SHOWED UP ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE SELLING DEALER, TEAM CHEV, BUICK, CADILLAC INC. WHEN I MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN FROM ONE ROAD TO ANOTHER. AFTER I MADE THE TURN THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT RETURN TO CENTER POSITION,AND I CAME TO A STOP BECAUSE I WAS SURPRISED BY THE STRONG LEFT PULL. (2) THIS IS AS PLAIN AS I CAN DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM. WHEN YOU MAKE A LEFT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER EVEN IF YOU STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL IT WILL TILT LEFT, IF YOU CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WANTS TO PULL TO THE LEFT. DEPENDING ON HOW SHARP A TURN YOU MAKE,IE A VERY SHARP LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE PULLS SEVERELY TO THE LEFT. SOMETIMES IF YOU DRIVE SEVERAL MILES IT WILL EVENTUALLY RETURN TO CENTER. I EXPERIENCE THE SAME STEERING PROBLEM AFTER A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE PULLS RIGHT, BUT THE RIGHT PULL DOES NOT SEEM AS SEVERE AS THE LEFT PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT, AND WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD BE THE RESULT. (3)NOTHING THE DEALER HAS DONE, REPLACED TIE ROD ENDS,CHECKED FOR BINDING ON STEERING, SUPPOSEDLY ALIGNED FRONT WHEELS, ROTATED TIRES, HAD ANY EFFECT ON PROBLEM. DEALER STATES THEY DROVE A 2002, 2003, 2004 RENDEZVOUS AND THEY ALL HAVE EXHIBITED THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THIS BEING THE CASE I THINK THIS NEEDS A VERY CAREFUL INVESTIGATION AS THERE ARE A LOT OF VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT ARE A POTENTIAL HAZARD FOR HEAD ON COLLISIONS WITH THE STEERING PULLING TO THE LEFT AS IT DOES. *JB