NHTSA Complaint #10259851 — 2005 BUICK LACROSSE

I OWN A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE WITH 27,000 MILES. ANOTHER OWNER WITH SAME CAR WARNED ME TO WATCH OUT FOR STEERING PROBLEMS. I PAID LITTLE ATTENTION AND WITHIN ONE MONTH MY CAR'S STEERING WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY QUICKLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECT IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY STATED THERE WAS A TSA BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE WITH THE BUICK LACROSSE. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE CASUALLY DISCUSSING THIS WITH A NEIGHBOR SHE DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEM IN HER BUICK LACROSSE REPAIRED BY LOCAL BUICK DEALER. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, HEARING OF THIS PROBLEM FROM THREE SOURCES IN ONE MONTH I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS PERVASIVE AND HAS YET TO RESULT IN A TRAGEDY BECAUSE THE OWNERS TOOK PREVENTIVE MEASURES. I COULD FIND NOTHING ABOUT THIS INTERMEDIATE SHAFT DEFECT IN BUICKS 2005 OR NEWER IN MY RESEARCH, NO ACCIDENT REPORTS NOR RECALLS. THERE IS HOWEVER A DANGER HERE THAT IS NOT BEING DISCLOSED AND IS QUITE EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *TR