NHTSA Complaint #10284880 — 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK

MY OUTLOOK IS AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000MILES. AT ABOUT 30,000 THERE STARTED TO BE A VERY NOTICEABLE WHINE IN THE STEERING COLUMN, ESPECIALLY UPON TURNING. SEVERAL TIMES I NOTICED THE STEERING KIND OF TURNING ROUGH WITH A SHARP TURN, AS IN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. TWO WEEKS AGO AFTER GOING THROUGH STANDING WATER IN THE ROADWAY, I BEGAN TO TURN LEFT ONTO A SIDE STREET AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP-NOT A LOSS OF POWER STEERING, THERE WAS NO WAY TO TURN THE WHEEL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SERVICE SHOP THAT AFTERNOON. UPON DESCRIBING MY ISSUE TO THE SERVICE REP, HE STATED THAT HE HAD ONLY EVER HAD ONE VEHICLE IN WITH THAT COMPLAINT AND THAT WHAT HAD OCCURRED WAS THAT THEY DROVE THROUGH WATER, SPLASHING IT ONTO THE POWER STEERING BELT (WHICH WAS WORN) CAUSING IT TO SLIP. AFTER DROPPING THE CAR OFF I DID SOME RESEARCH ON MY OWN AND FOUND MULTIPLE UNRESOLVED COMPLAINTS EXACTLY LIKE MINE POSTED ONLINE. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP, THEY CHARGED ME $45 AND SAID THAT I HAD SOMEHOW GOTTEN AIR IN MY POWER STEERING FLUID. MY CAR HAS DONE THIS TWICE SINCE THEN. ONCE VERY BRIEFLY WHILE LEAVING A PARKING SPOT AND AGAIN LAST NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOWNPOUR. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I HAVE 4 KIDS AND I LIKED THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM-BUT THIS SCARES ME TO DEATH!! I AM TO THE POINT OF BEING AFRAID TO DRIVE IN THE RAIN. I WANT TO TAKE IT BACK FOR MORE SERVICE, BUT BASED ON WHAT I'M READING, NO ONE IS GETTING ANY RESOLUTION. *TR