NHTSA Complaint #10315355 — 2010 BUICK LACROSSE

PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2010 BUICK LACROSSE ON 4 DECEMBER 2009. WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED THAT STEERING WHEEL HAD A LOT OF 'PLAY' IN IT BUT THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A PART OF THE STEERING. WHILE DRIVING, KEPT HEARING A SLIGHT 'THUMPING' NOISE BUT, BECAUSE IT WAS THERE FROM THE START, I DIDN'T ASSOCIATE IT WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN CAR NOISE. BY WEEK THREE, THE CAR'S NOISE INCREASED. BEFORE I REACHED 1000 MILES, THE CAR WAS VERY NOISY AND THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE, WHENEVER YOU WOULD MAKE A LEFT TURN. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE. AT FIRST, THE MECHANIC TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL ROAD NOISE AND WANTED ME TO COMPARE THE SOUNDS FROM MY VEHICLE WITH A SIMILAR VEHICLE. BUT WHEN THE MASTER MECHANIC AND I WENT OUT FOR A RIDE IN MY CAR(WITH HIM DRIVING), HE MADE A U-TURN TO GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CAR STARTED WHINING SO LOUD, HE DECIDED THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO COMPARE THE TWO BECAUSE THE NOISE WAS TOTAL UNIQUE TO MY CAR. AFTER A COUPLE MORE HOURS OF RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION WITH BUICK HEADQUARTERS, THE CAR WAS PUT UP ON THE LIFT AND THE MECHANICS FOUND THAT, NOT ONLY DID I HAVE A FAULTY POWER STEERING PUMP, BUT THE CABLES TO THE PUMP WHERE DAMAGED FROM THUMPING AGAINST THE CHASSIS. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED A FEW DAYS LATER AND THE CABLING WAS RE-DONE AND INSULATED. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET THIS INFORMATION ON RECORD IN CASE OF FUTURE COMPLAINTS. *TR