NHTSA Complaint #10389128 — 2005 BUICK LACROSSE

MY VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING CLUNKING WHENEVER I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING WITH LESS THAN 35,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAD BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. THE STEERING ALSO FELT A BIT LOOSE. I CONTACTED GM FOR VEHICLE RECALLS AND THERE WAS ONE ON THE STEERING COLUMN BUT NOT FOR MY VEHICLE OR THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WHICH AS IT TURNS OUT WAS THE DEFECTIVE PART AND THE SHAFT WAS LOOSE INTERNALLY. GM INSISTED I GO TO A GM DEALER FOR SERVICE TO SEE IF I "MIGHT" BE ELIGIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT ASSISTANCE. I TOLD THEM I HAD A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO WAS CLOSER AND LESS EXPENSIVE. I OFFERED TO SEND THEM THE DEFECTIVE PART AND THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED. GM STATED WHEN I FILED MY COMPLAINT WITH THEM THAT THEY WILL NOT REVIEW ANY VEHICLE ISSUES UNLESS SERVICED BY A GM DEALER. THEY ALSO OFFERED NO OPINION WHEN I TOLD THEM GM HAS MULTIPLE SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE CLUNKING ISSUE AND THIS DEFECTIVE PART. I KNOW OF AT LEAST 15 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE NHTSA. APPARENTLY, GM WON'T TAKE OWNERSHIP OF DEFECTIVE PARTS UNLESS SOMEONE LOSES STEERING, DIES AND THEY ARE SUED. SO MUCH FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. I AM CURIOUS HOW MANY OTHER INTERMEDIATE SHAFTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY GM OR OTHER MECHANICS - MAYBE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE TWO FRONT DEFECTIVE OUTER TIE ROD ENDS AT 30,000 MILES AND THIS IS WITH GENTLE DRIVING. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART AND DANGEROUS TOO IF NOT CAUGHT IN TIME.