NHTSA Complaint #10401861 — 2005 BUICK LACROSSE

ON OR ABOUT MAY 8, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 3 PM MY SON AND HIS FRIEND WERE DRIVING IN THE BUICK. MY SON TRIED TO TURN THE CAR AT AN INTERSECTION AND THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE. BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR TURNED. THEY DROVE THE CAR TO MY HOUSE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. I WENT OUT AND SAW A LARGE PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS POWER STEERING FLUID. I DID HAVE THIS CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE HOUSE FITTING ON THE POWER STEERING FAILED. HE STATED THIS IS A RE-ENGINEERED GM PART ONLY AVAILABLE VIA GM. HE STATED THAT THE RE-ENGINEERED DESIGN DID NOT ALLOW FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THE HOSE SINCE THE PUMP WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED ACCORDING TO GM. HE QUOTED ME $650 PARTS AND LABOR. I DID CALL GM ON OR ABOUT MAY 10 2011 AND SPOKE WITH BRIONNA. SHE ASKED ME TO HAVE THE CAR TAKEN TO A GM DEALER AT MY EXPENSE AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. I DID PAY TO HAVE THIS CAR TOWED A 2ND TIME TO COMMUNITY MOTORS. SHE STATED THEY WOULD COMMUNICATE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY ASSISTANCE THEY COULD OFFER. I SPOKE WITH DENNIS FROM COMMUNITY ON MAY 11 2011 AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A P/S STEERING FAILURE AND THE HOSE AND PUMP WOULD NEED REPLACED. "AROUND $900." WAS WHAT I WAS QUOTED. I AGAIN SPOKE WITH BRIONNA ON MAY 11 AND SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULD HAVE A DISTRICT REP IN CONTACT WITH ME ONCE HE COMPLETED HIS INVESTIGATION. I SPOKE WITH LARRY ON MAY 11 WHO ASKED SOME QUESTIONS AND TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH ME. THE ENTIRE TIME THE CAR SAT AT THE GM DEALER I RECEIVED 2 CALLS A DAY ASKING ME TO AUTHORIZE THE REPAIR. I STATED THAT GM WAS INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE AND THEY SHOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH THEM. DENNIS SAID NO ONE FROM GM HAS TOLD US THEY WILL FIX THE CAR. AS SUCH ON 5/12/2011 I DID GO PICK THIS CAR UP. PLEASE NOTE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR AWAY. THE FAILURE IS NOT A COMPLETED FAILURE.