NHTSA Complaint #10490356 — 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK

I HAVE A SATURN OUTLOOK, 2009 MODEL YEAR WITH 15,600 MILES ON IT. AFTER I PARKED THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED A FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT ONTO MY DRIVEWAY. I COULD NOT TELL WHERE THE FLUID WAS FROM, ALTHOUGH I KNEW IT WAS NOT OIL. I SUSPECTED POWER STEERING FLUID OR BRAKE FLUID. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVY DEALER FOR INSPECTION / REPAIR. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE HOSE WAS LEAKING AT THE CONNECTION TO THE POWER STEERING UNIT. THE DEALER CALLED GENERAL MOTORS AND THEY ( GENERAL MOTORS) AGREED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR MINUS A $100 DEDUCTIBLE WHICH I HAD TO PAY. I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS GESTURE BY GENERAL MOTORS, HOWEVER, THIS TELLS ME THAT G.M. KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS POWER STEERING HOSE ON MANY VEHICLES, AND THEY ARE JUST TRYING TO AVOID A RECALL DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. MAYBE I AM WRONG IN MY ASSUMPTION, BUT I THINK IT IS WORTH LOOKING INTO FOR A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN MATERIAL OR DESIGN ON THIS HOSE OR CONNECTION. THE LEAK HAS GOTTEN WORSE DAILY. IT WAS LEAKING MORE THAN JUST A LITTLE SPOT OVERNIGHT. IT WAS LEAKING ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY EMPTY THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR (SPELLING?) DURING A LONGER TRIP THAN JUST LOCAL ERRANDS. I COULD NOT FIND THE POWER STEERING UNIT TO CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL ON THIS VEHICLE, SO I DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE IF IT WAS NEARLY TOTALLY EMPTY OR NOT WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE CHEVY DEALER FOR THE NEEDED REPAIR. IF IT WERE TO EMPTY OUT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE LOST THE CAPABILITY OF POWER STEERING UNEXPECTED TO THE DRIVER. *TR