NHTSA Complaint #10507232 — 2010 GMC ACADIA

STARTING SLOWLY AND INTERMITTENTLY WHEN MAKING A HARD TURN TO THE LEFT FROM A STANDING START, POWER STEERING LOST. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WHEN TURNING INTO OR ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC AS TURNING RADIUS TRUNCATED AND CORRECTION ("RECOVERY") BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. SUBSEQUENTLY FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE INCREASED AND INCLUDED HARD TURNS TO THE RIGHT. CHECKED FOR TSB/RECALL. TSB(TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN) FOUND. FOLLOWED RECOMMENDATION TO FLUSH AND EXCHANGE CHANGE POWER STEERING FLUID. THIS RESULTED IN CORRECTION FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AFTER WHICH STEERING INTERMITTENTLY LOST WITH VERY SLUGGISH STEERING. FLUSHED AND EXCHANGED POWER STEERING FLUID FOR A SECOND TIME AND FILLED TO 1/4 INCH ABOVE TANK FULL LINE AS SOME RECOMMENDED ON A TSB WEBSITE. UNFORTUNATELY THE POWER STEERING FAILURE RETURNED, AGAIN INTERMITTENTLY BUT WITH INCREASE FREQUENCY. THERE WERE SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THE STEERING FAIL. MANUFACTURER/ DEALERSHIP CONTACTED. THE ONLY ADVICE WAS FOLLOW THE TSB INSTRUCTIONS. BECAUSE IN MY MIND AND BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE INTERMITTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE POWER STEERING FAILURES THAT HAVE OCCURRED A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM, AS WELL AS RACK & PINIONS AS DIRECTED IN THE TSB WILL BE UNDERTAKEN IN THREE DAYS. IN MY OPINION HAVING DONE SOME RESEARCH REGARDING THIS PROBLEM WHICH APPARENTLY HAS OCCURRED IN A NUMBER OF ACADIA AS WELL AS SIMILAR MODELS IN THE GM FAMILY WHICH I UNDERSTAND HAVE HAD RECALLS, THE ACADIA POWER STEERING ISSUE DESERVES IMMEDIATE NHTSB INVESTIGATION. *TR