NHTSA Complaint #10510361 — 2005 BUICK LACROSSE

MY WIFE AND SON HAVE COMPLAINED FOR LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT THE POWER STEERING IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN, MAKES FUNNY NOISES, BUMPING/THUMPING SOUND, WHEN TURNING, A LOW SOUNDING SCREECHING NO POWER STEERING FLUID. MY SON WAS DRIVING TO FOOTBALL PRACTICE THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON WHILE TURNING A CORNER, IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. A CLASSMATE WITH HIM, AND TOGETHER THEY HAD TO TURN THE CAR (ALMOST WRECKING THE VEHICLE). I WENT TO GET THE CAR AND CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL, THERE WAS NONE IN THE PUMP. I PUT SOME IN AND CHECKED UNDER THE CAR. POWER STEERING FLUID WAS POURING OUT UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE. AFTER FILLING IT AGAIN, THEY POWER STEERING WORKED FOR ONLY A MOMENT OR SO, SCREECHING AT THE SAME TIME AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT NO LONGER WORKED. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BUSTED POWER STEERING HOSE. MY WIFE TOOK IT TO THE SHOP, THEY PUT IT UPON THE RACK AND WE WERE TOLD IT WAS THE RACK AND PINION THAT WENT OUT. THAT IT WOULD COST AROUND $700 TO REPAIR IT. THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS AS I AM TYPING THIS - MILEAGE IS AROUND 67,500 - PROBLEM INITIALLY BEGAN (PER MY WIFE AND SON) A COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO AGO. I DO NOT DRIVE THAT VEHICLE, OTHERWISE I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE PROBLEM MUCH SOONER. THERE ARE SEVERAL BUICK VEHICLES BUILT ON THE SAME TYPE OF PLATFORM AS OUR 2005 BUICK LACROSSE THAT HAVE RECALLS. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE THE PROBLEMS APPEARS TO BE ACROSS THE BOARD? ALMOST ALL THE COMPLAINTS I RESEARCHED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH BUICK LACROSSE IS A REPEAT OF WHAT OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT. BUICK (GENERAL MOTORS) SHOULD ASSUME ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT - YES I SAID DEFECT." IT IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM AND WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE FORCED TO ADDRESS IT. MY BOY ALMOST HAD WRECK BEHIND IT AND GENERAL MOTORS/BUICK WON'T FIX IT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. ENOUGH SAID. *TR