NHTSA Complaint #10516050 — 2010 BUICK ENCLAVE

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE FROM A DEALERSHIP (USED), THE STEERING STARTED TO GET VERY DIFFICULT WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT SLOW SPEEDS. AS THIS WAS A USED VEHICLE, THERE WAS NO WARRANTY. THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL WAS CHECKED AND WAS AT THE CORRECT LEVEL AND THERE WERE NO NOTICEABLE LEAKS OF FLUID. WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVEWAY, INTO A PARKING SPOT, OR TURNING FROM A STOP SIGN (LEFT OR RIGHT), THE STEERING WILL RANDOMLY ALMOST LOCK UP REQUIRING ADDITIONAL FORCE TO COMPLETE THE TURN. WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO DATE THAT THIS HAS NOT CAUSED US TO TURN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR RUN OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BUICK ENCLAVE THAT GM HAS NOT YET SAW FIT TO ADDRESS. SADLY THERE IS A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK & PINION ASSEMBLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR MY ENCLAVE THAT I FEEL SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS A DESIGN FLAW. WITH IT AFFECTING THE BASIC FUNCTIONALITY OF THE STEERING, THIS DEFINITELY IS A SAFETY ISSUE! SIMPLE RESEARCH ON THE WEB TURNS UP MULTIPLE HITS FOR PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. *TR