NHTSA Complaint #10519286 — 2010 BUICK ENCLAVE

2010 BUICK ENCLAVE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING BEGAN EXHIBITING PROBLEMS WHEN MAKING SMOOTH LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CONTINUOUS, ONLY SPORADIC, BUT LATELY WITH INCREASING INTERVALS. IT APPEARED THE POWER STEERING WOULD LOSE POWER WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOW TO MINIMAL SPEED. AT TIMES, IT WOULD BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN, HAVING LOST POWER UNTIL THE RPM'S WERE INCREASED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DETECT ANY VISIBLE PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. THE DEALER WAS THEN ADVISED TO DRAIN AND FLUSH THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND RE-TEST IT. THE LINE PRESSURES AND FLUSH WERE COMPLETED, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ATTACH TEST COMPONENTS DUE TO THE LOCATION ON THE ENGINE. THEY DID AGREE, HOWEVER, THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DETECT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING DURING TEST DRIVES, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE RACK AND PINION, BUT THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE IT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. ON MARCH 29, 2013, THE STEERING LOCKED UP AS THE CONSUMER WAS EXITING A PARKING LOT, ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT. THE VEHICLE VEERED ACROSS THE ROAD, UP ONTO THE SIDEWALK, AND CONTINUED IN A LEFT TURN BACK ONTO THE ROAD BEFORE THE STEERING RELEASED.