NHTSA Complaint #10538138 — 2008 GMC ACADIA

POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT WORK.. PULLED INTO PARKING SPOT AND THE VEH STARTED A LOUD SCREACHING SOUND FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. AGAIN WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD THE STEERING COMPLETELY CUTS OUT. IN MAY OF 2013 THE POWER STERRING RACK WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT IT WAS LEAKING ( WHILE IN THE DEALER FOR TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT ). THE GMC DEALER, SERRA GMC IN WASHINGTON , MI., REPLACED THE STEERING RACK AND CHARGED US FOR THE NEW RACK. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE POWER STEERING BEGAN TO CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING. WE TOOK VEH IN FOR SERVICE AND PAID FOR A DIAGNOSTIC OF THE PROBLEM AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE POWER STEERING ISSUE.. BUT SAID IT WAS PROBRABLY THE STEERING PUMP.IN ADDITION WE WERE TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN COVER WAS LEAKING OIL AND THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD NEED REPLACING. THEY GOT GM TO PAY A PORTION OF THE REPAIR. THEY WANTED OVER $700 TO REPLACE THE POWER STERRING PUMP BUT WOULD NOT GAURANTEE THAT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS CRAZY WE JUST PAID TO HAVE THE STEERING RACK REPLACED AND A PORTION OF THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT AND NOW THE STEERING PUMP. THE VEH CURRENTLY HAS LESS THAN 79,000 MILES. I REALLY FEEL THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT NHTSA NEEDS TO LOOK INTO. MY DAUGHTER ( WHO IS 15 YEARS OLD ) IS CURRENTLY A "LEARNING DRIVER" WHO DRIVES THIS VEH ( WITH A LICENSED DRIVER IN THE VEH) AS PART OF HER LOGGED DRIVING TIME. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE STEERING WILL FAIL WHILE SHE IS DRIVING. GM WOULD BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE AND INJURIES IF THE STEERING FAILS WHILE SHE IS BEHIND THE WHEEL. ..