NHTSA Complaint #10574478 — 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK

COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING ASSIST, VEHICLE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AT LOW SPEEDS (I AM A 6'-1" MALE IN GOOD PHYSICAL SHAPE). NEARLY CAUSED CRASH DUE TO INABILITY TO TURN AT LOW SPEED. EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH SAFETY AS NORMAL DRIVER IS MY WIFE WITH OUR 2 KIDS IN THE VEHICLE, I AM CERTAIN SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE GIVEN THE DIFFICULTY I HAD TO TURN THE WHEEL. TOOK TO NEARBY TRUSTED, LICENSED MECHANIC, AFTER DIAGNOSIS FOUND THAT NEEDED NEW POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK AND LEARNED THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK IN THIS AND "SISTER" GM VEHICLES. I VERIFIED THIS BY FINDING NUMEROUS SIMILAR POSTS IN ON-LINE FORUMS. MECHANIC REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK AT A COST OF $1,100. I FEEL LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT, AND NOW UPSET THAT THERE IS SUCH A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM OUT THERE THAT COULD CAUSE INJURIES AND IS COSTING CONSUMERS BIG $ TO REPAIR. *TR