NHTSA Complaint #10606386 — 2010 BUICK ENCLAVE

PULLING IN AND OUT OF PARKING SPACES AND MAKING TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS, I NOTICED A ZIPPING (RUBBING) SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. I MENTIONED IT TO THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS ON THE NEXT TWO SERVICE APPOINTMENTS (2 DIFFERENT SERVICE LOCATIONS), BUT WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE NOISE, SO NOTHING WAS DONE AT THE TIME (AUG. 2012 AND DEC. 2012). THE STEERING STIFFNESS GOT PROGRESSIVELY TIGHTER AS TIME PASSED. THEN EARLY JUNE 2014, I WAS TURNING INTO MY CHILDREN'S SCHOOL AND THE WHEEL COMPLETED STIFFENED TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD TO YANK THE WHEEL HARD NOT TO DRIVE INTO A SIDEWALK FULL OF CHILDREN. VERY SCARY. TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE IMMEDIATELY AND WAS TOLD THE RACK HAD TO REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1800+ SINCE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY AS OF JANUARY 2014. *TR