NHTSA Complaint #10608647 — 2010 BUICK ENCLAVE

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2010 BUICK ENCLAVE STOPPED WORKING SLOWLY. I WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. NOT ONLY WAS THE POWER STEERING A PROBLEM, BUT THE "SERVICE AIRBAG" LIGHT HAD BEEN ON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPT & TOLD THE SERVICE REP THAT MY POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. I ALSO ASKED THE AIRBAG RECALL BE DONE ON MY CAR. THE SERVICE REP ADVISED ME THERE WERE 2 RECALLS REQUIRED, BUT THE SECOND IF THE 2 REQUIRED SHE ORDER PARTS. I LEFT THE CAR, A DIAGNOSTIC WAS DONE ($119.50) & I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP & STEERING RACK WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $2,000. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP I HAVE USED FOR YEARS AND WHO I TRUST. THIS REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, CLEANED METAL OUT OF THE SYSTEM & FILLED THE SYSTEM IN POWER STEERING FLUID ($724.00). I PICKED THE CAR UP & IT SEEMED OK. WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE CAR HAD DUMPED POWER STEERING FLUID. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE SAME REPAIR SHOP. THEY REPAIRED THE BURST LINE & I PICKED UP THE CAR, WHICH DROVE AS IT HAD BEFORE THE PROBLEMS BEGAN. I PARKED MY CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE FRONT OF THE CAR BELOW THE REAR OF THE CAR ON A DOWNWARD INCLINE. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I CALLED AAA AND PAID $90 TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED AGAIN. THE CAR WAS TOWED ON A FLATBED AND WHEN IT ARRIVED AT THE SHOP, IT STARTED IMMEDIATELY. I TOLD THE REPAIR SHOP REP TO PARK THE CAR AS I HAD, ON AN INCLINE WITH THE FRONT LOWERED, OVERNIGHT. HE DID & IT WOULD NOT START THE NEXT MORNING. HE TOLD ME HE ROLLED THE CAR OFF OF THE INCLINE & IT STARTED PROMPTLY. HE SUGGESTED I TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE 2ND RECALL. I PICKED THE CAR UP AND DROVE IT FOR 2 DAYS. IT SOUNDED BAD, THE STEERING STUCK & THE STEERING STARTED MAKING LOUD GRINDING NOISES & IT SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING BURNING. *JS