NHTSA Complaint #10625914 — 2010 GMC ACADIA

EARLY PART OF JUNE, 2014, NOTICED AT VERY ISOLATED TIMES STEERING WAS HARD WHILE MAKING VERY LOW SPEED TURNS. THIS HAPPENED VERY INFREQUENTLY DURING VERY LOW SPEEDS SUCH AS PARKING OR TURNING INTO A SMALL SPACES. THE INTERVALS OF THIS PROBLEM BEGAN TO INCREASE IN JULY, BUT ONLY AT LOW SPEEDS. TOWARDS THE END OF JULY THE STEERING BECAME HARDER AT TURNING AND THE SPEED BECAME HIGHER AT WHICH THE EVENT OCCURRED. BEGINNING OF AUGUST IT BECAME A SAFETY CONCERN WHEN TURNING CORNERS THE POWER STEERING WOULD GO OUT AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT. I CALLED THE DEALER AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER FOUND THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK OF THE STEERING TO HAVE SLOW LEAKS. THE SOLUTION WAS TO REPLACE THE PARTS. FORTUNATELY I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AS THE COST OF LABOR AND PARTS CAME TO OVER $1,300. BECAUSE I HAVE COMMERCIAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE, I WAS ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE LOSS OF STEERING IN WHAT COULD HAVE RESULTED LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR