NHTSA Complaint #10629619 — 2011 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAUSED BY LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID. LOST CONTROL OF STEERING, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED-UP. FORTUNATELY TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AT THE TIME AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN TO STOP IN A CONTROLLED MANNER. UPON INSPECTION, FOUND SIGNIFICANT PUDDLE OF STEERING FLUID UNDER THE CAR. APPEARS TO BE A SUDDEN FAILURE, NOT A SLOW LEAK BASED ON AMOUNT OF FLUID LOSS AT THE TIME OF THE PROBLEM. RESTARTED THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY MAKE IT HOME WITH NO POWER STEERING, STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IF THIS HAPPENS AT HIGHER SPEED IN A BUSY TRAFFIC. FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN VARIOUS OWNER FORUMS ONLINE. WAITING FOR A DEALER APPOINTMENT TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S THE PUMP, GEAR OR FLUID LINES THAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF STEERING FLUID. *TR