NHTSA Complaint #10670738 — 2008 GMC ACADIA

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 GMC ACADIA IN AUGUST 2009. WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OR SO I NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIM AND THE PLASTIC OVER THE LIGHTS STARTED TO PEEL. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, THAT WASN'T COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I CALLED GM DIRECT AND THEY ALSO SAID THERE WASN'T A RECALL AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A CHEMICAL THAT WE USED TO WASH OUR CAR, THAT CAUSED THE PEELING. THEY QUOTED ME $800 FOR A NEW SET OF HEADLIGHTS... UGH... A YEAR OR SO LATER, I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE STRUTS. THEY BEGAN TO LEAK. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY BRAKE LINE AND I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE STRUTS WERE BAD AND NEEDED REPLACING. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS AROUND 36,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD THEM CHANGED OUT AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THEY WERE THE WORST HE HAD EVER SEEN. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME. IT'S NOT NEAR AS SMOOTH AS IT WAS AND IT MAKES NOISE. I HAD IT CHECKED TO BE SURE THEY WERE INSTALLED PROPERLY AND THEY WERE. THE WHOLE PROCESS COST ME ABOUT $900.00 THE NEXT ISSUE I HAVE HAD IS MORE SEVER. THIS JUST HAPPENED A FEW MONTHS AGO. I WAS TAKING MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON AND SAID STABLE TRACK WENT OFF AND THE ENGINE LOST PRESSURE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. AFTER IT COOLED DOWN I COULD DRIVE A LITTLE FURTHER AND THE SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE THROTTLE AND IT WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY CLEANED IT FOR NOW, BUT I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT ANYWHERE! NOW THE POWER STEERING IS MAKING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL, SOUNDS LIKE THE POWER STEERING PUMP MIGHT BE GOING OUT NOW AS WELL. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 65,000 MILES ON IT.. *TR