NHTSA Complaint #10794767 — 2011 BUICK ENCLAVE

MY WIFE WAS UNLOADING THE GROCERIES ONE DAY AND THE POWER LIFT GATE FELL ON HER BACK WITHOUT WARNING. SHE HAD A VERY BAD BRUISE AND SKIN ABRASION FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. I WAS SURPRISED THAT OUR LIFT GATE STRUTS HAD FAILED WITH ONLY 54K MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V415000. WHEN I ASKED WHEN I COULD BRING IT IN FOR REPAIR THEY SAID THEY DON'T HAVE THE PARTS. THAT WAS IN EARLY JULY. IT IS NOW NOV. 18TH AND WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR NEARLY 5 MONTHS AND I CANNOT EVEN GET AN ANSWER FOR WHEN IT CAN BE FIXED. IN FACT, I CAN'T EVEN PAY TO HAVE THIS FIX DONE. THE TRUNK IS VERY HEAVY AND IT NOW TAKES 2 PEOPLE TO LOAD AND UNLOAD. THIS IS EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT AND DANGEROUS WHEN SHE IS BY HERSELF WITH MY 2 YOUNGER KIDS SINCE WE USE THE TRUNK EVERY DAY. THE POWER LIFT GATE IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN WITH THE PRESS OF THE KEY FOB AND WAS ONE OF THE MAIN FEATURES THAT MADE US PURCHASE THE VEHICLE. WE FEEL THAT 5+ MONTHS IS COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE TO WAIT FOR A FIX FROM GM. WE CANNOT EVEN TRADE IT IN BECAUSE NO DEALER CAN RESELL IT WITH A HATCH THAT DOES NOT STAY OPEN. WE ARE NOW LEFT IN LIMBO WITH AN SUV THAT OFFERS NO UTILITY. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THIS RECALL EFFECTS 686,287 UNITS OF ITS LAMBDA PLATFORM CROSSOVERS WHICH INCLUDES THE 2008-2012 BUICK ENCLAVE, 2009-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, 2007-2012 GMC ACADIA, AND 2007-2010 SATURN OUTLOOK. GM SHOULD AT LEAST OFFER COMPENSATION FOR BUILDING SUCH A MAJOR DEFECT AND THEN TAKING SO LONG TO FIX IT. WE ARE HAPPY WITH THE BUICK ENCLAVE ASIDE FROM THIS PROBLEM BUT IT HAS DEFINITELY LEFT A SOUR TASTE IN OUR MOUTHS.