NHTSA Complaint #11184251 — 2011 BUICK ENCLAVE

HELLO - I AM WRITING AS A CONCERNED CONSUMER. I CURRENTLY OWN A 2011 BUICK ENCLAVE. TWO WEEKS AGO, WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IT STARTED MAKING A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. THE CAR THEN COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND BECAME INOPERABLE WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL. WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THE INABILITY TO RESTART THE ENGINE IT BECAME A DANGEROUS SITUATION TRYING TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ISSUE WAS A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN. THIS REPAIR REQUIRED THE REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN. RESEARCH INTO BUICK HAS SHOWN THAT THERE IS A BULLETIN OUT FOR THIS VERY ISSUE BUT ONLY FOR THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. MY 2011 WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2010. FOR THIS VERY ISSUE, BUICK HAS EXTENDED THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY TO 120K OR 7YRS. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS TIMING CHAIN ISSUE IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE 2009 AS OWNERS OF OTHER MODEL YEARS ARE EXPRESSING THE SAME CONCERNS. I AM WRITING TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT, AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT BUICK REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE. THE FAILURE OF THIS TIMING CHAIN LEAD TO A SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A WRECK AND POSSIBLE INJURY. I HAVE CONTACTED BUICK SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY REFUSE TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIRS AND REFUSE TO INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER. THEIR RESPONSE IS SIMPLY, THERE IS NO BULLETIN SO THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE FOR ME.