NHTSA Complaint #11350973 — 2013 BUICK LACROSSE

ON 8-6-2020, (ABOUT 11 AM) WHILE DRIVING (ABOUT 70MPH) NORTH ON I43 IN EASTERN WISCONSIN, AT A POINT NORTH OF SHEBOYGAN, THE MESSAGE 'SERVICE POWER STEERING' APPEARED ON THE DASH. WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE OFF TO A REST STOP, I REALIZED THE STEERING WAS VERY STIFF AND REQUIRED EXTRA EFFORT TO GUIDE THE CAR, THE 'ELECTRIC POWER STEERING' (EPS) HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD WITH 64941 MILES, LESS THAN 10K MI/YR!!! I CAREFULLY DROVE THE CAR TO BERGSTROM BUICK GMC IN GREEN BAY WIS. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THE ENTIRE EPS GEAR BOX HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A COST NEAR $2500. I WAS STUNNED. I COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT BECAUSE OF THE CARS AGE & ELAPSED MILES, THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED! I FURTHER STATED THAT I COULD UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS MIGHT HAPPEN AFTER 10 YEARS & 100K MILES, BUT NOT BEFORE!! HE REPLIED THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT FAILURES LIKE THIS CAN HAPPEN. EVENTUALLY THE CAR WAS SATISFACTORILY REPAIRED, COPY OF THE BILL ATTACHED. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THIS IS NOT ONLY A RELIABILITY ISSUE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN MY WIFE & I PURCHASED THE CAR, WE WERE BOTH RETIRED AND DID NOT HAVE THE DAILY GRIND OF DRIVING TO/FROM WORK IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER. IN FACT THE CAR WAS DRIVEN MINIMALLY IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS. WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED, I HAD THE COMPOSURE TO SAFELY STEER/GUIDE THE CAR, HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING, THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC RESULT. I NOW HAVE 'MUCH PAUSE' ABOUT THE RELIABILITY/SAFETY OF EPS VS HYDRAULIC PS (HPS), IF & WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN! A SIMILAR COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH BUICK GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE.