2004 BUICK REGAL Steering Problems

ENGINE STALLS AFTER FIRST STARTUP, THEN AFTER RESTART ALL WARNING LIGHTS BLINK FOR LONG PERIOD. VEHICLE STALLS WHEN STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL OR SLOWING DOWN TO TURN. THEN, WHEN IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED TO OFF POSITION, COULD NOT REMOVE KEY, AND COULD NOT TURN ENGINE OFF. MECHANIC REPLACED IGNITION ELECTRICAL SWITCH, REPLACED IGNITION TUMBLER ASSEMBLY, MADE NEW KEYS. WE SPENT $1,171.01 FOR THESE REPAIRS. WROTE A LONG LETTER TO BUICK CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER ON JULY 1, 2014, AND EXPLAINED ALL THE DETAILS OF THIS IGNITION-RELATED PROBLEM. FOUND 21 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AT SAFERCAR.GOV. GMC NEVER ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE ON THESE IGNITION-RELATED PROBLEMS, AND SAID OUR VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE CERTAIN DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURER PARTS INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. WHO THE HELL INSTALLED THESE DEFECTIVE IGNITION-RELATED PARTS? *TR

TODAY, MAY 31, 2014, I WAS DRIVING AND SMELT A HARSH SMOKE FROM MY CAR. UPON PULLING OVER, AND TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, ONCE STARTED AGAIN THE CAR'S STEERING WHEEL WOULD NO LONGER TURN (IT LOCKED UP). ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I GOT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPLACED. BETWEEN THAT TIME AND NOW, LIGHTS DIM ON AND OFF, AT ONE POINT LIGHTS WERE FLASHING, THE GAS PEDAL BEGAN TO SCREECH SLIGHTLY AS OF YESTERDAY, AND I CAN'T LEAVE ITEMS PLUGGED INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER OF THE CAR OVERNIGHT BECAUSE THE CAR WILL DIE. NO LONGER FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR

THE VEHICLE BEGAN RANDOMLY DYING WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS UNDER 35MPH OR IDLING AT A STOPLIGHT. THIS HAPPENED ONCE PRIOR TO AUG. '13, BUT THE FREQUENCY INCREASED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR AND NO WARNING UNTIL THE LOSS OF STEERING AND ACCELERATION. AS THE FREQUENCY INCREASED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, BUT WITH NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, THERE WERE NO REPAIR CODES TO ISOLATE THE ISSUE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX. THE PROBLEM WORSENED AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGAN FLASHING RANDOMLY. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE FLASHING WAS TO PUSH THE HAZARD SWITCH, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL DIED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH IN JAN. 2014. SINCE THEN THE VEHICLE HAS DIED TWICE WHILE DRIVING, AGAIN WITH NO WARNINGS. TODAY THIS HAPPENED AT A LOW SPEED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY ALMOST CAUSING THE VEHICLE BEHIND TO REAR-END ME. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION...

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 30 MPH WITHOUT NOTICE THE CAR TURNED OFF WITH NO APPARENT REASON. CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, AND RAPID LOSS OF SPEED IN A BUSY DOWNTOWN SETTING. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 OTHER TIMES SINCE THEN. WE HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS ON FORUMS RECENTLY AND EVERYONE WHO HAS REPLACED THEIR IGNITION SWITCH HAS NOT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE. WE WOULD LIKE THIS INVESTIGATED BECAUSE BUICKS ARE NOT ON THE LIST AT THIS TIME FOR THE NATIONAL RECALL. *TR

1ST TIME VEHICLE WHEELS AND STEERING COMPLETELY LOCKED UP WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND HAD TO BE TOWED AFTER POLICE AND NO ONE COULD RELEASE IT. AFTER HAVING TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY HOME. I WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE LOCK AND TESTED IT BEFORE I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT TO A GAS STATION FOR GAS. AS I PULLED OUT OF THE GAS STATION THE VEHICLE LOCKED UP AGAIN BLOCKING TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC COMING AT ME ON A 4 LANE COUNTY ROAD. I SENT A LETTER TO GM REPORTING THE PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR THAT WAS DONE, BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT COULD END UP WITH MANY DEATHS. AND I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT MY PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED.