2005 Buick Lacrosse

MY LOCAL BUICK DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING RACK ON MY 2005 BUICK LACROSSE CXL ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012. THE SYMPTOMS INCLUDED A LOUD WHINE WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER A LEFT TURN. A SEAL IN THE STEERING RACK LEAKED, AND THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED INTO THE BOOT, BUT NOT ON TO THE GROUND. GM REFUSES TO PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND I FEEL THAT IT IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS STEERING RACK MAY BE COMMON TO BUICK REGAL, PONTIAC GRAND PRIX, AND CHEVROLET IMPALA. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS A DUPLICATE OF ALL THE OTHER STEERING COMPLAINS. IT HAS A CRUNCHING-GRINDING SOUND AND IT IS GETTING WORSE. IT STARTED AT ABOUT 41,000 MILES. I SEE THAT IT STARTED MUCH EARLIER WITH MANY OTHER LACROSSE'S. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU GM??? WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL ON THIS. I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A REPUTABLE DEALER AND OF COURSE IT STARTED JUST THREE MONTHS AFTER. I EVEN PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH OF COURSE DOES NOT COVER THIS. I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX THIS. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A GM BEFORE AND THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD BE MY LUCKY CAR. WRONG. *TR

DATE OF REPAIR 02/16/2011 MILEAGES: 039610 REPLACED LEFT AND RIGHT OUTER TIE RODS, DISCOVERED WORN WHEN THEY BALANCED BOTH SIDES. THERE WAS ALWAYS A CLUCKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR. AFTER THE REPAIR IT STILL RETAIN THE CLUCKING NOISE AND SO DECIDED TO GO ON LINE AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE THERE WERE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS CLUCKING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS THERE SOMETHING BEING DONE ABOUT THIS DEFECTIVE AND IS IT LIFE THREADING. WILL THE GOVERNMENT FORCE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU *TR

ON OR ABOUT MAY 8, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 3 PM MY SON AND HIS FRIEND WERE DRIVING IN THE BUICK. MY SON TRIED TO TURN THE CAR AT AN INTERSECTION AND THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE. BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR TURNED. THEY DROVE THE CAR TO MY HOUSE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. I WENT OUT AND SAW A LARGE PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS POWER STEERING FLUID. I DID HAVE THIS CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE HOUSE FITTING ON THE POWER STEERING FAILED. HE STATED THIS IS A RE-ENGINEERED GM PART ONLY AVAILABLE VIA GM. HE STATED THAT THE RE-ENGINEERED DESIGN DID NOT ALLOW FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THE HOSE SINCE THE PUMP WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED ACCORDING TO GM. HE QUOTED ME $650 PARTS AND LABOR. I DID CALL GM ON OR ABOUT MAY 10 2011 AND SPOKE WITH BRIONNA. SHE ASKED ME TO HAVE THE CAR TAKEN TO A GM DEALER AT MY EXPENSE AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. I DID PAY TO HAVE THIS CAR TOWED A 2ND TIME TO COMMUNITY MOTORS. SHE STATED THEY WOULD COMMUNICATE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY ASSISTANCE THEY COULD OFFER. I SPOKE WITH DENNIS FROM COMMUNITY ON MAY 11 2011 AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A P/S STEERING FAILURE AND THE HOSE AND PUMP WOULD NEED REPLACED. "AROUND $900." WAS WHAT I WAS QUOTED. I AGAIN SPOKE WITH BRIONNA ON MAY 11 AND SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULD HAVE A DISTRICT REP IN CONTACT WITH ME ONCE HE COMPLETED HIS INVESTIGATION. I SPOKE WITH LARRY ON MAY 11 WHO ASKED SOME QUESTIONS AND TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH ME. THE ENTIRE TIME THE CAR SAT AT THE GM DEALER I RECEIVED 2 CALLS A DAY ASKING ME TO AUTHORIZE THE REPAIR. I STATED THAT GM WAS INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE AND THEY SHOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH THEM. DENNIS SAID NO ONE FROM GM HAS TOLD US THEY WILL FIX THE CAR. AS SUCH ON 5/12/2011 I DID GO PICK THIS CAR UP. PLEASE NOTE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR AWAY. THE FAILURE IS NOT A COMPLETED FAILURE.

MY VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING CLUNKING WHENEVER I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING WITH LESS THAN 35,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAD BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. THE STEERING ALSO FELT A BIT LOOSE. I CONTACTED GM FOR VEHICLE RECALLS AND THERE WAS ONE ON THE STEERING COLUMN BUT NOT FOR MY VEHICLE OR THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WHICH AS IT TURNS OUT WAS THE DEFECTIVE PART AND THE SHAFT WAS LOOSE INTERNALLY. GM INSISTED I GO TO A GM DEALER FOR SERVICE TO SEE IF I "MIGHT" BE ELIGIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT ASSISTANCE. I TOLD THEM I HAD A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO WAS CLOSER AND LESS EXPENSIVE. I OFFERED TO SEND THEM THE DEFECTIVE PART AND THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED. GM STATED WHEN I FILED MY COMPLAINT WITH THEM THAT THEY WILL NOT REVIEW ANY VEHICLE ISSUES UNLESS SERVICED BY A GM DEALER. THEY ALSO OFFERED NO OPINION WHEN I TOLD THEM GM HAS MULTIPLE SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE CLUNKING ISSUE AND THIS DEFECTIVE PART. I KNOW OF AT LEAST 15 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE NHTSA. APPARENTLY, GM WON'T TAKE OWNERSHIP OF DEFECTIVE PARTS UNLESS SOMEONE LOSES STEERING, DIES AND THEY ARE SUED. SO MUCH FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. I AM CURIOUS HOW MANY OTHER INTERMEDIATE SHAFTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY GM OR OTHER MECHANICS - MAYBE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE TWO FRONT DEFECTIVE OUTER TIE ROD ENDS AT 30,000 MILES AND THIS IS WITH GENTLE DRIVING. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART AND DANGEROUS TOO IF NOT CAUGHT IN TIME.

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP, AND STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, BOTH TIE ROD ENDS. THIS IS ALL STEERING RELATED ISSUES ON A BUICK LACROSSE 2005 THAT HAD ONLY 26,333 MILES. I FEEL THAT THIS AUTO SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS AT THIS MILEAGE. I SENT A COPY OF COMPLAINT TO GM THEY WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS UNTIL THERE WOULD BE A RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR UPDATED 10/06/11. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL EXHIBITED AN UNUSUAL CLICKING NOISE. IN ADDITION, WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE WAS A SLIGHT JERK FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DIFFERENT DEALER FOR A SECOND OPINION WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,500.