2009 BUICK ENCLAVE Complaints

MY VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER AT LOW RATES OF SPEED. IT IS ALMOST AS IF THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. I WAS ALMOST IN A COLLISION BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR QUICKLY. THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE FREQUENT AND CORRECTED IN LATER BUICK ENCLAVE MODELS. THIS ISSUE IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT GM NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE. THIS FAULTY POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDS TO BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. *TR

IN THE PAST I HAD JERKING OR SLIPPING OF TRANSMISSION AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES AN HOUR, OR THE ENGINE WAS HAVING A COIL MISS FIRE. I HAD 3 NEW COILS INSTALLED BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS BEFORE. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE IF TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING OR ENGINE MISS FIRING, BUT NO CODE ON MISS FIRING ENGINE. SLIPPING OR HESITATING OF TRANSMISSION IS MORE LIKELY BUT CAN NOT DETERMINE SINCE DOES NOT ACT THE SAME CONSISTENTLY. STEERING NOISE STARTED IN THE WINTER APPROXIMATELY NOVEMBER 2013, BUT OFF AND ON SINCE; STEERING SEEMS A LITTLE STIFF BUT NOT FAILING YET LIKE SO MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ABOUT HERE. I WAS CHARGED $342.81 FOR DIRTY THROTTLE BODY AND OIL IN THE AIR DUST TUBE WHICH MIGHT CAUSE MISFIRE, THEY CLEANED AND REPLACED BANK 2 VALUE COVER AND CLEARED CODES, PERFORMED IDLE LEAN RESET. THIS DID NOT FIX PROBLEM ON 05/19/2014. I RETURNED ON 06/10/14 AND LEFT CAR TILL 06/11/14 THE DEALER LET ME USE A LOANER OVER NIGHT. THE DEALER SAID STUMBLE/MISFIRE AT TIMES WAS NOT ACTING UP ENOUGH TO DIAGNOSE. I HAD THE CARS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUSH SERVICE ON 02/26/14 AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AT THAT TIME. IN THE COURSE OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE I HAD 3 COILS REPLACED WITH PROBLEMS STARTING 01/05/10 ONE COIL, SECOND COIL ON 08/11/10. THIRD COIL SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THIS IS AFTER COMPLAINING SINCE 12/02/2009 ABOUT ENGINE SHUDDER. THE MISFIRE/STUMBLE IS STILL HAPPENING ABOUT 40 MPH AND SOMETIMES AROUND 20MPH IF YOU ARE SLOW GOING BUT NOT ON A PULL OR ACCELERATING. WE LOVE THE CAR, BUT THE PROBLEMS ARE GETTING EXPENSIVE AND THE WORRY OF WHAT ELSE CAN GO WRONG IS STRESSFUL. I DID NOT MENTION THE WARRANTY REPAIRS OF WATER PUMP GOING OUT FRONT MOTOR MOUNT FAILURE, SHIFT LEVER, AIRBAGS, SEAT BELTS, LEFT OUT REMOTE MIRROR FAILURE, ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION CODE UPDATES. DEALER SEEM OK, SO GM CAN NOT FIX OR WILL NOT DUE TO COST. *JS

WHILE STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL ON A SLIGHT INCLINE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARD. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT HOLD EVEN FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME TO MOVE MY FOOT ONTO THE BRAKE. VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS APPROXIMATELY 1-2 FEET IN PROCESS DUE TO WEIGHT OF AUTO AND INABILITY FOR DRIVE TRAIN TO RETAIN THE ORIGINAL POSITION. UPON INVESTIGATION I FOUND THIS PROBLEM EXISTS AND WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *JS

WE INTERMITTENTLY LOSE POWER STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS. SO FAR WE HAVE NOT HIT ANYTHING, BUT HAVE COME CLOSE AT INTERSECTIONS, IN PARKING LOTS, AND IN DRIVEWAYS. I AM NOT SURE WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED. MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. AT THE BEGINNING, IT WAS ONCE IN A WHILE. NOW JUST ABOUT EVERY TRIP WE HAVE AN INCIDENT. POWER STEERING RESERVOIR IS FULL AND PUMP APPEARS TO BE WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN I TOLD THE DEALER OF THE ISSUE I AM HAVING, THEY RECOMMENDED CHANGING THE PUMP AND GEAR AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $2,000. AS AN ENGINEER, I FOUND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT BOTH THE PUMP AND GEAR NEEDS REPLACING. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE WITH SAME ISSUE WHO DID CHANGE PUMP AND GEAR STILL HAD THE SAME ISSUE. FURTHER RESEARCH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM HAS A DESIGN IS DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA). THE ENCLAVE AND OTHER GM VEHICLES HAVE A VARIABLE EFFORT STEERING (VES) SYSTEM THAT VARIES THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. APPARENTLY THE STEERING GEAR VALVE SOLENOID CAN STICK CAUSING LOSE OF STEERING WITH NO WARNING. I RECOMMEND THAT NHTSA REQUIRES GM TO EITHER REPLACE VES SYSTEM WITH A HIGHLY RELIABLE DESIGN OR DISABLE THE SYSTEM TO REDUCE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT DUE TO POWER STEERING FAILURE. NHTSA IS WELCOME TO USE MY VEHICLE TO ANALYZE THE ISSUE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THIRD ROW REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND THE SEATBELT HAD TO BE CUT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT DUE TO THE FAILURE THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED AN ABRASION ACROSS THE CHEST. THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,500.

RECENTLY WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS & MAKING RIGHT OR LEFT TURNS MY STEERING SEEMS TO TIGHTEN UP. AT FIRST THE WAS JUST OCCASIONALLY BUT NOW MORE FREQUENT. IT'S ALMOST AS IT TOTALLY LOCKS FOR A MOMENT OR TWO. I HAVE A COUPLE OCCASIONS WHEN TURNING I HAD NO CONTROL, MOST RECENTLY IT HAPPENED WHEN GOING AROUND A ROUND ABOUT, IT LOCKED UP WOULDN'T TURN ANYMORE & I ENDED UP GOING IN ANOTHER LANE, SLAMMING ON MY BREAKS. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HITTING OTHER CARS. *TR

WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I COULD BARELY MAKE THE TURN. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. THIS NOW HAPPENS WHEN I TURN RIGHT OR LEFT, BUT IT STILL IS VERY RANDOM. I ALWAYS HAVE CHILDREN WITH ME AND ONE OF THEM HAS JUST RECEIVED THEIR DRIVER'S PERMIT. I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS SAFE FOR MY NEW DRIVER TO PRACTICE WITH THIS VEHICLE....EVEN THOUGH IT IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. I LOVE THIS CAR BUT THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS DEALING WITH AIRBAGS AND SEATBELTS AND NOW THE SHOULD BE ONE DEALING WITH THIS POWER STEERING ISSUE. CLEARLY THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS DEALING WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS ISSUE IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. NOT KNOWING IF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A TURN WHEN THERE ARE PEDESTRIANS AND OTHER TRAFFIC IN THE MIX IS NOT SAFE! BUICK...YOU NEED TO GET THIS FIXED!!!!! ONE ANGRY, UNHAPPY CONSUMER! *TR

WE HAVE A RECALL 14187 FROM BUICK. THIS RECALL HAS BEEN IN EFFECT FOR FEW MONTH. WE HAVE CONTACTED OUR DEALER JONES MOTOR IN SAVANNAH, TN. THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THE PARTS FROM BUICK TO REPAIR OUR CAR. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE ITS START HAVE A INTERMITENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING, WHEN AT LOWER SPEEDS AND TRY TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. LAST WEEKS THIS BEEN HAPPEN EVERY DAY, SOMETIMES ITS MAKE A LOT NOISE AND GET CHECK ENGINE CODE P0008. THEN CHECK ENGINE GOES OFF AFTER COUPLE HOURS. *TR

AS I WAS TRYING TO TURN INTO MY OFFICE THE POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING AND I ABOUT GOT REAR ENDED. NEXT TIME I WAS MAKING A TURN INTO A SIDE ROAD AND SAME THING AND I COULD NOT GET OUT THE MAXIM ROAD QUICK ENOUGH IF SOMEONE WAS COMING I WOULD HAVE BEEN T-BONED. THE FOLLOWING TIME I WAS TURNING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND SAME THING IF SOME ONE WAS COMING IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOOD BECAUSE I LIVE IN A CURVE. NEXT TIME MAKING TURN ONTO MAIN ROAD LUCKILY NO ONE WAS COMING AGAIN. LAST INCIDENT TO DATE TURNING IN MY SITTERS DRIVEWAY AND RAN OFF OF HER DRIVEWAY BECAUSE IT QUIT WORKING. THE FLUID HAS BEEN CHECKED SO I KNOW THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE. IT IS SCARY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY AND I. *TR