2010 BUICK ENCLAVE Complaints

THE POWER STEERING UNIT LEAKS AND POWER STEERING IS LOST. THIS POWER STEERING ISSUE OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS IN ALL DRIVING CONDTIONS. THE VEHICLE IS 3.5 YEARS OLD WITH 40,000 MILES. THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES IN THIS TIME PERIOD. *JS

I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED WITH AROUND 70,000 MILES. I NOTICED AFTER DRIVING IT FOR A SHORT TIME AFTER THE PURCHASE THAT THE POWER STEERING SHUTS OFF WHEN CONDUCTING LOW SPEED TURNS, NEARLY CAUSING ME TO HAVE A FEW WRECKS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE IN PARKING LOTS THAT REQUIRE PRECISE STEERING. I HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY ISSUES DRIVING AROUND CURVES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ONLY SLOW TURNS AT 20 MPH OR LESS. THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL IS NORMAL, AND THERE ARE NOT ANY LEAKS THAT I COULD FIND. AFTER GETTING A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT THE WATER PUMP SHAFT (NOTICE 13079) AND LOOKING IT UP ON-LINE, I SAW THAT THE POWER STEERING ISSUE I HAVE IS VERY COMMON, HOWEVER THERE ARE NOT ANY RECALLS FOR THAT...YET, ALTHOUGH THERE NEEDS TO BE.

THE CAR HAS HAD A WHINING NOISE IN THE STEERING FOR A LONG TIME. HAVE BEEN TOLD LOTS OF THINGS ABOUT THE SOUND AND THE REASON BEHIND THE SOUND. ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO WHILE MAKING A U-TURN AT RED LIGHT THE CAR'S STEERING LOST ITS POWER STEERING MOMENTARILY. IT BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO COMPLETE THE TURN AND MADE FOR A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION. ONCOMING CARS WERE NOT AS EASY TO AVOID AS THE STEERING BECOME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. AT A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP AFTER THE INCIDENT WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON INCIDENT WITH THE BUICK ENCLAVE. WE THEN CALLED A LOCAL GM DEALER AND THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THERE OCCASIONALLY IS AIR BUBBLES THAT HAPPEN IN POWER STEERING SYSTEMS AND THAT THE WHINING NOISE IS OKAY. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM TO BE TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT COMMON, EVEN THOUGH I WAS TOLD BY A AUTO REPAIR SHOP THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. AFTER DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR THE LAST 3 MONTHS AND PUTTING MY SMALL CHILDREN AND WIFE IN THE CAR, I AM UNABLE TO DO THIS ANY LONGER. IT IS NOT A SAFE SITUATION, NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT. MY WIFE NEARLY WRECKS INTO OTHER CARS PRETTY MUCH ANYTIME SHE TRIES TO PARK THE CAR IN A STORE PARKING LOT. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, I AM FINDING THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT MAYBE IT WAS JUST MY CAR, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT EVERY BUICK ENCLAVE SHOULD LOSE ITS POWER STEERING AT 70000 MILES. THAT IS NOT GOOD. DO SOMETHING PLEASE! *TR

THE PROBLEM IS WATER LEAKING FROM THE BASE COVER ON PASSAGES SIDE INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE CAR. THE BASE COVER IS JUST ABOVE THE FEET UNDER THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT; IT FILLS WITH WATER AND LEAK INSIDE THE CAR WETTING THE CARPET; INSIDE THE COVER, SEATS AN ELECTRICAL "BLOWER MOTOR OR FAN MOTOR. " AS I SEARCHED THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM ON BUICK ENCLAVE SINCE 2007. I HAVE 2010 MODEL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT WATER AND ELECTRICITY CAN IGNITE A FIRE OR TOTALLY SHORT CIRCUIT THE CAR. WHAT TROUBLES ME IS THAT THE MANUFACTURE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF SAID PROBLEM. SINCE 2007 AND FAILED TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM OR RECALL THE CAR. I HAVE ABOUT 19,000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND WHEN I DRIVE IT WATER COME OUT FROM THIS COVER. IN AN ATTEMPT TO MEDITATE THE DAMAGE I REMOVED THE BASE AND SAW IT WAS FULL OF WATER AND HAVE PICTURES OF THE WATER LEAKING DOWN. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE IT CAUSES AND ACCIDENT WE SPEAK ABOUT " TRANSPARENT" YET KNOW DEFEATS IN CARS ARE NOT DISCLOSED AT THE POINT OF SALE. THE LAW SHOULD MANDATED THAT ORAL DISCLOSURE OF ALL KNOWN DEFEATS BE DISCLOSED THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT MUST BE CORRECTED. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL OFTEN BUT NOT ALWAYS LOCKS UP WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND MAKING SHARP TURNS, FOR EXAMPLE AT A STOP SIGN OR MAKING A U TURN AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN IS BEING MADE. IT TAKES SIGNIFICANT FORCE TO TURN THE WHEEL TO "UNSTUCK" THE STEERING WHEEL AND MAKE THE CAR GO IN THE INTENDED DIRECTION, AND IMMEDIATE BRAKE FORCE IS OFTEN REQUIRED TO AVOID HITTING A CURB OR ANOTHER CAR THAT EXPECTED ME TO COMPLETE THE TURN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A BUICK DEALER THIS WEEK AND THEY SUPPOSEDLY ISOLATED THE PROBLEM TO THE STEERING PUMP (PART 20954812) AND STEERING GEAR (PART 22902260), FOR A TOTAL OF $2000 TO REPAIR. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN MY CAR'S ABILITY TO GO IN THE DIRECTION I INTEND. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL IS SO HARD TO STEER WHEN TURNING. I HAVE ALMOST HAD SEVERAL ACCIDENTS TRYING TO TURN OR BACK UP IN THE VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED BUICK AND READ SEVERAL REVIEWS AS WELL ABOUT THE POWER STEERING ISSUES. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE TO SIT AT LIGHTS SOMETIMES FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME DUE TO ME NOT BEING ABLE TO GO INTO THE ON COMING TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE STEERING IS SO BAD IT TAKES BOTH HANDS TO TRY TO GET IT STEERED. SOMETIME THE VEHICLE JUST STALLS AS I AM TRYING TO STEER. *TR

WHILE TURNING INTO PARKING SPOTS OR IN AN INTERSECTION WHILE AT LOW SPEEDS THE STEERING BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. ITS SAD TO HEAR THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE HAVING THESE ISSUES AND THEY CANT BE FIXED....IT SCARES ME TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WHEN IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

WHILE TURNING INTO PARKING SPOTS OR IN AN INTERSECTION WHILE AT LOW SPEEDS THE STEERING BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. *TR

2010 BUICK ENCLAVE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING BEGAN EXHIBITING PROBLEMS WHEN MAKING SMOOTH LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CONTINUOUS, ONLY SPORADIC, BUT LATELY WITH INCREASING INTERVALS. IT APPEARED THE POWER STEERING WOULD LOSE POWER WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOW TO MINIMAL SPEED. AT TIMES, IT WOULD BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN, HAVING LOST POWER UNTIL THE RPM'S WERE INCREASED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DETECT ANY VISIBLE PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. THE DEALER WAS THEN ADVISED TO DRAIN AND FLUSH THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND RE-TEST IT. THE LINE PRESSURES AND FLUSH WERE COMPLETED, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ATTACH TEST COMPONENTS DUE TO THE LOCATION ON THE ENGINE. THEY DID AGREE, HOWEVER, THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DETECT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING DURING TEST DRIVES, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE RACK AND PINION, BUT THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE IT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. ON MARCH 29, 2013, THE STEERING LOCKED UP AS THE CONSUMER WAS EXITING A PARKING LOT, ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT. THE VEHICLE VEERED ACROSS THE ROAD, UP ONTO THE SIDEWALK, AND CONTINUED IN A LEFT TURN BACK ONTO THE ROAD BEFORE THE STEERING RELEASED.

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE FROM A DEALERSHIP (USED), THE STEERING STARTED TO GET VERY DIFFICULT WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT SLOW SPEEDS. AS THIS WAS A USED VEHICLE, THERE WAS NO WARRANTY. THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL WAS CHECKED AND WAS AT THE CORRECT LEVEL AND THERE WERE NO NOTICEABLE LEAKS OF FLUID. WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVEWAY, INTO A PARKING SPOT, OR TURNING FROM A STOP SIGN (LEFT OR RIGHT), THE STEERING WILL RANDOMLY ALMOST LOCK UP REQUIRING ADDITIONAL FORCE TO COMPLETE THE TURN. WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO DATE THAT THIS HAS NOT CAUSED US TO TURN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR RUN OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BUICK ENCLAVE THAT GM HAS NOT YET SAW FIT TO ADDRESS. SADLY THERE IS A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP AND RACK & PINION ASSEMBLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR MY ENCLAVE THAT I FEEL SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS A DESIGN FLAW. WITH IT AFFECTING THE BASIC FUNCTIONALITY OF THE STEERING, THIS DEFINITELY IS A SAFETY ISSUE! SIMPLE RESEARCH ON THE WEB TURNS UP MULTIPLE HITS FOR PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. *TR