2005 BUICK LACROSSE Complaints

I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING A CRUNCHING SOUND IN MY STEERING WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. I'VE TOLD I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. I'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY OTHER GM OWNERS WITH OTHER TYPE VEHICLES THAT THEY DID OR ARE NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY HAS GM NOT ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM WHEN THEY PERFECTLY KNOW THEY HAVE A PART FAILURE WHY SHOULD WE THE CONSUMER HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART? IT'S TIME SOMEONE ADDRESSES THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. WHENEVER THE CONTACT PLACES THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, HE HEARS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE AND IT FEELS AS IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN GEAR. AFTER A WHILE, THE ENGINE WILL REV AND FINALLY SHIFT INTO THE PROPER GEAR. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 15 MPH, IT FEELS AS IF THE GEARS ARE CHANGING AND THE CLUNKING NOISE IS HEARD AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS WORKING PROPERLY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

2005 BUICK LACROSSE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 81,000 MILES- TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP BEFORE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED WITH THE HARD SHIFTING PROBLEM BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT THEY STATED IT WASN'T THE TRANSMISSION- TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT AT MY COST $2,500. PER GOOGLE SEARCH THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR HAVE HAD. *TR

POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY, NO WARNING JUST OUT. HAD A VERY HARD TIME STEERING CAR. LUCKY KNOW ONE WAS HURT. *TR

2005 BUICK LACROSSE HAD ONLY 24,000 MILES AND EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. MADE A GRINDING SOUND. DEALER REPLACED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. WITHIN 4 MONTHS, STEERING DIFFICULTY RETURNED WITH RUMBLING AND WHINING NOISE. *TR

ON A COLD MORNING IN FEBRUARY, OUTSIDE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF DURING NORMAL OPENING FUNCTION. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ENTIRE HANDLE IS MERELY CHROME-PLATED PLASTIC, WITH PEM NUTS INSERTED INTO THE REAR SIDE OF THE HANDLE. THE ENTIRE TENSILE LOAD OF THE HANDLE IS CARRIED ON THESE TWO POINTS, AND THIS IS WHERE THE PLASTIC FRACTURED. HAVING NO LUCK FINDING REPLACEMENT PARTS, AND NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT PUTTING A SIMILARLY-DESIGNED HANDLE WOULD PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM RECURRING, I REPAIRED THE HANDLE BY DRILLING THROUGH THE HANDLE AND PUTTING 2 BOLTS AND 2 NUTS THROUGH THE BODY OF THE HANDLE TO SECURE IT TO THE DOOR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, A LOW POWER RESPONSE OCCURRED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES WERE NOT PERFORMING PROPERLY AND THE STOPPING DISTANCE INCREASED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS IN USE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR IDENTICAL FAILURES AND THE TIE ROD AND WHEEL HUB WERE REPLACED, AND THE BRAKE DRUMS WERE RESURFACED. HOWEVER, THE FAILURES STILL PERSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000. THE VIN AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. IT WAS MADE KNOWN TO THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO CHILD LOCKS ON THE DOORS IN HIS VEHICLE. THROUGH RESEARCH, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE 2004, 2006, AND 2007 LACROSSE MODELS WERE EQUIPPED WITH CHILD RESTRAINT LOCKS. HE FELT THAT IT WAS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT HIS YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MANUFACTURER TO REACH A RESOLUTION. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH SOMEONE FROM THE SAFETY DIVISION OF THE MANUFACTURER, WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH HIM. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000. UPDATED 4/23/09 *CN UPDATED 04/27/09.*JB

I OWN A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE WITH 27,000 MILES. ANOTHER OWNER WITH SAME CAR WARNED ME TO WATCH OUT FOR STEERING PROBLEMS. I PAID LITTLE ATTENTION AND WITHIN ONE MONTH MY CAR'S STEERING WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY QUICKLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECT IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY STATED THERE WAS A TSA BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE WITH THE BUICK LACROSSE. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE CASUALLY DISCUSSING THIS WITH A NEIGHBOR SHE DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEM IN HER BUICK LACROSSE REPAIRED BY LOCAL BUICK DEALER. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, HEARING OF THIS PROBLEM FROM THREE SOURCES IN ONE MONTH I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS PERVASIVE AND HAS YET TO RESULT IN A TRAGEDY BECAUSE THE OWNERS TOOK PREVENTIVE MEASURES. I COULD FIND NOTHING ABOUT THIS INTERMEDIATE SHAFT DEFECT IN BUICKS 2005 OR NEWER IN MY RESEARCH, NO ACCIDENT REPORTS NOR RECALLS. THERE IS HOWEVER A DANGER HERE THAT IS NOT BEING DISCLOSED AND IS QUITE EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *TR

I OWN A 2005 BUICK CXL WITH ABOUT 38200 MILES. STARTING BACK IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH 2007, THE MESSAGE FROM THE DASH INDICATED THAT MY OIL LEVER WAS LOW. I ADDED 1 QUARTS OF OIL AND THOUGHT THAT MY LAST OIL CHANGE WASN?T COMPLETE. AFTER DRIVING MANY MORE MILES, THE OIL INDICATOR CAME ON AGAIN. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS ON APRIL 4, 2007 WITH 19,488. OIL DYE WAS ADDED TO TRACE A POSSIBLE LEAK. NO LEAK WAS VISIBLE WHEN I RETURNED AGAIN ON JUNE 13TH (21,126 MILES) WHEN THE OIL INDICATOR WENT ON AGAIN. THE DEALER FOUND MINOR SEEPAGE DUE TO THE LEFT REAR OF THE OIL PAN. THE BOLTS WERE TIGHTENED, CHANGED THE OIL AND THEY SENT ME ON MY WAY. ON JULY 23RD (23,102 MILES) THE OIL LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME THE DEALER SUGGESTED A CONSUMPTION TEST AND THAT I SHOULDN?T ADD ANY OIL. ON AUGUST 29TH (24,275 MILES) OIL WAS DOWN AGAIN. THEY ADDED 1 QUART OF OIL AND TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK AGAIN FOR A VALVE DETERMINATION. ON SEPTEMBER 4TH (24,637 MILES), THE DEALER NOTATED THAT THERE WAS OIL LOST AND FOUND BULLETIN FOR VALVE STEM SEALS. THEY WERE REPLACED. FINALLY, ON JANUARY 11, 2008 AND STILL LOOSING OIL, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT A BULLETIN SAYS THAT IT IS COMMON TO LOOSE 1 QUART OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. I TOLD THEM THAT ANSWER WASN'T ACCEPTABLE. *TR