2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE Complaints

DURING THE WINTER SEASON, I PERIODICALLY STARTED HEARING A CLUNKING SOUND AS I WAS MAKING DIRECTIONAL TURNS IN MY VEHICLE (A 2009 CHEVY TRAVERSE). THEREFORE, DURING MY PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE, I ASKED MY MECHANIC TO TAKE IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, BUT HE DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING AT THAT TIME. YESTERDAY, I WAS IN FOR ANOTHER OIL CHANGE AND AGAIN I ASKED MY MECHANIC TO TEST DRIVE IT, BUT THIS TIME HE DID HEAR THE CLUNKING SOUND AND ULTIMATELY FOUND THAT THE RACK & PINION STEERING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND ON COMPUTER "ON-LINE" WEB SITES, THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF EARLY FAILURES OF THE RACK & PINION STEERING, ON THE GMC ACADIA, BUICK ENCLAVE AND CHEVY TRAVERSE, SUV TYPE VEHICLES. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL VEHICLES OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE RACK & PINION STEERING UNIT ON A VEHICLE THAT WAS LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD (ONLY SIX, IN THIS INSTANCE) AND HAD SUCH LOW MILEAGE (RECENTLY PASSED 60,000 MILES). OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OR IN THE PRODUCTION OF THIS STEERING MECHANISM. THERE ARE TOO MANY PREMATURE FAILURES ON THESE SERIES OF VEHICLES. GM SHOULD OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKES, BUT AS WITH THEIR IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS, THEY WOULD RATHER IGNORE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL GM VEHICLES AND HAVE MOSTLY BEEN SATISFIED WITH THEIR PRODUCTS. IF I HAVE TO SPEND ALMOST $2000 TO FIX THEIR MISTAKE, THIS WILL BE THE LAST NEW (OR USED) GM CAR I PURCHASE. MY PREVIOUS SUV WAS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I PURCHASED IT "NEW" AND KEPT IT FOR OVER TEN YEARS AND DROVE OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT. OTHER THAN WEAR AND TEAR ITEMS (BRAKES, TIRES, BATTERY, ETC.), I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY "ABNORMAL" FAILURES, IN ANY OF THE VEHICLES MAJOR COMPONENTS.

POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONS AT LOW TO MODERATE SPEEDS OF 5 TO 25 MPH. THE VEHICLE GOES INTO MANUAL STEERING AND IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL IN ORDER TO GO IN TO A TURN. THIS HAS BEGUN HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 45 TO 55MPH AS WELL. I NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT MY VEHICLE AND REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER. THE SAID THERE WAS NO ISSUE. NOW THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. I MUST REMAIN IN MY LANE AND NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE ANY QUICK TURNS. OR THE STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCKUP ON ME. I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL MY VEHICLE AND DO INJURY TO OTHERS AS WELL AS, MYSELF,

POWER STEERING CEASES TO FUNCTION AT LOW SPEEDS, AS IN NO POWER STEERING AT ALL. HAS CAUSED NEAR COLLISION SEVERAL TIMES DURING SLOW SPEED TURNS AS POWER STEERING CEASES TO FUNCTION MID-TURN WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSES MANUAL STEERING MODE ON A LARGE CAR IN A TIGHT SPACE. HAS ALSO HAPPENED AT MODERATE SPEEDS. MANUAL STEERING ON THIS CAR IS DIFFICULT FOR AN ADULT MALE. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR MY LADY DRIVERS. AGAIN, SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AS IT OCCURS WITH NO WARNING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR FORTERA HL TIRES, SIZE: P255/65R18 109S. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING INDICATOR FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIRE HAD DRY ROTTED AND HAD CRACKS. THE TECHNICIAN FILLED THE TIRE WITH AIR; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WITH ALL FOUR TIRES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15T002000 (TIRES); HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100.

I WAS DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE STARTING LOSING POWER THEN IT WOULDN'T START. AFTER A WHILE OF SITTING IT STARTED THEN LOST POWER AGAIN NOW IT WON'T STAY STARTED. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL WHEN SHE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, SHE REALIZED THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE IN FORWARD OR REVERSE. I AM GRATEFUL THIS HAPPENED WHILE SHE WAS STOPPED, HOWEVER, THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN IF CAR IS ON THE HIGHWAY CONSIDERING THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THIS IS THE 35R WAVE PLATE WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. CHEVY KNOWS THERE IS A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THIS, AND HAS ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS PIECE, HOWEVER, THIS PIECE IS CAUSING MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SHOULD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

I NOTICED WHEN I WENT FROM PARK TO DRIVE LEAVING A SPOT AND TURNED BY STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT IT WAS A LITTLE TIGHT. AS TIME HAS GONE, IT HAS GOTTEN EXTREMELY WORSE. ON APRIL 26, 2015, I WAS LEAVING A DRIVEWAY AND TRIED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND COULD HARDLY TURN IT. THIS IS HAPPENING EVERY DAY NOW WHEN I START OFF AND IT HAPPENS MORE WHEN I TURN LEFT THAN WHEN I TURN RIGHT. I AM AFRAID THAT IF I AM AT A CROSSOVER ON A MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TURN MY STEERING WHEEL IN TIME TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF ON-COMING TRAFFIC. WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 5 RECALLS ALREADY. THIS WAS A LEMON FROM GET GO. *TR

THE STEERING GEAR IN MY 2009 CHEVY TRAVERSE HAS FAILED PREMATURELY FOR A SECOND TIME. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE ORIGINAL STEERING GEAR WAS REPLACED AT 46,000 MILES IN 2011 AND MY VEHICLE REQUIRES A NEW UNIT APPROXIMATELY 43,000 MILES LATER. FAILURE TO REPLACE THE COMPONANT WILL RESULT IN STEERING DIFFICULTY THAT CAN LEAD TO A CRASH. TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, I AM REPLACING THE STEERING GEAR AT THE SAME FREQUENCY ONE WOULD NORMALLY BUY NEW TIRES FOR VEHICLE. THERE ARE SEVERAL INDICATIONS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH GENERAL MOTORS' LAMDA PLATFORM. VIA A 2012 SERVICE BULLETIN, GM MODIFIED THE STEERING GEAR PART NUMBER AND MADE CHANGES TO THE REPLACEMENT PROCESS TO PREVENT STEERING GEAR SEAL FAILURES. SECONDLY, A SERVICE MANAGER AT AN INDEPENDANT CHEVY DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT HE HAS SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN STEERING GEAR FAILURES AT HIS FACILILTY. LASTLY, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA SITE AND CHEVY INTERNET FORUMS DESCRIBING THIS EXACT PROBLEM. DESPITE THE EVIDENCE ABOVE, GM WILL NOT REPLACE THE STEERING GEAR AND COVER THE COST 100%. THE CORPORATION IS NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR CHEVY PRODUCT BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, I BELIEVE THEIR COMPLAINT RESOLUTION PROCESSES ARE MASKING A CLEAR QUALITY AND SAFETY ISSUE. I HOPE THE NHTSA CAN EFFECT SOME CHANGE. *TR

WHEN DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS AND THEN MAKING A TURN THE WHEEL LOCKS UP. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HARD TO KEEP FROM TURNING INTO THE CARS IN THE OTHER LANE. IT HAPPENS AT SPONTANEOUS TIMES. THE PROBLEM IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY AS TIME GOES ON. I LOOKED IT UP TO SEE IF OTHER CHEVY TRAVERSE 2009 OWNERS WHERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND THERE ARE SEVERAL WITH THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINT ON WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT AND IF IT IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM I SHOULDN'T HAVE TOO. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHEVROLET AND WILL SPREAD THE WORD VIA FACEBOOK AND BY WORD OF MOUTH IF CHEVROLET REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT THIS IS A RECALL AND HAVE IT REPAIRED. *TR