2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE AND AXLE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE SUSPENSION AND BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO A MEDIAN AND SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HER BODY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

WHILE TAKING CORNERS AT LOW SPEEDS THE POWER STEERING WILL SUDDENLY CUT OUT. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. I HAVE HAD MECHANICS INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND THEY CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE CALLED CHEVROLET'S HELP LINE ONLY TO TELL ME THAT EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT AND I NEED TO PAY TO HAVE THEIR MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AGAIN. WHILE ON HOLD WITH CHEVROLET, A MESSAGE WAS TOLD TO ME THAT LETTERS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE MAIL REGARDING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING! I ASKED THE REPRESENTATIVE AND THAT RECALL DOES NOT INVOLVE THE TRAVERSE. MY MECHANIC SAID THIS HAS BEEN A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES. *TR

TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IS SOMETIMES VERY STIFF AND DIFFICULT. FEAR OF AN ACCIDENT OCCURRING DUE TO THIS ISSUE. HAD A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP LOOK AT THE VEHICLE DURING AN AIRBAG RECALL FIX. NO APPARENT PROBLEMS COULD BE DETECTED BY TECHNICIANS. SEARCHED INTERNET AND FOUND THIS TO BE A POPULAR PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR

THE POWER STEERING FAILED ON OUR 2009 TRAVERSE AT LOW SPEEDS WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE. THIS TYPE OF POWER STEERING FAILURE HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. WE HAD THE RACK AND PINION REPLACED (6 MONTHS AGO) AND THE POWER STEERING FLUID UPGRADED WITH LIMITED SUCCESS. THE TRAVERSE FEELS LIKE IT HAS NO POWER STEERING AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO TURN. WE HAVE HAD THE TRAVERSE CHECKED AT THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES AND FINALLY PAID A LOT OF $$$ TO HAVE THE RACK AND PINION REPLACED. IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT BY TURNING THE VEHICLE. YOUR ONLY OPTIONS ARE TO STOP AND "MAN HANDLE" THE TRAVERSE INTO POSITION. AN ELDERLY PERSON OR A SMALLER PERSON WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AT ALL. I AM TAKING THE TRAVERSE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS AN ON-GOING ISSUE FOR THE PAST 3-4 YEARS. THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. GM HAS RE-DESIGNED THE NEWER TRAVERSE/ENCORE/ACADIA STEERING SYSTEMS, SO THEY KNOW A PROBLEM EXISTS. ONE DAY SOMEONE WILL GET KILLED FROM THIS STEERING PROBLEM AND EVERYONE WILL WONDER WHY A RECALL WASN'T ISSUED. SOME TYPE OF ACTION NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I CAN AFFORD (BARELY) TO KEEP SHELLING OUT THOUSANDS FOR REPAIRS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAN'S? THEY BOUGHT A $35-$45,000 VEHICLE FROM GM AND IT IS NOT SAFE. NOW THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO SELL/TRADE IT AND THEY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO FIX IT. ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.

POWER STEERING GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY AT LOW SPEEDS - SHARP TURNS PULLING INTO PARKING SPOTS, PULLING OUT OF PARKING SPOTS INTO TRAFFIC, ETC.. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS ON THE CHEVY TRAVERSE FORUM INDICATING THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE 2014 MODEL. DANGEROUS IF FAILING WHILE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILS RANDOMLY AND FOR NO REASON MULTIPLE TIMES. CALLED GM AND THEY HAD NO RESPONSE, SAID THAT THERE WAS NO INFORMATION THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE ME OTHER TO SAY THAT THERE IS NOT AN OPEN RECALL ON MY VIN FOR THIS, AND BASICALLY REFUSED TO EVEN MAKE A RECORD OR NOTE OF THE CONCERNS SO THAT IT COULD BE TRACKED TO CONFIRM THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR

THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WONT GO OUT. THIS LIGHT CAME ON AND FLASHED AND THEN WENT OFF. WE HAD THE DEALER CHECK IT, BUT THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. IT CAME ON AGAIN A MONTH LATER, BUT WENT OFF. IT WAS CHECKED BY DEALER AGAIN. A FEW DAYS LATER IT CAME BACK ON AND STAYED ON. THE DEALER KEEPS SAYING ITS A QUIRK IN THE SYSTEM FOR THE CAR, BUT THIS SOUNDS LIKE BS. IT MAY BE A FAILED SENSOR BUT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACE OR CORRECTED. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE LACK OF ADEQUATE PRESSURE IN ALL FOUR TIRES CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SYSTEM NO LONGER TELLS YOU WHICH TIRE IS THE ISSUE. *TR

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED ON THE CAR. IT HAS HAPPENED MORE NOTICEABLY DURING RAIN BUT AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AFTER ALL OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME, THE DEALER SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE SECOND TIME DEALER STATED THAT THE BELT GOT WET. THE THIRD TIME WE GOT IRATE WITH THE DEALER BECAUSE THIS IS AN ONGOING SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR FAMILY CAR. THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED BY THE 3RD OCCASION, BUT DEALER FINALLY (AFTER 2 DAYS OF ARGUING WITH THEM) REPLACED THE STEERING PUMP, BELTS AND PULLEY TO CORRECT ISSUE. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE MADE A RECALL ISSUE BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL YEAR. ACCORDING TO [XXX] , VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL VEHICLE SAFETY AT GM "WITH THESE SAFETY RECALLS AND LIFETIME WARRANTIES, WE ARE GOING AFTER EVERY CAR THAT MIGHT HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT RIGHT??. OUR ISSUE IS THAT THE DEALERS NOR THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT GM SEEM TO WANT TO MAKE IT RIGHT IF THE CAR IS NOT ON THE LIST OF CURRENT RECALLS. I GUESS THEY DON'T CARE UNTIL THERE ARE ENOUGH DEATHS INVOLVED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE SLOWING TO MAKE A TURN, THE POWER STEER STOPPED WORKING. IT HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY EVER SINCE, EVEN WHEN TRYING TO PARK THE VEHICLE...07/02/14 *BF