2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE Complaints

MY 2009 CHEVY TRAVERSE WITH APPROX. 68000 MILES HAS BEGUN TO SHOW A LACK OF POWER STEERING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. AS THE RPM'S ARE INCREASED THE NORMAL FUNCTION RETURNS. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT COMPLETELY; POSSIBLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

TOWARDS THE END OF 2013 MY WIFE AND I STARTED NOTICING THE STEERING BEING REALLY DIFFICULT AND LOCKING UP ON SOME OCCASIONS PULLING INTO PARKING SPACES AND PARALLEL PARKING. WE EXPERIENCED SOME NEAR MISSES WHERE THE STEERING LOCKED AND FELT LIKE WE WERE GOING TO COLLIDE WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE NEXT PARKING SPACE. WE TOOK OUR CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP IN JUNE 2014 TO HAVE THE AIR BAG RECALL DONE AND A STATE INSPECTION. WE ALSO TOLD THE DEALER THAT THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS CONSISTENTLY STAYING LOW AND THE STEERING ALMOST LOCKS UP AT TIMES. THE DEALER SAID THE STEERING GEAR (OR RACK AND PINION) WAS BAD. THE DEALER WOULD NOT PASS THE INSPECTION. STATE INSPECTIONS ARE PERFORMED TO ENSURE SAFE VEHICLE CONDITIONS. IF A GM DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO PERFORM A STATE INSPECTION THEY ARE ADMITTING THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEALER PERFORMED THE AIR BAG FIX, AND REPLACED THE WATER PUMP (FROM THE COOLANT LEVEL COMPLAINT, PRIOR TSB). THEY SAID THE STEERING GEAR FIX WOULD HAVE TO BE SCHEDULED THE FOLLOWING WEEK. AFTER TWO DAYS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (C1100 AND P00008). WE SCHEDULED THE APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE STEERING GEAR REPLACED BECAUSE WE WERE UNSURE IF THE STEERING WOULD LOCK UP ON A NORMAL TURN WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER SAID THE C1100 WAS A LOOSE CABLE AT THE CONTROL BOARD AND THE P00008 WAS A BAD TIMING CHAIN (REPLACED UNDER A PRIOR TSB). THE STEERING GEAR WAS REPLACED AND THE COST WAS $1,552. AFTER READING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF CHEVY TRAVERSE VEHICLES THIS IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE DUE TO A POOR DESIGN STEERING GEAR. GM SHOULD MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND STAND BEHIND THEIR QUALITY IN A PROACTIVE WAY AND ISSUE A RECALL TO HAVE THESE STEERING GEARS REPLACED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE POWER STEERING RESET INDEPENDENTLY WITHIN MOMENTS. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE POWER STEERING PUMP, POWER STEERING SHAFT AND RACK AND PINION WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING OVER A SPEED BUMP, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UPDATED 08/19/14*LJ UPDATED 08/21/14

THE WINDOW REMOTE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT CONTROLS THE UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT OF THE WINDOW ON THE PASS SIDE DOES NOT WORK. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER,IT WORKED FOR A LITTLE WHILE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FROM THE DAY I PURCHASED THE TRAVERSE. *TR

INTERMITTENT STEERING PROBLEMS UNDER 20-25 MPH. FIRST ISSUE WAS INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING WHEN TRYING TO TURN IN TO MY DRIVEWAY OR PARKING SPOT. NOW HAS GOTTEN WORSE TO NOW STEERING WHEEL GETS REALLY HARD TO TURN WHEN MAKING SLIGHT TURN ON TO OFF RAMP OR SIDE STREET. I HAVE TO MANHANDLE THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP FROM RUNNING OFF THE RAMP OR RUN INTO OTHER VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED MAKING THE STEERING WHEEL VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING RACK AND STEERING PUMP HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

THERE IS A GRINDING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL REGARDLESS OF SPEED, EVEN SITTING STILL BUT MOSTLY AT SLOWER SPEEDS. YOU CAN FEEL THE VIBRATION OF THE GRINDING IN YOUR HAND THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. SOUND AND VIBRATION GETTING WORSE. NOW AT 60,000 MILES. *JS

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS. PROBLEM IS WORSE AND OCCURS MOST WHEN TRYING TO PARK. YOU CAN BE HALFWAY THROUGH YOUR TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN POWER STEERING GOES OUT. HAVE ALMOST HIT SEVERAL PARKED CARS JUST PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. ALSO HAPPENS WHEN MAKING LOW SPEED TURNS ON THE ROAD. VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE POWER STEERING WILL STOP WORKING. SO FAR IT HAS NOT HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEEDS AND HOPING IT NEVER DOES. *TR

I CALLED TO MAKE AN APPT. FOR AN AIR BAG RECALL WHEN IT STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF DRIVE WHILE DRIVING. I COULD NOT GET ONE FOR FIVE DAYS. I WAS TOLD NOT TO WORRY IT WOULD BE FINE. I BARELY MADE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, REVERSE WAS GONE AND I HAD TO DRIVE SLOW AND DROP IT INTO LOW, WHEN IT WOULD SLIP OUT OF GEAR I JUST PRAYED THE GUY BEHIND ME WOULD NOT REAR END ME. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS ALSO ON RECALL AND THEY WOULD FIX IT FOR FREE. THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $6000.00 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION, WHEN I TOLD THEM I WASN'T PAYING ANYTHING HE SAID HE WOULD TALK TO GM AGAIN. THEN HE CALLED AND SAID IT WAS $4000.00! I TOLD HIM AGAIN I WASN'T PAYING ANYTHING AND HE SAID HE WOULD TALK TO HIS GENERAL MANAGER. THEN HE CALLED AND SAID THE GENERAL MANGER WOULD OVERRIDE GM AND ONLY CHARGE ME A $500.00 RECALL DEDUCTIBLE. THIS IS CRAZY!! THIS CAR HAS HAD NUMEROUS RECALLS, TIMING CHAIN, AIR BAGS, FAULTY SEAT BELTS, HEATED WASHER FLUID MECHANISM CAUSING FIRES, AND NOW THIS. THE LAST RECALL I TOOK IT IN FOR THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING INTO THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER AND WANT $600.00 TO FIX THAT. HE TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT UNTIL THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND FIX IT THEN! THIS MODEL ALSO ROLLS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE GEAR IT IS IN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS A "FEATURE" OF THIS MODEL. I HAVE SEARCHED ON LINE AND FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS FOR OTHER 2009 TRAVERSE'S. SOME STATE THAT IT IS A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THIS MODEL. THE TRUTH IS IT IS A FLAW. IT CAN'T BE FIXED AND THEY DON'T WANT TO RECALL THE VEHICLE. THEY GAVE ME A LOANER THAT IS A 2013 TRAVERSE AND IT DOESN'T DO IT. I HAVE TO DRIVE MINE LIKE IT IS A STRAIGHT DRIVE. I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND IF I STOP ON A HILL I HAVE TO LEAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND GIVE IT GAS BEFORE I TAKE MY FOOT OFF OR ELSE I ROLL INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME. THIS CAR IS A LEMON, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. *TR