Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Buick Enclave submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 108 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 108, in the owner's own words
Every time I turn right my car turns off. I am able to restart after. I’ve taken it to several mechanic's and no one seems to know the issue. I’ve had my battery change circuits change a tune up and my gas filter changed and the car still doesn’t work.
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while reversing at 5 MPH, the steering wheel seized and was inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to his destination. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering wheel sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.
While driving 65 mph on the hwy, in rush hour traffic my entire steering column came completely out and I lost control of my vehicle causing a 3 car wreck. The only indicator that something was wrong was that just prior to this happening the tilt on my steering wheel came undone 2 times and by the 3rd time when I pushed the wheel back up to lock it into place it came out entirely. There was no lights, no nothing. No tampering of any kind had ever been done to it whatsoever. And no one has looked at it since. It still falls randomly while driving. I have a picture taken about 5 minutes before this happened and one taken after the accident I will upload.
Having problems with the power steering, was a recall but was informed recall has expired. I didn’t purchase the vehicle until 2016, steering wheel is really tight, and going to cost thousands to fix, If this is a problem GM knew about they should at least be willing in some type of assistance to correct it.
TRANSMISSION-PUSH ON GAS BUT WOULDN'T MOVE, JUST REVVED UP, WAS PARKED AND TRIED TO LEAVE AND VEHICLE WOULDN'T GO IN REVERSE SO ENDED UP HAVING IT TOWED AND TRANSMISSION REPLACED. LESS THAN 75,000 MILE ON IT. POWER STEERING PUMP-WOULD GO TO TURN WHEEL AND WOULD TAKE BOTH HANDS TO TURN IT BECAUSE IT WAS THAT TIGHT. MOTOR MOUNT FOR STABILITRAK NEEDED REPLACED. WOULD BE DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND IT WOULD BE WOBBLY AND LIGHT WOULD COME ON THAT STABILITRAK/TRACTION CONTROL NEEDED FIXED. HAVE VEHICLE ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND PUT LESS THAN 1,000 MILES ON IT. ONLY HAD 74,000 WHEN I GOT IT. REGRET PURCHASE AND NOW FEEL UNSAFE IN MY OWN CAR.
IT WAS HARD TO STEER THE CAR AND TO TURN IT WAS VERY DIFFICULTY TO DO.
STEERING LOCKS UP PERIODICALLY IN MOTION AT SLOW SPEED WHEN MAKING A TURN ON HIGHWAY ALSO FROM A DEAD STOP WHEN TURNING LEAVING A INTERSECTION. ARM STRONG POWER STEERING MEANING VERY HARD TO TURN.
MY STEERING CONTINUES TO LOCK UP WHEN DRIVING. MAKING TURNS STEERING GETS TIGHT. I HAVE HAD ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS SAFETY ISSUE. AT THIS POINT I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND CHILDREN WHEN DRIVING. THERE SEEMS TO BE ALOT OF ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS REGARDING A REPLACEMENT STEERING GEAR/RACK PINION AND LEAKING FLUID. AT ONE POINT DO GM THINK ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. THIS REPAIR COST IS $1709.04. ON TOP OF OTHER REPAIRS I JUST PAID $1812.44 TO FIX OTHER ISSUES THAT I CAN SOMEWHAT UNDERSTAND BUT THE STEERING GEAR AND RACK PINION IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE OF CONCERN TO ALL FAMILIES AND CAN DEFINITELY LOOSE THEIR LIFE. EVERY DAY I GET IN MY VEHICLE MY CONCERN IS WILL MY FAMILY LOOSE THEIR LIFE IF MY STEERING LOCK UP OR I CANT AVOID AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE ISSUE.
WHILE IN MOTION AND BRAKING TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT, MY POWER STEERING COMPLETELY GOES OUT. THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN CAUSING ME TO ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AS THE TURNING RADIUS HAD BECOME MUCH MORE LARGER THAN I AM USED TO. THE POWER STEERING DOES NOT SEEM TO BE IMPACTED WHILE GOING 15 MPH OR HIGHER, IT IS ONLY WHILE APPLYING BRAKES AND SLOWING DOWN AND TURNING, RIGHT OR LEFT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY AN AUTO SHOP THAT LOSS OF POWER STEERING IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR GM VEHICLES BETWEEN 2009 - 2011 AND THAT EVEN A SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT WAS ISSUED, NOT A RECALL THOUGH. THE SPECIAL COVERAGE WAS ISSUED FOR CARS UP TO 150,000 OR 10 YEARS AFTER CAR WAS ISSUED FOR SERVICE/SOLD. TEN YEARS IN MY CASE WAS IN FEBRUARY 2019. I CALLED A GM DEALER TO ASK FOR HELP AND WAS TOLD I'M OUT OF LUCK BECAUSE THE 10 YEARS HAD PASSED. I AM THE 2ND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND PURCHASED IT USED IN DECEMBER 2014. I NEVER RECEIVED LETTERS OR NOTICE FROM GM OF THIS SPECIAL COVERAGE. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE REPEATEDLY TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE TO THIS SAME DEALERSHIP OVER THE 5+ YEARS OF OWNERSHIP AND NEVER ONCE DID THE GM DEALER NOTIFY ME OF THE SPECIAL COVERAGE. AT LEAST 2 TIMES, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR STEERING ISSUES.
VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES VERY TIGHT/ DIFFICULT TO TURN AT TIMES WHILE TURNING, PARKING & REVERSING.
THE POWER STEERING GIVES OUT WHEN THE CAR IS TRAVELLING AT SLOW SPEEDS. IT BASICALLY SEIZES UP MID TURN AND NEEDS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF POWER TO TURN THE WHEEL. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE ABOUT THE 70,000 MILE MARK
I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE LAST NOVEMBER OF 2017 AND FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY STEERING IT LOCKS UP WHEN TRYING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE OR JUST SIMPLY TURNING A CORNER IT TAKES A LOT OF STRENGTH TO TURN THIS WHEEL AND ALSO OTHER DRIVER'S SEEM TO THINK I'M HOLDING TRAFFIC UP BECAUSE I CAN'T TURN THE WHEEL ALSO WHEN BACKING UP INTO TRAFFIC THE WHEEL LOCKS UP IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT I ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE THE WHEEL LOCKED UP I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY FOR FEAR IT MAY LOCK UP GOING STRAIGHT IS FINE ONLY WHEN TURNING BACKING UP AND NO PARALLEL PARKING CAN BE DONE AT ALL, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT AT ALL.
SOME TIMES IN MOTION I LOSE MY POWER STERING.
POWER STEERING LOCKS UP OR GOES OUT WHILE TURNING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES. THIS HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY, CITY STREETS, PARKING LOTS OR IN DRIVEWAYS. THERE IS NO WARNING OR APPARENT REASON FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. WHEN IT STARTED WE HAD OUR MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK, AND HE STATED EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD AND POWER STEERING FLUID LEVELS WERE NORMAL. HE SUGGESTED HE COULD LOOK AT THE STEERING RACK AND PINION COULD BE WHAT IS NEEDED, SINCE THIS IS COMMON ON THIS MODEL AND YEAR OF VEHICLE. AS TIME GOES ON IT CONTINUES TO WORSEN AND IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH OR WITHOUT MY FAMILY AS PASSENGERS. THE MECHANIC STATED IT WAS GOING TO COST UPWARDS OF $1300 TO REPAIR, WHICH WE FEEL SHOULD BE THE COST OF THE MANUFACTURER SINCE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM!
AS I WAS DRIVING THE POWER STEERING WAS RANDOMLY GOING OUT FOR JUST A MOMENT SO I CHECKED MY POWER STEERING FLUID AND IT WAS FINE. THE NEXT TIME I DROVE IT WHEN I WENT TO MAKE A TURN THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING AND I ALMOST RAN INTO ANOTHER CAR. VERY SCARY WITH 4 CHILDREN IN THE CAR! TOOK IT TO 2 MECHANICS THAT I TRUST AND THEY WERE BOTH SHOCKED THAT THE STEERING RACK WAS LOOSE. BOTH SAID THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THEY ALMOST NEVER SEE, IT WAS NOT SOMETHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND THEY WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM. BOTH TOLD ME TO LOOK INTO A RECALL FOR IT SINCE IT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND PROBLEM THAT IS NOT A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I CHECK MY VIN NUMBER AND THERE ARE NO RECALLS BUT I DO SEE ON MULTIPLE MESSAGE BOARDS THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR 2009 BUICK ENCLAVES WITH 80,000 MILES.
POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD (CITY STREET) IN MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP, AND THEY REPORTED THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION AND IT IS A COMMON FLAW IN THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE.
AT SLOW SPEEDS THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. STEERING IS ALMOST LOCKED IN PLACE MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER.
WHEN AT LOW SPEEDS, IN A PARKING LOT, THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT SOMETIMES. WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO PARK IN A PARKING SPACE, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING ALMOST ALWAYS FAILS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN TO ME. ONE OF THESE DAYS IT IS GOING TO CAUSE US TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR WORSE, A PERSON. I HAVE NOT TOOK IT TO A SHOP. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. MY ENCLAVE HAS 125,000 MILES ON IT, WE BOUGHT IT A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO AND HAS HAD THIS ISSUE SINCE WE BOUGHT IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHILE HAVING AN IN-HOUSE MANUFACTURER RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE LOCAL DEALER (WALKER AUTOMOTIVE, 1616 MACARTHUR DRIVE, ALEXANDRIA, LA 71301) INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE STEERING RACK AND PINION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT BOTH FAILURES HAD TO BE REPAIRED AT THE SAME TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE EXPENSIVE COST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE RECALL DETAILS WERE NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,128.
PERIODICALLY AFTER BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND PUT IN DRIVE HAVE EXTREMELY HARD TIME TURNING THE WHEEL TO GET CAR TO TURN. EXAMPLE WOULD BE IF YOU ARE IN THE CAR KEY ON ENGINE NOT RUNNING AND YOU TRY TO TURN THE WHEEL AND IT DOESNT WANT TO MOVE. VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS.
WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT AT A LOW SPEED, THE POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE STEERING GEAR BOX WAS REPLACED, AND FUNCTIONALITY IMPROVED SLIGHTLY FOR ABOUT A MONTH. MILEAGE AT THE TIME WAS ABOUT 90,000. AFTER A MONTH, THE ISSUE RETURNED. IN ADDITION TO THE POWER STEERING FAILURE WHEN TURNING LEFT AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE NEAR THE FRONT LEFT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE ENGINE WOULD CUT IN AND OUT INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE STEERING RACK WAS FOUND TO BE THE ISSUE. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF THIS ISSUE WAS ABOUT 107,000. BETWEEN THE 90,000 MILE ISSUE AND 107,000 MILE ISSUE, THE POWER STEERING WOULD CUT IN AND OUT UNEXPECTEDLY, AND ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ONCE, AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THREE TIMES SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED JUST TWO YEARS PRIOR. GM SHOULD RECALL THE STEERING SYSTEMS.
WE HAVE A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE WITH THE FAULTY STEERING AT LOW SPEED. THE STEERING WHEEL APPEARS TO LOCK UP OR TURN VERY HARD. IN PARKING LOTS IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN BY A SMALL WOMAN (ALMOST HIT SOMEONE WALKING). GM WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ON THIS CAR BECAUSE IT HAS A BRANDED TITLE, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A SPECIAL COVERAGE OF 10 YEARS OR 150000 MILES AND THIS 2009 HAS ONLY 70000 OR SO. IF THIS WAS A SAFETY RECALL INSTEAD OF A SAFETY CAMPAIGN THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIX IT. ONCE AGAIN GM KNOWS OF A SAFETY PROBLEM AND WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL PEOPLE LOSE THERE LIFE AND THEY ARE FORCED TO BY OTHERS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER ASSIST MECHANISM FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
CAR WITH 51,187 MILES HAD TO HAVE STEERING GEAR REPLACED AND FLUSH AND BLEED SYSTEM. OWNER HEARD A WHINE IN IN THE POWER STEERING WHEN TURNING. AT A COST OF 1,193.76 + TAX. NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING WITH THAT FEW MILES ON A VEHICLE.
CAR LOST POWER STEERING AT LOW SPEED WHEN MAKING TURNS.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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