2012 Buick Enclave Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2012 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lunged forward while accelerating. The failure was more persistent at speeds of 40 MPH and lower. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right there was a clunking sound coming from the steering wheel. The vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000.

NHTSA ID

11584396

Incident

Mar 22, 2024

Mileage

83,000 mi

Loss of power steering when brakes applied. This is dangerous to make turns and park the vehicle. Buick has already issued at least one NHTSA service bulletin regarding this issue, in which the power steering pump failure causes intermittent drops of hydraulic pressure that will cause reduced or loss of steering assist

NHTSA ID

11433949

Incident

Jun 2, 2021

POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED SEPT 2017 DUE TO INTERMITTENT STEERING PROBLEMS WHEN MAKING RIGHT HAD TURNS GENERALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS (78066 MILEAGE). NOVEMBER 2019 SAME ISSUE (98302 MILEAGE) DEALER TOLD ME WITH SOME CARS TWO YEARS IS THE LIFE OF A POWER STEERING PUMP. I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE IF THIS HAPPENED A ANY RATE OF SPEED. ALSO, THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS BEEN REPAIRED EVERY YEAR SINCE 2015. EARLIER IN 2019 THE BLOWER ON THE HEATER TOTALLY QUIT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED

NHTSA ID

11286801

Incident

Nov 20, 2019

Mileage

98,000 mi

POWER STEERING FAILURE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN ONTO LOCAL HIGHWAY, STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME STIFF AND IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN ' I WAS ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRUCK! LATER ON I HAD SIMILAR ISSUES INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES POWER STEERING WORKS BUT MANY OTHER TIMES DOESN'T. THIS HAPPENED AFTER A WINTER SNOWSTORM WHEN I LEFT THE CAR OUTSIDE, SO MY SUSPICION IS THAT THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURE CAUSED SOME BUICK ENCLAVE'S MANUFACTURING DEFECTS TO HAVE REVEALED ITSELF.

NHTSA ID

11097560

Incident

Mar 15, 2018

Mileage

32,000 mi

FRONT RACK AND PINION MAY DEVELOP LEAKS AND NEED COSTLY REPLACEMENT. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE FRONT END NOISE WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT AT LOW SPEEDS AND FLUID LEAKAGE. NOISE IS SIMILAR TO A BAD STRUT OR POWER STEERING ISSUE. BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE STATES THERE ARE NO CURRENT RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOR RACK AND PINION ON ENCLAVES.

NHTSA ID

11061431

Incident

Nov 15, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE, AND THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALER (JIMMY'S GARAGE INC, LOCATED AT 3124 ELMIRA RD, NEWFIELD, NY 14867; (607) 594-3030), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

NHTSA ID

11015887

Incident

Aug 15, 2017

Mileage

86,000 mi

FRONT SUSPENSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. AIR CONDITIONER, EVAPORATOR COMPONENT HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE DIFFERENT OCASIONS..REAR GATE RECALL ,REPLACED LIFT GATES SHOCKS.. MODE VALVE ACTUATOR REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ID

11002453

Incident

Jun 17, 2015

Mileage

45,000 mi

THE CAR WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN 2013. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED 2 MONTHS AGO. THE CAR HAS ONLY 27K MILES. ALREADY THE POWER STEERING FLUID LINE BROKE AND LEAKING, CAUSING VERY UNSAFE STEERING MANIPULATION. THE BRAKE CALIPERS HAVE FAILED AND LEAKING BRAKE FLUID AGAIN CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. BUICK WILL NOT FIX THESE ISSUES, WHICH CLEARLY ARE A RESULT OF POOR QUALITY.

NHTSA ID

10863017

Incident

May 2, 2016

Mileage

27,000 mi

CAR MAKES LOUD NOISE WHEN TURNING RIGHT AND STEERING BECOMES DIFFICULT. IT IS LEAKING FLUID. THE BUICK MECHANICS TELLS ME THE GEAR NOISE BOOTS ARE LEAKING AND THE NOISE HEARD IS AIR IN THE SYSTEM. THEY SAY THE ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 50,000 MILES. THIS IS A GM DEFECT. THE 2010 ENCLAVES HAD THE EXACT SAME POWER STEERING PROBLEM AND WERE RECALLED. $1600 MINIMUM TO FIX IT.

NHTSA ID

10850215

Incident

Mar 16, 2016

Mileage

50,000 mi

RACK AND PINION NEEDS REPLACING AFTER 76K MILES. REAR HATCH OPENS THEN SLAMS SHUT ON ITS OWN WITHOUT STAYING UP

NHTSA ID

10822558

Incident

Jan 27, 2016

Mileage

76,000 mi

AT 60,000 MILES NOTICED A SLIGHT "SQUEAK" IN MY STEERING WHEN TURNING. DEALERSHIP CHECKED IT AND STATED I NEEDED A NEW STEERING RACK "...FOUND NOICE COMING FROM STTERING GEAR INPUT SHAFT SEAL, BUT ASLO FOUND STEERING GEAR LEAKING FLUID OUT BOTH END OF GEAR". QUOTED ME A $1589.00 REPAIR. I WAS INFORMED THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ON ENCLAVES & TRAVERSES, BUT NOT A RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10808989

Incident

Nov 23, 2015

Mileage

59,500 mi

A WEEK AGO, I FELT MY 2012 BUICK ENCLAVE WASN'T STEERING PROPERLY...LIKE I SUDDENLY HAVE CONSIDERABLY LESS CONTROL...AS IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS FIGHTING ME WHEN I TURN. I NOTICED IT BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET MY CAR'S STEERING TO RESPOND COMING ONTO AN ENTRANCE RAMP ONTO 76W IN PA AND IT ALMOST VEERED INTO THE LANE TO THE LEFT (AS I WAS FIGHTING TO HOLD MY WHEEL TO THE RIGHT COMING OFF THE RAMP). I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL GM CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DID DIAGNOSTICS AND DISCOVERED A MALFUNCTION IN MY STEERING PUMP AND A LEAKY HOSE. HE SUGGESTED I CALL THE GM DEALER WHO REPAIRS MY CAR FOR ANY ITEM UNDER RECALL, BULLETIN OR EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE THE ISSUE HE IDENTIFIED IS CONSISTENT WITH A SAFETY ISSUE IDENTIFIED ON EARLIER ENCLAVES. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT FAULKNER BUICK IN WEST CHESTER DID STATE THAT IT IS AN ISSUE ON EARLIER MODELS AND THERE IS A BULLETIN ISSUED FOR EARLIER MODELS FOR POWER STEERING ISSUES IN ENCLAVES. MY YEAR/VIN IS NOT COVERED. HE SUGGESTED I CALL GM. I WAS ON PHONE WITH GM WARRANTY FOR AN HOUR. THEY OPENED CASE BUT SAY THEY CAN'T REVIEW CASE UNTIL THE STEERING ISSUE IS VERIFIED BY A GM SERVICE DEALER. I WILL HAVE TO PAY GM SERVICE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHEN I ALREADY PAID A GM CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR SAME. GM IS NOT ABLE TO TELL ME UNTIL ONE OF THEIR SERVICE PROVIDERS CONFIRMS ISSUE WHAT, IF ANY, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THEY WILL PROVIDE. THE REPAIR IS ESTIMATED AT ~$1000...THE ENTIRE PUMP AND HOSE NEED TO BE REPLACED, AND ESTIMATED LABOR IS 6 HOURS. IN MEANTIME, I HAVE TO SLOW MY CAR DOWN TO 20 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS COMING ONTO OR OFF OF RAMPS FOR MAJOR HIGHWAYS SUCH AS PENN TPKE BECAUSE STEERING CONTROL ISN'T THERE & IT FEELS AS IF WHEEL IS PULLING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION, I'M HAVING TO FIGHT IT, AND IT FEELS AS IF CAR WILL SKID OUT. MY MECHANIC LOOKED AT ALL OTHER POSSIBILITIES AND ID'D FAULTY STEERING PUMP AND HOSE LEAK, SPECIFICALLY.

NHTSA ID

10789555

Incident

Oct 29, 2015

Mileage

85,000 mi

ON 9/28/2015 ON THE WAY TO WORK, WHENEVER YOU TURN ON TO THE ROAD OR JUST MAKING A GENERAL TURN THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THERE IS POWER STEERING DURING STRAIGHT DRIVING AND SLIGHT CORRECTIONS; BUT , WHEN YOU TURN INTO AN INTERSECTION OR TRY TO PARK, YOU HAVE NO POWER STEERING. I CAN HANDLE THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING BUT IF SOMEONE WERE ELDERLY OR NOT VERY STRONG, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WAS JUST SERVICED. A COMPLETE FRONT BRAKE JOB, OIL CHANGE, TIRE ROTATION AND NEW REAR SHOCKS THAT THE DEALERSHIP SAID WERE LEAKING. I CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID ACCORDING TO THE BUICK OWNERS MANUAL AND FOUND THAT THE FLUID WAS WITHIN THE RECOMMENDED LEVEL. I AM SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT TODAY TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT. I WANTED TO INFORM THE NHTSA AS THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS TO LIGHT FOR SAFETY REASONS. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY RELIABLE AND SAFE VEHICLE BUT AT THIS TIME IT IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ID

10778265

Incident

Sep 28, 2015

Mileage

77,125 mi

STEERING GEAR BOOTS LEAKING FLUID ON AWD VEHICLE. APPROX $1780 REPAIR TO REPLACE STEERING GEAR SEALS NEEDED PER CHEVROLET DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10651319

Incident

Oct 30, 2014

Mileage

68,000 mi

TWICE IN THE LAST 30 DAYS OUR ENCLAVE WAS SHOWING LOW ON GAS (USUALLY NOT AN ISSUE) BUT BOTH TIMES THE CAR SPUTTERED TO A STOP. ONCE IT QUIT I LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKING. EVEN AFTER I PUT GAS IN THE CAR, THE KEY WOULD NOT MOVE SO I WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR WITHOUT A JUMP. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE UNABLE TO RECREATE THE ISSUE ALTHOUGH THEY WERE UNABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE KEY WOULD LOCK UP IN THE IGNITION. ACCORDING TO BUICK EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT FINE. BASED ON WHAT WE ARE HEARING ON THE NEWS, THIS ISSUE SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO THE COBALT ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID

10583576

Incident

Mar 26, 2014

Mileage

36,900 mi

MY CAR HAS HAD TO BE TOWED TWICE DUE TO FAILURE TO START. IT WILL CRANK THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND WILL NOT CRANK ANYMORE. HAS BEEN AT SHOP TWO TIMES EACH TIME A WEEK WITH NO ANSWER TO WHY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10577833

Incident

Mar 19, 2014

Mileage

33,098 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO ABNORMALLY PULL TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT AN ALIGNMENT NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE HE WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS UNDETECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

NHTSA ID

10487238

Incident

Mar 15, 2012

Mileage

3,000 mi