1998 Buick Lesabre Steering Problems

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET ON 6/17/10 WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP. I SLOWED DOWN TO SEE WHAT HAPPEN. I SEEN NOTHING BUT SOME BOLTS IN THE STREET. I PICK THEM UP AND GOT BACK IN THE CAR. THERE WAS NO WAY TO STEER THE CAR JUST HAD GAS NO STEERING. I LOOKED UP UNDER THE CAR AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE ENGINE WAS FALLING OUT OF THE CAR. I LIFTED UP THE HOOD AND IT WAS ALONG WITH THE STEERING COLUMN. I WAS TWO MIN. AWAY FROM GETTING ON THE EXPRESSWAY. GOD WAS WITH ME IF THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE EXPRESSWAY I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WRITE THIS LETTER TONIGHT. RUSTED BOLTS WITH NO WARNING FALLING OFF A CAR A LITTLE OVER TEN YEARS OLD. IF THEY CANT GET SOME WAY TO WARN PEOPLE THAT THEIR BOLTS COULD FALL OFF AND THEIR STEERING GO OUT DRIFTING FROM LANE TO LANE WITH NO CONTROL OF THE AUTOMOBILE, THAN DON'T MAKE THEM. THAT WAS MY MOTHERS CAR IF I WOULDN'T HAVE DRIVEN IT SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN RIDING IN THAT CAR WITH SIX CHILDREN TODAY. SHE IS FROM ATLANTA WE ARE IN PITTSBURGH, PA THE ONLY ROADS SHE TAKES ARE THE MAIN ONES AND EXPRESSWAYS. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP ILL WRITE BACK WHEN THE MECHANIC TELLS ME WHAT WENT WRONG. *TR

NHTSA ID

10336913

Incident

Jun 17, 2010

DT: THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET AND THE REAR BALL JOINTS BROKE IN HALF. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A ROLL BACK AND TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BALL JOINT ON THE REAR LEFT BACK. THERE WAS NO FORE-WARNING AND NO NOISE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. ALSO THE POWER STEERING BOLTS BROKE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO DROP OFF THE ENGINE BLOCK AND FALL DOWN ONTO THE FRAME MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. *AK (11/10/05) THE POWER STEERING BOLTS BROKE ON TWO OCCASIONS ALLOWING THE PUMP TO FALL DOWN ON THE FRAME. THE SHAFT OF THE BALL JOINT SNAPPED ALLOWING THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TO SHIFT REARWARD. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM DROPPED DOWN ALLOWING THE FREE END TO LOCK THE WHEEL. *SC

NHTSA ID

10136360

Incident

Sep 6, 2005

Mileage

63,878 mi

THE CONSUMER READ AN ARTICLE WHICH INDICATED THAT GM RECALL CERTAIN CARS WITH POWER STEERING DEFECTS. *LA THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR POWER STEERING PROBLEMS WHICH REQUIRED REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 35392 MILES. *NM

NHTSA ID

10059445

Incident

May 5, 2003

Mileage

35,392 mi

VEHICLE MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN IN MOTION. THE VEHICLES VACUUM HOSE, POWER STEERING PRESSURE AND INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED. *NM

NHTSA ID

10057336

Mileage

95,000 mi

STEERING RELATED PROBLEMS INVOLVING MAJOR PART REPLACEMENT. I ALREADY CONTACTED AN NHTSA REP ABOUT A DIFFERENT ISSUE, THE UBIQUITOUS UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM WHICH WE HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS ON. AND I DISCUSSED PROBLEMS WITH STALLING TOO. AFTER THAT, I SEARCHED THE INTERNET; I SEE THAT THE MANIFOLD PROBLEM IS MORE PREVALENT THAN I SUSPECTED. I ALSO STUMBLED ONTO DISCUSSIONS OF STALLING, STEERING, AND ENGINE FIRE PROBLEMS. WHEN I CALLED GM 2 YEARS AGO ABOUT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, THEY DENIED THE PROBLEM EXISTED EVEN THOUGH MY DEALER AND OTHER SHOPS TOLD ME EVERYBODY KNEW ABOUT IT. I CALLED GM AGAIN A FEW WEEKS AGO AFTER HAVING MORE GASKET PROBLEMS AND ALTHOUGH THEY FINALLY ADMITTED TO THE MANIFOLD AND GASKET PROBLEMS, THEY COULD NOT HELP ME WITH MY EXPENSES, THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT, AND THE REP WAS OBSESSED WITH HAVING ME SAY THAT I WAS SATISFIED WITH MY CALL TO HIM. I TRIED TELLING HIM THAT I WAS UNSATISFIED WITH GM BUT SATISFIED WITH HIM AS A PERSON, BUT HE KEPT TALKING TO ME UNTIL I AGREED THAT I WAS MOSTLY SATISFIED WITH MY CALL. I WONDER IF MANUFACTURERS HAVE DIFFERENT OBLIGATIONS IN RECORDING AND REPORTING THEIR COMPLAINTS TO AUTHORITIES DEPENDING ON WHETHER CUSTOMERS ARE SATISFIED OR NOT. *CB

NHTSA ID

10053244

Incident

Dec 10, 2003

MY CAR, A '98 LESABRE, HAS A POWER ASSISTED STEERING THAT IS DRIVEN BY A BELT. THE IDLER PULLEY DISINTEGRATED, THE BELT CAME OFF, AND I HAD LITTLE STEERING. A PERSON WITH LESS UPPER BODY STRENGTH WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. I BELIEVE MANY UNEXPLAINED ACCIDENTS MAY BE CAUSED BY THIS SITUATION. INVESTIGATING OFFICERS WOULD ASSUME THE BELT WAS LOST DURING THE CRASH WHEN THE LOSS WAS ACTUALLY THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. A VEHICLKE THAT HAS A SERPENTINE BELT ALSO LOSES POWER TO THE BRAKES.

NHTSA ID

10039367

Incident

Dec 15, 2002

THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER STEERING WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, CONSUMER STATED PROBLEM ONLY HAPPENED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS WARM. TS *JB

NHTSA ID

8023266

Incident

Nov 9, 2002

Mileage

32,000 mi

WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN 25 AND 30 MPH CONSUMER SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF STEERING AND BRAKING SYSTEMS. VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND REPAIRED UNKNOWN COMPONENT IN VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

895301

Incident

May 11, 2001

CRACKED STEERING WHEEL, AND LEFT FRONT STRUT FAILURE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND MADE REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

NHTSA ID

879133

Incident

Aug 3, 1998

WHILE DRIVING STEERING PUMP DISENGAGED FROM ENGINE, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

876226

THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY FAILED MAKING IT HARD TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. NLM

NHTSA ID

552073

Incident

Apr 13, 2000

OWNER WAS HEARING A RATTLING NOISE ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS AGO COMING FROM VEHICLE. THE NOISE WAS HEARD MOSTLY ON SHORT SHARP BUMPS. WHILE HAVING THE OIL CHANGED THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE WITH THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS LOOSE AND COULD HAVE FALLEN OFF. THE ENTIRE UNIT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

NHTSA ID

856676

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THE WHEEL APPEARS TO CLICK OR KNOCK. THIS BEGAM SHORTLY AFTER I HAD THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED AS IT WAS SHUDDERING AFTER STOPPING AND STARTING. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE PEOPLE AT THE BOISE LARRY MILLER BUICK PLACE, WHERE I HAD TRANSMISSION FIXED. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT SERIOUS AND THEY WOULD CHECK IT WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE. BUT IT CONCERNS ME, AND I NEED TO KNOW IF IT IS SERIOUS. *AK

NHTSA ID

717021

Incident

Dec 1, 1999

BRAKE LOSS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND PROPERTY DAMAGE ON ONE INCIDENT DUE TO LEAKING SEAL IN THE REAR BRAKE WHEEL CYLINDER, AFTER REPAIR VEHICLE ACCIDENT OCCURED DUE TO BRAKE LOSS. MJS

NHTSA ID

545710

Incident

May 10, 1999

REAR RIGHT POWER STEERING PUMP SHAF SEAL LEAKED. YH

NHTSA ID

608841