2009 Buick Enclave Rack and Pinion / Power Steering (2024)

unsafe ride,

G M is a big disappointment for me. I purchased a used Enclave and two months later steering problems began. I now have total loss of power steering at slower speeds. Turning corners are very unsafe and parking lots are difficult also. According to G M service manager this vehicle had steering gear, pump and fluid changed out at 41,990 miles. Now at 72k steering is bad again Buick Customer Assistance, G M Service dept.manager and Dealer manager all said they are unaware of any such problem with Enclaves. How can that be with so many people having the same complaint and a class action law suit in California? I asked Customer Assistance if they will fix the $310.14 steering valve as I am already paying $1,105.41 for an engine oil leak. Their reply was "sorry, you are out of warranty and will be paying for that yourself". I don't expect them to pay for the leak but the steering should be their fix. This will be my last G M vehicle, I wish I had my Toyota back. Will this steering problem turn out to be like their ignition switch problem and take ten years to be resolved? Sorry for being so long winded but I am very disappointed with the vehicle I wanted so badly.

12/28/2015 @gmdisappointed and @scaredmama , sorry to hear you had these problems with your steering. I'm wondering if you were able to get your steering fixed. I don't know if it will help any, but I wanted to let you know my experience.

I bought my 2009 Buick Enclave CXL AWD 57,000 miles at an actual Buick dealership (so I trusted it was reliable) in Auburn, Indiana in January 2015. I told my sales person I had looked for this specific model since we were planning to go on vacation in Seattle Washington in the summer and we wanted the panoramic glass roof in the back for the kids. I brought it in to my local Buick dealer in Lima, OH to check several issues and found out Auburn had sold it with several leaks, including the steering gear (also known as the rack and pinion). Luckily I had a 90 day warranty from the dealership. The Auburn dealership apologized and said please bring it back in and give them a chance to make it right. They fixed several leaks including the transmission cooler lines but not the steering gear. When I went to pick it up, just from looking under the car on the ground it still looked all oily and messy. The Service Writer refused to come out and look at it in the parking lot and said that they were too busy and if I needed anything else done I would have to reschedule for the following week. He had the Service Manager talk to me. I told him that I needed to make the vehicle was right and safe as we were going to be driving 3,000 miles from Ohio to Seattle in the summer. He had a different Service Writer check and talk to me who said that the steering gear was okay, it was just that the transmission cooler lines had leaked down it but those lines were replaced now. So, I brought it back to my local Lima Buick dealer. They checked it again and even gave me pictures of the steering gear actively dripping. My Lima Buick service center said it is a common problem and that they don't fix the steering gear, but they replace it entirely as there is a new improved model of steering gear. At this time in April 2015, there was no recall or extended warranties on the steering gear so that it would cost $1,300. I emailed the leaking pics to the General Manager at the Auburn dealer. The Used Manager and Service Manager said they already completed in good faith repairs and wouldn't fix anything else. I had to complain to the Auburn, IN Buick dealership General Manager that it wasn't a "good faith" repair and point out that it was in their written 90 day warranty and that they were obligated to fix it or they would have a problem. They then agreed to fix it under my extended warranty. They said I had to pay the $100 deductible but that, I could live with.

That wasn't the worse problem though. Buick ruined our family vacation road trip across the country.

My nightmare with this vehicle came when we drove it from Ohio to Seattle Washington on the vacation we'd been planning for a year. I had the front brakes done, the oil changed and the transmission fluid and filter changed before we left. After a week of driving 3,000 miles to Washington and through mountains the transmission went out on the freeway as we were leaving to head home. With 1 week of vacation left, I was stranded for 10 days while the Chehalis, Washington Buick dealership rebuilt my transmission. Come to find out, this was a known transmission problem, that it's not a pro-active recall, but the repair would be covered under an extended warranty called Special Policy 14404A. I was grateful that the repair would be covered. But then I found out that Buick's policy is to send a letter to owners about this, but that they wouldn't repair it until it breaks down. Then I was disgusted I never received any letter or was notified by either of the two Buick dealers that worked on it. If I would have known I could have just rented a minivan. Since we were out of vacation I had to send my wife and kids home on a plane and drive home by myself while burning 2 days into my 2016 vacation. While I was stuck in Washington I called the Buick corporate customer service line twice. They said they would look into reimbursing me for a rental car, hotel and the plane tickets home but that wouldn't replace half a vacation and our lost vacation days from work. They never called me back. I sent them an email and a express overnight letter and got no response. I hold Buick responsible for not letting me know about this known problem, putting my family at risk driving across the country and then still not doing the right thing. It's a nice riding vehicle but I'm embarrassed that I can't support this American made product. ** The moral of this story is CHECK ANY OUTSTANDING WARRANTIES, RECALLS, SPECIAL POLICIES ETC..., NOT JUST A CARFAX (OR REPORT OF WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST), BEFORE YOU BUY A VEHICLE !! **

2009 Buick Enclave Rack and Pinion / Power Steering (2024)
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