My steering went out in my 2012 Chevy Traverse last weekend. I was driving with my 4 Autistic children in the car and almost crashed. Needless to say my children were terrified as I fought with the wheel to turn and get the car safely off the road. It was so terrifying that my youngest has a meltdown anytime we have to get into a car. I took it into the shop closest to me and they diagnosed the issue.
Apparently, the power steering pump, power steering rack and pinion, power steering hose, and tie rod end needs to be replaced which will cost about $2000. Coincidently, GM knew that these very same issues were occurring in the older 2009-2011 models. They even issued a "Special Coverage Adjustment" for those models for 10 years or 150,000 miles for "Loss of Power Steering Assist." However, because my vehicle is a 2012, GM is not willing to cover the repairs.
So here I am, a single mother of 4 on a fixed income stuck with an unsafe vehicle to transport my children around in. GM wants me to take my car to a GM dealer so they can look at it, but refuses to even waive the diagnostic fee let alone pay for the tow. I have already paid one diagnostic fee, and how do they expect me to get it there? Certainly they wouldn't expect me to drive such an unsafe vehicle, or would they? Something needs to be done about this safety issue. Researching these problems with 2012 Traverse, I have seen many posts about the same exact issues.
What needs to happen before GM takes responsibility for these safety hazards with this particular model? Are they waiting for this steering issue to cause a fatal accident where someone dies before they are willing to take action on this issue? I am pleading for someone to please listen to us, Please hold this company accountable for their faulty equipment in these vehicles.
Purchased this vehicle used one year ago. As we all know, this has been a time of world wide pandemic for Covid 19 infections, so our family really hasn't gone out and about much in this vehicle. Literally, it has had very light usage (here and there to the market or to drop off paperwork for the kiddos in their local school offices).
Suddenly without any warning, all power steering function is diminished, creating a huge safety risk to our family, along with any other vehicles and drivers In any adjacent area to our vehicle. This makes turning from a parked speed or when just beginning to move the vehicle's tires nearly impossible to do, often causing sudden jerking back into its previous tire location!
My husband is usually not the one who drives our kids places, but now I'm not even able to drive my own vehicle that I've not really had the chance to drive still!!! It breaks my heart when I am forced to buckle up my babies in their car seats and send them along with my husband driving while I am then forced to drive my husband's Impala! This is only in instances where 2 vehicles are needed for whatever trip we are taking. This is not only scary but it's just not a good situation to have a large family type SUV in the middle of an intersection making multiple maneuvers just trying to complete a U turn!
The safety of my family, as is with anyone's family, is TOP PRIORITY! This is a value that is definitely being breeched in the case of this issue! I'm disappointed to say the least. Especially since my family and my husband's family for many generations have been loyal Chevrolet/GM vehicle owners. Come to learn that this is a known issue... And was actually a part of a class action lawsuits that went in favor of millions of vehicles, including THIS year make and model!!!
But I've been told that the coverage for such awful safety failure is ""VIN SPECIFIC" oh, and "it appears that your vehicles VIN has not been added to the 'included' list" and "of course, we do understand your concerns and safety is ALWAYS our number 1 focal point so if/when you decided to get the repairs needed on your vehicle.... BE sure to keep that receipt so that if, in the future your VIN is in fact added to the covered list on the special repair warranty extension, you can be reimbursed for the amount that you've paid."
Oh- that amount turns out to be quite an expensive fix! For parts and labor total amount would be $1,185.00 with an included 1 yr warranty on that specific repair. So, I'm not too sure about anyone else.... But with a family of 7, all children at home for online learning and only ONE of us able to remain in the jobforce. $1,185.00 is NOT just pocket change - RIGHT?! This just left me feeling so disappointed in the Chevy name to be honest. This NEEDS TO GO TO THE ATTENTION OF THE GM QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT IN THE MAIN OFFICE! STOP SLEEPING ON THIS ISSUE! It is literally disabling the lives of many families like mine who entrusted in the GM name to provide a stable, safe way to travel with our families!
Within a week of owning a "certified" used chevy traverse our power steering went. It was fixed under warranty, however this was not the first repair to have been completed on this car. We've fixed it twice and now we are on a third time. How much money or risk do we have to encounter before general motors fixes the problem. We drive our three kids around in this car and it is unsafe.
Power steering has been replaced three times on this vehicle. Two times since I purchased it in October 2012 with 27,000 from a Chevy dealership as a "CERTIFIED" vehicle. Was told in late 2014 by Lexus dealership/service would need to replace rack and pinion. Then later GM dealership stated it would be power steering pump. Had a mechanic replace power steering pump and tell me the steering pump was an "after manufactured part" meaning they had already REPLACED the power the steering pump by the time I purchased the vehicle with ONLY 27,000 miles on it.
The mechanic also told me the part was put in backwards. Then, I the power steering pump went out again this time being replaced by another mechanic that told me these Chevy Traverses are full of problems and they haven't had a good one come in yet. Now the vehicle makes clunking/grinding noises when turning and clicking sounds.
Took into another mechanic for an alignment today, after replacing struts, and was told the vehicle is leaking steering and engine fluid. Was asked if the "power steering" was an issue and this is very alarming. Called GM, they stated they hadn't heard ANY complaints about the "steering" issues with this model. I told them its ALL over the Internet and why should I have to replace this power steering pump FOUR times?
Obviously there is something defective about this vehicle causing three power steering pumps to fail. Certainly, it can't be the five different mechanics and three different parts that are all defective!!!???!! I promised the GM representative that I would BLAST this all over the Internet so that people would call in and file FORMAL COMPLAINTS.
So if you are reading this, please note that GM is denying any responsibility and YOU NEED TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT for them to take this seriously. I have also filed a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Please file with both so that we can get A RECALL and get these DANGEROUS cars fixed for the sake of our families and others on the road. My power steering went out on the I-70 and thank goodness there wasn't an accident, but someone else's accident could turn fatal.
So PLEASE. If you are reading this, file a complaint here https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/ and contact GM to make a complaint at 1-866-636-2273 (Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST).
Next step will be a class action lawsuit. Please contact me if you would like to be involved.
I was driving thru a parking lot when there was a loud noise followed be unable to turn the steering wheel. Shut it off and turned it back on and havent had he problem again.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My steering went out in my 2012 Chevy Traverse last weekend. I was driving with my 4 Autistic children in the car and almost crashed. Needless to say my children were terrified as I fought with the wheel to turn and get the car safely off the road. It was so terrifying that my youngest has a meltdown anytime we have to get into a car. I took it into the shop closest to me and they diagnosed the issue.
Apparently, the power steering pump, power steering rack and pinion, power steering hose, and tie rod end needs to be replaced which will cost about $2000. Coincidently, GM knew that these very same issues were occurring in the older 2009-2011 models. They even issued a "Special Coverage Adjustment" for those models for 10 years or 150,000 miles for "Loss of Power Steering Assist." However, because my vehicle is a 2012, GM is not willing to cover the repairs.
So here I am, a single mother of 4 on a fixed income stuck with an unsafe vehicle to transport my children around in. GM wants me to take my car to a GM dealer so they can look at it, but refuses to even waive the diagnostic fee let alone pay for the tow. I have already paid one diagnostic fee, and how do they expect me to get it there? Certainly they wouldn't expect me to drive such an unsafe vehicle, or would they? Something needs to be done about this safety issue. Researching these problems with 2012 Traverse, I have seen many posts about the same exact issues.
What needs to happen before GM takes responsibility for these safety hazards with this particular model? Are they waiting for this steering issue to cause a fatal accident where someone dies before they are willing to take action on this issue? I am pleading for someone to please listen to us, Please hold this company accountable for their faulty equipment in these vehicles.
- Sabrina C., Chesapeake, VA, US