2002 Buick Regal Steering Problems

2002 BUICK REGAL - PURCHASED NEW 11/02. POWER STEERING GEAR RACK ASSEMBLY FAILED 1/27/04 (19,030 MILES) - GM REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. 3/10/04 (19,943 MILES). NEW PART FAILED - GM REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. 1/6/05 (34,388 MILES)REPORTED SAME "SYMPTOMS" TO GM DEALER - GM RESEALED POWER STEERING PUMP UNDER WARRANTY. 10/30/06 (57,650 MILES) REPORTED SAME "SYMPTOMS" - POWER STEERING PUMP SEAL REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. 12/16/06 (58,892 MILES) REPORTED SAME "SYMPTOMS" - GM SAYS NEW STEERING RACK AGAIN NEEDED - THIS IS FOURTH RACK FOR THIS SAME CAR, INCLUDING ORIGINAL ONE!!!!! I ALSO THINK THE WORK 1/6/05 AND 10/30/06 REGARDING POWER STEERING PUMP MAY HAVE JUST MASKED THE UNDERLYING RACK PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY, GM HAS A PART FAILURE ON THIS POWER STEERING RACK. THIS CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT GM DOES NOT CARE. I WAS REFERRED TO GM/BUICK ASSISTANCE 12/13/06. ASSISTANCE REFUSES TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT. THEY HAVE OFFERED ME A $200 "MAINTENANCE LETTER", BUT AS OF MY CONVERSATION WITH ASSISTANCE TODAY, THIS LETTER IS AT LEAST 4-6 WEEKS AWAY FROM BEING RECEIVED BY ME. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING SLUGGISH. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP , WHO DETERMINED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CLOGGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PREVIOUSLY, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED RIGHT FRONT TIE ROD END ON 08/03/2004 AT 61304 MILES. *AK UPDATE 5/30/2006 - *NM

RATTLE TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE STEERING COLUMN AT 22,000 MILES. DEALER REPLACED LOWER STEERING SHAFT UNDER WARRANTY. RATTLE CAME BACK AT 57,000 MILES AND I NEEDED THE SAME PART REPLACED AGAIN PLUS I NEEDED A NEW RACK. CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND I FELT THESE PARTS SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 57,000 MILES, ESPECIALLY ONE OF THE PARTS FOR A SECOND TIME. COST TO FIX WAS $1400 OF WHICH GM PICKED UP 40%. *NM

36,200 MILES STEERING NOISE. BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH A REAR PUMP THAT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. 36,400 MILES A/C QUIT AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY PURCHASED THROUGH OUTSIDE COMPANY. ALSO FOUND BOTH CV BOOTS LEAKING WHICH AREN'T COVERED.

RE2002 REGAL [XXX] I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW FROM KEN NELSON BUICK DEALER SHIP IN DIXON, IL. I HAVE BEEN A BUICK CAR ENTHUSIAST FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, BUT I FIND THIS DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE NOT TO BE UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH WHAT THE LOU BACHRODT DEALERSHIP CLAIMS IS FEDERALLY MANDATED RESTRICTIONS ON PARTS MANUFACTURE, WHICH ARE NOT AS DURABLE AS ON MY PREVIOUS 1994 REGAL, WHICH I HAD FOR EIGHT YEARS, WITH NONE OF THESE PROBLEMS. THE BRAKES ARE NOT ASBESTOS ANYMORE AND ARE PRONE TO RUSTING OUT, AND NEED TO BE REPLACED ALL TOO EARLY. THE PLASTIC MATERIALS OF THE OTHER PARTS IS NOT MADE FOR RELIABILITY NOR DURABILITY. IN SEPTEMBER 2003 THERE WAS A RECALL #030334 FOR INSTALLING NEW NUTS AND TABLETS . I HAVE THE PART NUMBERS. MILEAGE 19135. SEPTEMBER 2004 THERE WAS NOISE FROM REAR BRAKES, AND FOR WHICH THE ROTORS HAD RUSTED AND HAD TO BE REFACED; MILEAGE 29489. THIS SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY ON A NEW CAR WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE. JUNE 2005 THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH STEERING. IT SEEMED AS THO THERE WERE LOOSE BOLTS IN THE FRONT WHEELS. THE DEALER LOU BACHRODT (THEY HAVE DONE ALL THESE REPAIRS) SAID THE SHAFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DISINTEGRATING AND HAD NO GREASE. MILEAGE 37631. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT, TO THE TUNE OF $789.79. THIS AMOUNT INCLUDES FUEL INJECTOR SYSTEM CLEANING; TRANSMISSION FLUSH SERVICE AND TUNE UP AND REPLACEMENT OF THE PLENUM GASKET WHICH THEY STATED WAS LEAKING. LOU BACHRODT SERVICE MANAGER STATES THEY HAVE NOT YET HAD A RECALL FOR THIS STEERING COLUMN SHAFT PROBLEM, BUT I BELIEVE I COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR AND CAUSED A VERY BAD ACCIDENT TO OTHERS, AS WELL AS MYSELF FROM THIS BAD NEW DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)