Problems with 2011 Chevrolet Traverse STEERING

After noticing a grinding noise when turning at low speed, chevrolet dealership states the power steering is leaking fluid internally and could result in loss of steering while driving. repair estimate is $1,700.00, not covered by warranty due to mileage. while reviewing complaints related to chevrolet traverse steering it is apparent that this is a very common problem. if you check "carcomplaints.com" under 2011 chevrolet traverse steering problems you will see that the majority of complaints are the same as ours. given that loss of steering while driving is obviously a safety concern, coupled with the volume of complaints regarding this issue, i was hoping nhtsa could look into it (if they weren't already). several of the complaints i read were regarding vehicles with under 40,000 miles. it seems this may well be a defective or poorly designed steering system.

Power steering whine diagnosed today with whine present while turning or accelerating after a turn. they are saying we need a new steering gear (rack) and that will only set me back $1700. it is a safety issue as the power steering can go out at any point. i have only had this car less than 2 years and there have been so many things needing attention. there is a whine with the a/c when one of the bolsters<?> are to shut for a change in temp.

About 2yrs after purchase, steering rack and power steering pump had to be replaced, which was done prior to warranty expiration. now at this time dec. 2015 with 68,906 mi on the od, i am experiencing the same problem again. difficult to steer and turn the steering wheel, clunking sensation/feel in the steering wheel, and a pump whine sound. hard to turn wheel from a starting point or stop. when accelerating steering wheels is easier to turn. when driving down the road, the steering is loose. there was no precipitating factors to the start of this problem yesterday, i first noticed the problem after attempting a left turn at a ss on my way home. i could hardly make the left turn, then i started to hear the whine noise. fluids are all good in the power steering pump. how in the world can this be again? there must be an internal flaw. to have this occur twice not once on a vehicle less than 5 years old with less than 70,000 miles on it is very troubling at best.

Timing belt issues and power steering pump leak and issues needing replaced.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet traverse. the contact stated that there was a progressing failure in which the power steering suddenly failed. the contact noticed an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel when turning it left or right. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for further inspection. the contact received a service campaign letter from the manufacturer for the power steering pump and notified the dealer. the dealer indicated that the failure may not be related to that campaign without diagnosing the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. the approximate failure mileage was 68,000. updated 05/18/16*lj consumer was informed that there was a leak in the power steering system that would require the entire power steering to be replaced. the dealership informed the consumer that the issue would only be covered if it was an issue with the power steering pump, but not the rest of the power steering system. power steering is fixed. updated 6/618*jb

December 2015 drove the 2011 traverse to the grocery store. after parking the cooling fan was on after engine turned off. very loud fan noise had me concerned. after driving home i notice no fan noise so i felt it was an isolated incident considering it is cool winter weather outside. next a.m. we went to church approx 7 mile trip and fan was running when we turned off car again and saw puff of steam or smoke coming out from front of hood. reasoned it was morning fog? or evaporating water! on the way to do errands 2 days later engine was running about 260* on gauge on dash. fan came on when i parked and ran very loudly. i went straight to dealership which is across the street and met chevy service rep. he said it was just the car reacting to run the defrost mode on the ac system and sent me on my way. before i reached our home the temp gauge was at 260* or higher because it was on the highest point on gauge. returned the next day to dealership as car had now overheated again, no fan coming on at all, and service writer said turn it off before it does damage. wow! left car and was called the next a.m, with diagnosis as bad water pump covered by recall. work was done and then i was informed the rack amd pinion assembly was leaking and needs to be replaced and the engine mount is broken. i am sure the leak on the rack and pinion is due to overheating and extra pressure on the gaskets. no leaks ever noticed before this visit during multipoint inspection performed by dealer on 9/10/15. area of fluid is fresh on rack area. estimate at $1745.00. i'm sure this recall will be happening soon. i just received the november 2015 recall on faulty throttle position sensor repair. i can only hope the recall for the steering system leak and failures will come soon. . fyi we have owned 30 chevrolet cars and we have never had anything like this happen or the amount of recalls occur

Steering goes out when slowing down to turn , chev.dealer charged 1400.00 to repair steering system , stating a pion gear and boots was worn and leaking , 105,000 miles , replaced pump as well as gear and new boots , see there is a problem with this make and model , need this issue addressed before someone is killed , came very close to a wreck myself , while turning off a busy highway ,consumers being charged to fix faulty gm products , not fair

Complete loss of power steering at low rpms.

My car is overheating, have already changed the thermostat and flushed the radiator, the car still getting overheated

Took vehicle in for oil change at harold chevrolet dealer in angola, indiana in july 2015. was told that the "power steering box" was leaking and given a price quote of over $1800 for parts and labor to fix. was also told that multiple owners are having this issue but gm is doing nothing. took it to local shop who replaced rack and pinions, plus alignment costing $1025. during research online, hundreds of 2009-2011 traverse owners are having this issue. as of november 15, 2015 it became hard to turn wheel randomly at low speeds unless applying acceleration. appears it may be the pump that they issued a "concern" for. i feel the whole power steering system needs replaced, at gm's expense. this is a serious safety hazard for myself, family, and other people on the road. a vehicle only 4-6years old should not be having these issues-- it is obviously faulty parts and/or production.

Whining noise. rack and pinion assembly leak causing steering issues. dealer replaced but stated not under recall although issue is occurring with this type gm vehicle. i now see that there is a class action lawsuit filed in california about this safety issue. cost $1,500 to repair.

My wife was driving her car to work and slowed down with the flow of traffic to about 15 miles per hour and the power steering lost power and she almost crashed into another car. this is about the 5th time this has happened to her in traffic but is the first time she was almost in a wreck. this is dangerous and unsafe. this vehicle shoul be recalled as i have seen several complaints on this car with power steering issues since we purchased it.

The vehicle has been experiencing steering issues for a couple years - loud mechanical noises and popping. i have topped of steering fluid reservoir several times and that quieted the noise, but there was no evidence of a leak on my garage floor until october 2015 (after service explained below). the popping became a nuisance again and i took into the local chevrolet dealer to inspect. they found several issues in the front end that need replaced: rack and pinion (leaking), power steering pump, end links, bushings, transmission mount, struts (leaking). steering component failure is a possibility in these issues and can cause loss of power steering in the vehicle. loss of power steering would likely end up in an accident due to inability to turn vehicle as intended. gm should issue a special coverage for rack and pinion replacement and strut leaks as these are very well know safety/design flaws. gm has already issued special coverage for the power steering pump.

A weird noise started to happen when i turned and progressed to a constant whining noise that worsens while turning. we were told that it is a leak in the steering rack and would be an $1800 repair. *js

The is a rubbing/groaning sound when turning at slow speeds. i was advised by the dealership it is the steering gearbox needs to be replaced for over $1400. i found multiple service bulletins that refer to the power steering system. this should be considered for recall. tsb: pi-0029b, pi-0029b, sbc-14329, sb-13-02-32-001, sb-10-02-32-002a

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet traverse. the contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was merged to the side of the road where the contact diagnosed and replaced the steering pump. three months later, the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the failure and stated that the vehicle was in a recall for the power steering. the power steering was replaced. the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was 50,000.

The car just completely stopped. no warning no lights no oil light no service engine. just quit going down the road at 60mph with my children in the car. now i am being told it is the motor. i have serviced the car i should have and treated it very well. there is not one reason a 2011 should just quit. i also had a issues with traction control in the dead of winter the car would flash traction control off engine will lose speed service stablitrack and the car would drop from 65mph right to 25mph in 5 seconds flat which was extremely dangerous any time of year not just winter. get those 2011 chevrolet traverses off the road.

There seems to be a widespread issue with the steering rack with the chevrolet traverse. the 2 years that i am aware of are the 2010 and 2011 traverse. chevy dealers are charging over $1000 to repair but was concerned that there should be an investigation into a potential recall situation.

Having routine maintenance done at dealer. upon investigation, i was informed the steering gear box was damp but no signs of a leak. at 39391 miles seems that part(s) are defective. seems to me that such an important part of the steering system should be able to last well above 40000 miles.

I was making a right turn into a parking deck when the power steering went out. i stopped, and tried to turn the steering wheel to the left. this way was hard to turn also. the power steering resumed there after, however, hard steering occurred again several times when i slowed to make right turns.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet traverse. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer because of a grinding noise emerging from the engine every time a turn was made. the technician diagnosed that the power steering unit was faulty and needed replacement. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 36,300. updated 09/18/15*lj

I just recently purchased this 2011 chevy traverse last night from the dealer. my first time buying a used vehicle. within 3 months, my heat stopped working in my vehicle. i purchased the vehicle at 40,000 miles. brought it to the dealer, and asked if there was anything they can do as i just purchased this vehicle not too long ago, and they stated there wasnt any recall. i would have to pay out of pocket to have this fixed. just recently this month i have been having an issue with a whining noise when i am driving, and when i am turning the wheel. i took my vehicle to a mechanic and they filed all of my fluids, including power steering which was low. found out that i have a leak. i started doing some research on this, and found out that all of the 2011 chevy traverse vehicles had this same issue. i am going to contact the dealer today to see what they can do, as i didnt purchase an extended warranty with this vehicle. should this not be something that is covered under chevrolet if the majority of these vehicles are having this same issue?

Complete failure of the power steering system in my 2011 traverse due to a leak. problem is definitely a safety issue and should be addressed by gm. they have addressed a problem with the pump but when other parts in the system fail due to leakage, i think that consumers have a right to be concerned. based on the high level of complaints waged by owners, the problems with power steering systems in gm's traverse, acadia, enclave and outlook family seems to be wide-spread. gm should hold itself accountable for the inherent defects and, if not, perhaps the nhtsa can make some headway. *tr

i purchased a new chevy traverse that now has 55,000 miles. during today's service appointment the dealership informed me that the power steering fluid was leaking from the steering gear. the repair was estimated at $1,600 usd. the repair is necessary to maintain the vehicle in a safe working order but i?m disappointed that i?m having to pay for a very expensive repair on a relatively new vehicle. numerous consumers are experiencing the same issue, i would hope that chevy would investigate the situation in more detail and offer to cover the cost of the repairs. i did notice a technical service bulletin on the issue (service bulletin 361329, action number: 10052379), but the existence of the service bulletin still resulted in me having to pay the full cost of the repair at the dealership. i believe that there is a problem that chevy needs to take ownership for the situation. *tr

Took car for emissions test and found that my rack and pinion was leaking. service guy said i could lose control on the road. this is a huge hazard not only to myself and children but other people. there are thousands of complaints against gm and this faulty part! issue a recall immediately! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet traverse. the contact stated that the steering rack system was defective. while driving approximately 60-65 mph, the vehicle veered to the left and right lanes. the contact stated that the vehicle was classified under a special warranty for a steering pump; however, the faulty steering pump caused the rack system to fail. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Steering became difficult when driving. my 2011 chevy traverse was brought to dealer, diagnosed failure of power steering pump and rack and pinion. was informed that chevy would only cover power steering pump under separate extended warranty issued by gm and that rack and pinion is not covered and i would need to pay full cost of replacement. steering issues appear to be an issue with the vehicle, this is a major safety concern that needs to be addressed. gm should be required to extend warranty for entire steering system. *tr

My vehicle started making a whiring sound while i was sitting still at a red light or stop sign. when i turned the steering wheel, the noise got louder, but it did not get tighter. i took it to the dealer and was told that my rack and pinion steering was bad and had to be replaced. apparently the vehicle was leaking fluid which was causing the noise. i was told that it would cause me $1100 - $1200 to be repaired because it is not covered under my powertrain warranty. the steering pump is covered under a special warranty and can be repaired without any cost. my car is only 4 years old, i brought it brand new and have taken great car of it. i should not be having these types of problems so soon. i bought this vehicle because i thought it was a dependable car, but apparently i was wrong. this is a safety issue and can cause serious injury in the future. i am not happy with this problem and gm should be ashamed for selling vehicles that are not safe. *tr

My vehicle's power steering failed, gm has a recall notice about the steering pump leaking but they would not replace as per the recall. they said my rack and pinion steer has also is leaking. i feel this is a way to get you to spend more on repairs. when this happened the vehicle was on a state road and i almost lost control because the ps assist failed.

I began experiencing a whirring noise when i would steer my car. then one day last week as i was driving the steering became difficult and it felt like something happened with the power steering. i took my vehicle in to the dealer for service to find that there was a special warranty on the power steering pump and that it would be replaced under that warranty at no charge but due to the steering pump failing the steering gear went out and had to be replaced which was not covered under the "special" warranty and i would have to cover the cost of this myself to the tune of $1157.62. the issue i have is that although i can afford to fix my vehicle, which i did pay to fix, i find that this is a recurring issue amoungst many consumers who own any of the vehicles on the lambda line which inlcudes gmc acadia, chevy traverse, buick enclave and saturn outlook. this is not issue of cost to repair, this is an issue of safety that the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge and will not fix under recall. i am happy i found my problem before i was traveling at a high rate of speed and no one was injured. *tr

I was driving around 55mph when i noticed my steering becoming very tight so i pulled off the road. when i pulled off the road and tried to turn into a parking place, my steering was very tight and i had a hard time turning. i was worried that there was a leak with my power steering fluid so i had my local garage check it, the power steering fluid was full. when i started to research the problem, i am finding that this is a very common problem with this year/make/model and wonder why there has not been a recall issued? my next step is to contact my local dealership, i have seen some quote the repair expense up into the thousands.. *tr

Noticed leak on garage floor. determined power steering rack was leaking. brought to dealer. they confirmed steering rack was defective, but not covered under warranty. could have caused loss of steering. rack should not have failed so soon. chevy should reimburse customers at least for cost of part and issue service bulletin. should not have to wait for fatality or crash before action is taken.

I noticed that there was a low growling noise that seemed to be coming from the steering wheel as i turned corners. in april 2015, i was having the dealership perform the 30,000 mile maintenance and asked them to check to see what was causing the noise. the service department told me that it was the steering gear which needed to be replaced. they said that it could cause the power steering to fail to work in which case i wouldn't be able to steer and it was an expensive repair--about $850 for labor and $700 for the part and they did have the part in stock. the traverse had 31,110 miles on it. but, was out of warranty because i had bought it in sept. 2010. i decided to have it fixed. this shouldn't happen at 31,000 miles. it could have been a dangerous situation if i didn't have it repaired. i called the gm customer service number in the owners' manual and a case was filed with them. a senior advisor told me that she would contact the dealership about it. but, that the warranty time had passed and the power train warranty didn't cover it. the dealership had the part in stock implies they see these failures often. the labor was 8.6 hours implies a poor design. she said the dealership would call me. they did finally call to reiterate that it wasn't under warranty and there was nothing they could do. the senior advisor i spoke with at gm said she wished i had called her before i had the repair made. i don't know what that meant. did she mean they would have covered part of the cost? did she mean that i should wait until i couldn't turn the steering wheel and had or caused an accident? i don't know. my husband and i have purchased many gm vehicles since 1969 as she noted. as i reviewed the complaints about the 2011 chevrolet traverse, it seemed to me that about one-third of them were about steering gear failures. it's time gm does something about this. ...updated08/20/15 *bf updated 10/26/2017*cn

When driving my traverse at low speeds around 5 mph while trying to park, my steering gets very tight and it is extremely difficult to make the turn into a parking spot. in addition the vehicle is making a whining noise. we checked the power steering fluid and it is at the correct levels. i took it to my local repair man and they stated that the power steering pump was bad and needed to be replaced. i then contacted my local chevy dealership to see if this was covered under my manufactures warranty and he stated that it was no longer covered and the warranty ran out at 3 years or 36,000 miles which ever come first. to make matters worse, when i spoke with the dealership, i was never informed about the service bulletin released in december 2014. i was informed by the dealer that it would cost between $1000-$1500 to replace the power steering pump. my local repair man had quoted me around $750. therefore, i paid him to repair my vehicle because i didn't have that much money available for the dealer to do the repair and was very concerned with driving the vehicle under these conditions. when i returned to pick up my car i found out that the rack & pinion is leaking and will need to be replaced also! these issues seem to be an ongoing problem with this vehicle and i believe it poses a big issue especially if i am driving with my children in the car and my steering goes out. gmc needs to get on the ball and recall this before it kills someone!!! *tr

Have noticed steering being stiff a low speeds for about 2 weeks, and once had it go stiff while driving around 55 mph which was startling to say the least. this morning heard a whine coming from under the hood. took the vehicle in to the dealer who said that fluid had leaked out from the rack and caused the power assist pump to run dry and go bad. dealer says both the rack and the pump need to be replaced at a cost of $2,200, and said that the pump is not covered under gm's steering service bulletin 377272. gm has had plenty of complaints over these faulty parts and fluid, and must take responsibility for putting people's lives at risk with a defective product. *js

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet traverse. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel seized. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that a spark plug needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet traverse. the contact stated that after the vehicle was serviced, the steering wheel seized intermittently without warning. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that power steering pump and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Steering wheel jerked hard to the right at 60 mph nearly collided with a bridge in heavy oncoming traffic on two lane road. steering wheel jerked so hard it was all i could do to maintain directional control of my car. i am a large man and i estimate the pull on the steering wheel at approximately 30 pounds and it took both of my hands to correct the steering. event lasted less than one second, i did not notice any warning lights on the dash indicating the activation of stability control or traction control. after this event my wife told me that she had dropped off the right side of the road several times in the previous days and just thought she was not used to the way this new to us vehicle drove, we purchased this car on november 26, 2014. i have no doubt that a inexperienced would have had a serious if not fatal accident in this situation. road conditions: night, dry asphalt road surface. *tr

2011 chevy traverse 54000 miles- vehicle whining at low speeds, becoming difficult to turn and at times loss of power while driving. i received a letter from gm indicating a powersteering pump would be replaced on the vehicle only if i was experiencing problems, this was not a recall notification. i took the vehicle to the dealer to have the pump replaced. i was later contacted by the dealer to be informed that my power steering gear is leaking and i need a whole new powersteering rack at the cost of $1400. i have read several similar complaints, and if gm has identified a problem with the power steering pump, the entire power steering rack should be considered a recall. *tr

When in reverse the steering wheel became extremely tight. it was making a screeching noise as the wheel turned. it became difficult to reverse out of driveway. on another incident, i was reversing out of a parking space and experienced same problem. calling dealership tomorrow, scared to drive with my family. *tr

On august 6, 2014 we had our vehicle serviced by the dealer due to an airbag recall and at the time the vehicle had 38,000 miles. shortly there after we noticed a grinding noise when we made a right hand turn. at first it happened intermittently but eventually it became noticeable at low rates of speed (5 - 10 mph). today we took the vehicle to the dealership for the third recall this being the power steering pump. we were informed that this was covered by gm but we also had a leak in our rack and pinion and it would cost $1200 to repair. we intend to fight this since it appears it may be linked to the steering recall. we also have noticed that the driver side seat belt has cut a groove into the plastic seatbelt cover near the shoulder harness. we were told that this was not related to the earlier seat belt recall which had been serviced. this could effect the integrity of the seat belt system if the belt gets snagged by the plastic groove which has appeared. this should not happen with a car that is less than 3 years old. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet traverse. while driving various speeds, there was a loud abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel without warning. the noise grew louder and the speed increased. the contact stated that when it rained the traction control warning indicator illuminated continuously. the failures recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Power steering failure. *tr

Steering becomes extremely difficult at low speeds. dealership said it was the rack and pinion steering and it isn't covered under warranty. *tr

Was going on an exit ramp and power steering gave out causing vehicle extremely difficult to turn. car then cut off. all the complaints on line about this. . are you serious? i will never buy another chevy. extremely dangerous. vehicle is at the shop now. i no longer feel safe driving it even after repaired. *tr

Car was steering hard and leaking power steering fluid. replaced power steering pump at local dealership at my expensive. this should be a safety issue not mechanical failure due to poor maintainence by owner, which was not the case. lawyers or death before recalls. now airbag danger. have had three other recalls. *tr

While backing up at a very low speed the vehicle steering wheel locked up, i then realized the engine had shut off. i noted the key was still in the on position and the back up camera was still on. restarted vehicle and no further problems were noticed. when attempting to duplicate this issue the only time i could get the steering wheel to lock up was if the key was removed from the ignition. also back up camera would only stay on if the car was running and in reverse so it is unclear why the steering wheel locked up with the key in the on position. this could be a serious safety issue if it happened under different circumstances. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet traverse. the contact stated while driving approximately 20 mph, an abnormal sound emitted from the steering column and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and the power steering pump was replaced. the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and it was determined that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

Power steering failed. started with strong vibration in steering wheel a few hours before the failure. car was very difficult to control safely at any speed. dealer is looking at a significant leak in the steering fluid because it was below the minimum level. no visible evidence of a leak from where i park the car. *tr

On 9-11-14 the power steering went out while driving. took the vehicle to the dealership & i was told i needed a power steering solenoid. 10-23-14 power steering goes out again while driving so back to the dealership i go. this time i was told that gm has issued a bulletin on the problem and the power steering pump needed to be replaced. 11-10-14 power steering goes out again. go back to the dealership and was told that the ecbtm needed to be replaced and it was not part of the bulletin? my issue is that i do not feel gm went deep enough to fix the problem. i know 3 people in my area that have had the same problem. when your driving in heavy traffic and your have no power steering it creates a dangerous situation for the vehicle occupants and opposing drivers. you would think gm would step up and fix the problem the first time. i have spoken to chevrolet customer asst 2 times with zero response about fixing the problem. the last time being with tiffany. my case # is 71-151168370