The steering wheel makes a humming noise at low speed or stops. I bought the vehicle brand new in 2011. The noise started in about three years and I did not realized it is a big issue. The noise was getting worse and annoying. I reported to the dealer in 2016 because I had concerns of safety due to the noise also leaking being reported near steering. Dealer said that it was not under warranty. The quote to repair was about $3500.

I checked internet about this issue. It seems many Enclaves have this problem. GM should make this a recall due to its safety concern and quality issue.

We purchased the vehicle from a GM dealer in Calgary, Alberta Canada in late April 2016. As the vehicle is a 2011, factory warranty had expired, but the purchase deal included 90 days of extended warranty. A few days after driving the vehicle, we began to notice a twisting/grinding/squeaking sound coming from the steering column while maneuvering into a parking spot or when leaving our driveway. We didn't notice any sound while at cruising speed. We also noticed a 'thumping' sound when turning the steering wheel fully to the right and reaching the stop position.

On June 3rd, we learned from our dealer that the steering gear needed replacing, plus some fluid seals were leaking necessitating repair. The procedure apparently takes about 12 hours to complete and has been scheduled for next Tuesday. The only cost to us will be the $100 deductible on the extended warranty.

Update from Jun 4, 2016: I'll update further once the work is completed.

My wife drives a 2011 Buick Enclave, mostly just 20 miles a day round-trip to work. We bought it used in 2013 and have had several recalls on it so far, but none for steering issues. In February 2015, I drove the car on vacation and noticed a howling noise when turning the steering wheel, plus the steering felt sluggish. I asked my wife when this started happening and she said it had been doing it for a while.

After doing some research, I have discovered that there are plenty of other people reporting steering issues with their Enclaves. During this research, I have read that this issue is costing people as much as $2500 to repair. I have been putting off taking it in for service because I just spent $1200 for new tires for the Enclave and don't have the money for a big repair bill at this time.

With so many issues and recalls on the Buick Enclaves, I would think GM would realize the issues with this vehicle and offer to help owners with this repair. I drive a 2005 Honda Pilot with over 180,000 miles on it and it still runs great. While my wife loves her Enclave, I'm concerned about the cost of owning this vehicle long term. Maybe we should have bought another Honda Pilot?