CarComplaints.com Notes: There are a fair-number of power steering related complaints which is a continuation of problems from the previous model year. Considering the problem tends to happen beyond the standard warranty (73k+) it's best to avoid this vehicle or at least be prepared for the $1,300+ repair.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
61,413 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn while driving various speeds. The dealer stated that the steering wheel system needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 63,700.
On Friday, July 25, 2014, my 2011 Chevy Traverse stalled/shutdown while driving. I pulled out of a local gas station and immediately noticed that there was a noise coming from the engine. Almost simultaneously the car began to stall/shutdown. I pulled over to the shoulder (fortunately there was one). I turned the ac unit and radio off. I started the car without any noise. I drove approximately 1 mile, turned the ac back on and the car stalled/shutdown once again, this time as the car was going approximately 35 mph. To say the least, I was extremely distraught as the car lost power and steering. Fortunately, (for my family and Chevy), there were no children in the car and there was no accident. The service manager told me that the problem was related to the ac unit and wants to charge me almost $2,000 to fix! the ac unit was "fixed" back in June 2013 while car was under warranty. It is no longer covered by warranty. My issue is that the car stalled/shut down. A car shutting down at any speed is a clear and present danger. Traveling at 35 mph creates an even more dangerous situation. If the ac unit can stall a vehicle then this has to be an inherent design/production issue. There is no acceptable way that an ac unit can fail and thus cause the vehicle to shut down putting people's lives in danger. Hopefully, my incident report will prevent any future problems like this from occurring, and most importantly, protect people's lives.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn and there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering column. An independent mechanic repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 121,000. Updated 09/15/14
When slowing down to make a stop, steering assist was lost. Assist returned after shutting off vehicle and restarting. The first day, it happened on two occasions but during subsequent days, frequency of loss of assist increased until it happens on nearly every stop. When this happens, steering effort increases making vehicle control difficult.
Car became very hard to steer, made a rubbing noise. We parked and looked under the chassis to see if we had snagged a branch or something. Since that incident it has happened several more times. I took it to a local repair garage and had them drive it around. Of course it didn't happen for them. I had the dealer check it out, they couldn't find the problem either. When this occurs I have to wrestle with the steering. It has happened while I try to park or turn a corner, I don't have to be going very fast. I mad a left turn one day and couldn't make the corner. Had there been cars parked along the street I would have had a real problem. As it was I parked and we took it in. It's very frustrating when professionals can't pinpoint the problem.
- Woodland, WA, USA
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The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while turning at low speeds, the power steering failed and the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the steering wheel. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 121,000.
Vehicle intermittently loses power steering. So far this only has occurred at low speed. I have had it to the dealer 4 times and am going again this week. They have replaced ps pump and rack and belts. Problem still persists.
The power steering in my 2011 Chevy Traverse fails frequently when turning into streets, parking lots or driveways. The steering locks up and is hard to navigate turns almost causing accidents. I have safety concerns which puts my entire family at risk. I took vehicle to dealership and they claimed that it was the rack and pinion that was worn per the repair order which I paid $1600 to fix. Once I took the vehicle home, the same problem was still occurring. Very frustrated that the repair did not correct the problem. I returned the vehicle to the dealership where now they told me that the vehicle needed a new power steering pump. It was replaced and billed to GM as a "goodwill" repair order of $700. There is clearly a defect in the steering and hope that GM extends and issues a recall for the 2011 Traverse before a serious accident occurs. I do not feel safe in this vehicle even after the repair.
Letter from congressman ribble on behalf of constituent re 2011 Chevrolet Traverse ( attn: Kerry niemcek). The consumer stated the power steering pump and rack and pinion malfunctioned during operation.
Stopped at a sharp carve had to manually turn the wheel. Done this 3 times before I made it home. Does not have a problem in average curves just when making a sharp turn. Parking was a major issue.
2011 Chevrolet Traverse. Consumer writes in regards to power steering issues. The dealer informed the consumer, the fluid was low, because the steering gear was leaking.
I purchased my 2011 Chevrolet Traverse AWD in April 2014 and within the first week I noticed a slight shuddering in my steering as I would make a turn to either my right or left. It feels like when you have a warped rotor except that when this shuddering occurs I am not applying the brakes. Also, I have been noticing a whining noise as I am making turns in either direction. This is definitely coming from the power steering pump. I checked and added steering fluid and the next day this still continued. Vehicle is just out of warranty for the in-service date but not for the 30,000 mile bumper. I have a friend who also is experiencing the same issue with his Chevrolet Traverse and wish that GM would do a recall on this vehicle system before an accident occurs. From what I have read, there has been far too many complaints from other consumers concerning this same power steering issue.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph in reverse, the power steering assist malfunctioned and caused the steering wheel to become difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where repairs were made that were unknown to the contact. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The failure mileage was 75,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 48,000. The VIN was unavailable.
My wife bought a new 2011 Chevy Traverse which now has 78,572 miles on it. The power sterling just failed on it yesterday. I checked the fluid level and it was ok. The pump growls when turning and it is almost impossible to turn when the car is idling. I drove it to church this morning and almost hit a parked vehicle while trying to turn into a parking spot. My wife would not be able to turn the vehicle if she were driving. This is a real safety issue since the pump fails with no warning. I know this won't be covered under warranty, but is there a recall for this problem yet?
My vehicle has had a whining noise when steering. It also feels "loose" as if I'm not in complete control of the steering. I took the vehicle to the dealership and the service advisor stated that this is a very common problem and the steering could likely get worse if not serviced. He also stated that this is not an isolated incident and is very common. I have heard reports of owners of the same vehicles having lost control of steering. I have a three year old daughter and safety was a major factor in purchasing this vehicle. I do not feel safe knowing that this problem exists. I had the vehicle repaired at my own expense. General Motors does have a bulletin on this problem so they are aware of the issue. However, I believe that the government should investigate as their might be consumers out there that are not aware of this safety issue. They may think that it is just a simple squeak and not as severe as I was made aware. Thank you
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving 5 mph, she turned the steering wheel to the right and heard a whining noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000. Updated 09/16/14
Exiting the highway onto the off ramp of a rest area, the car had complete loss of power steering as I decelerated. It felt like the car powered off, but I realized it was still running once I brought the car to a stop. Had to turn off car and re-start to regain power steering.
On March 8, 2014, (2011 Chevy Traverse) I was turning right into a restaurant when my power steering went out. It took all of my strength and my 20 yr old son (passenger) to turn the wheel to get off the road. We almost went into the guardrail and could have very well been plowed into from the car behind us. In parking lot we checked steering fluid & added some. On way to our house about 2 hours later it happened again when I made a left turn. This time I went off the road a bit, inches away from hedges & someone's lawn. Very dangerous. Took it to Chevy dealership who wanted over $1,800 to fix the power steering pump and rack & pinion. Of course it was not under warranty!!! I ended up taking it to a private shop and paid $1,470. I agree that there should be a recall and we should get our money back. If you research this like I have done...there are a lot of people out there with the same problem. Hope all of you file a compliant to force a recall !!!!
Heard a noise in November 2013 but just once and didn't hear it again till January 2014 only when turning wheel. I thought I was imagining it cause nobody else noticed it when I was trying to have it checked. Fluids where fine, no warning indicators. Finally in March 2014 heard it again and starting researching what it could be. Found a technical service bulletin about the steering problem. I contacted Chevrolet about this since my car was out of warranty and they said it had to be diagnosed by a Chevy dealership, so I scheduled to have it diagnosed. Dealership said it is the power steering and that it has to be replaced. I asked what caused it and they said it is a design flaw and that they have seen it in the acadia, terrain and Traverse vehicles. I called Chevrolet back and reported the dealership findings and they are supposed to contact me with a solution on how they can help me with the repair since this is a design flaw and not something I caused.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Greenland , NH, USA