NHTSA complaint: 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE — TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
SNOWY CONDITIONS - ABOUT 2 INCHES ON THE GROUND; AS I BEGAN TO DESCEND THE HILL NEAR MY HOME I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO KEEP A SLOW PACE DOWN THE HILL. BRAKES FAILED AND I BEGAN TO SLIDE DOWN THE HILL. STEERING WAS UNRESPONSIVE; MESSAGES INTERCHANGEABLY FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD - 'SERVICE STABILITRAK' AND 'SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL'. I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE, AND HALFWAY DOWN THE HILL JUMPED AN 8" CURB. FORTUNATE THAT THE VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE THERE WERE PARKED CARS TO THE LEFT. ALSO, FORTUNATE THERE WERE NO PEOPLE/CHILDREN AROUND, WHO COULD HAVE BEEN HIT. $3000 DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. VERY FRIGHTENING TO LOSE COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE CAR - I THOUGHT AWD, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL AND STABILITRAK ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP THE DRIVER MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS. EVERYTHING FAILED AT ONCE. GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST GM DEALERSHIP; THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND SURPRISE, EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT. THEY HAVE NO INDICATION ANYTHING FAILED, SO NOTHING FURTHER THEY CAN DO EXCEPT REPAIR THE PHYSICAL DAMAGE. I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF BRAKES, STEERING, TRACTION, AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME I DID NOT - THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE SLICK AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. ISN'T THAT WHEN ALL OF THOSE SAFETY FEATURES ARE SUPPOSED TO ENGAGE? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED A MALFUNCTION LIKE THIS IN THIS VEHICLE. NOW I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, ONCE IT'S FIXED, ESP.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation