Q: Bad steering system in my car, didn’t pass inspection

There is nothing that an owner of a 2009 Chevy Traverse, or most GM vehicles from 2007 thru 2011 that are equipped with this design power steering pumps/Rack and Pinions, can do to prevent these failures. Chevrolet has known about the whining, moaning, clunking, binding, and leaks from the steering systems of these car for a long time, but did not take responsibility until years of complaints and safety concerns. They did finally provide a partial warranty extension on the power steering pump wear on cases where intermittent drops of hydraulic pressure led to reduced or no steering assistance. This is a special coverage (10 years or 150,000 miles from the original date in service, whichever comes first, regardless of ownership), so you would need to contact a Chevrolet dealer with your vin# to confirm that your vehicle is covered. Chevrolet will not cover any rack and pinion repairs, so it is recommended that you have YourMechanic come to you to diagnose your vehicle’s steering system to determine the exact cause of the problem before going to the dealer.