Automatic Transmission Torque Converter problems of the 2005 Buick Lacrosse

2005 Buick Lacrosse was bought used with slightly over 44,000 miles back in may of 2008 and was taken to the dealership for acceleration and transmission shifting issues several times since purchase. Car would not accelerate, losing power while going up hills, bogging down while slightly accelerating to pass, and the transmission would shimmy between 1st and 2nd gears, and clunk when coming to a stop. Naturally, the dealership played the guessing game replacing the catalytic converter, the torque converter and sensor, and even re-programmed the computer, and could no longer duplicate any problems once they had run out of their options two months ago the car developed a clicking noise while turning the steering wheel either direction, the dealer was able to determine within an hour that it was the intermediate steering shaft and proposed lubrication to resolve the issue for a cost of over $300. Sounds like they were already aware of this popular issue.