1998 BUICK CENTURY Complaints

OIL IS LEAKING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE TOWARDS THE FIREWALL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER REPLACED THE LEAKING LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, AND RESEALED OIL PUMP WHICH HAS NOT REMEDIED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR IS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT INTO THE SELECTED GEAR. HAD ACCIDENT INVOLVING DUMP TRUCK BACKING INTO VEHICLE BECAUSE COULD NOT SHIFT QUICKLY ENOUGH TP AVOID COLLISION. AFTERWARDS, GEAR SHIF TFAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS. *AK

VEHICLE HAS ONGOING PROBLEM WITH STALLING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND PARTS REPLACED. HOWEVER, STALLING STILL OCCURS. DEALER INFORMED, PROBLEM CANNOT BE FOUND. *AK

VEHICLE HAS ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED/REPLACED SOME PARTS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. DEALER INFORMED, THEY CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHENEVER TRYING TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE PROBLEM. THE GAUGE INDICATES IT'S IN REVERSE WHEN ITS NOT. IT'S AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. BUICK REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH CONSUMER FOR THE FOLLOWING: THE CUSTOMER IS BEING TRADED FOR A 1999 BUICK. THE CUSTOMER IS PAYING 10 CENTS PER MILE AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STICKER PRICE. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER ARM BECOMES LOOSE AND EVENTUALLY BECOMES INOPERATIVE. DEALER HAS ADJUSTED THIS THREE TIME PREVIOUSLY ON WARRANTY. IN THE LATEST INCIDENT I WAS PASSING AN 18 WHEELER DURING A DRIVING RAINSTORM AT NIGHT WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER SUDDENLY LOCKED UP AND STOPPED WORKING. I AM LUCKY TO STILL BE ALIVE. HAD I HAD AN ACCIDENT AND BEEN KILLED NO ONE WOULD HAVE KNOWN OR SUSPECTED THE CAUSE. ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER BECAME ENMESHED WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER AND BOTH WIPERS SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING. HAD THIS HAPPENED AND BOTH WIPERS QUIT IN THIS LATEST INCIDENT I VERY LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THIS HAPPENED IN A 1998 BUICK CENTURY, BUT ANY GM CAR WITH A SIMILAR WIPER DESIGN COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. ANY TIME A WIPER ARM IS REMOVED FOR ANY REASON, CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT IT IS PROPERLY TIGHTENED OR IT WILL BEGIN TO SLIP AND EVENTUALLY CAUSE THIS SAME POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEM. GM NEEDS TO ISSUE TORQUE SPECS FOR WIPER ARMS.

I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 15 MPH DOWN DRIVEWAY AT WORK-CAR OVERSTEERED CRASHING INTO SIDE OF BUILDING-IMPACT SO INTENSE MY HEAD HIT REARVIEW MIRROR, BREAKING IT AND WINDSHIELD. ENTIRE UNDERSIDE OF CAR (FRAME, TIE ROD, SUSPENSION,ETC.) IS DAMAGED. NATIONWIDE INS. INVESTIGATOR PROVIDED ME WITH A COPY OF GM MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ISSUED 11/17/97 REGARDING POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK FROM MAGNASTEER ACUTATOR PIGTAIL AREA FOR 1998 W,C,G &H BODY VEHICLES. THE LEAK ORIGINATES FROM THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE MAGNA STEER ACTUATOR, CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERSTEER. THE CORRECTION SUGGESTED IS TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR AND FOLLOW UP WITH VME PRODUCT REPORT. MY CAR HAS BEEN AT COOK BUICK EVERY 3000 TO 3500 MILES FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, INCLUDING FLUID LEVEL CHECKS, AND THIS WAS NEVER CAUGHT. ACCORDING TO THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR, MY CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS. HAD I BEEN GOING ANY FASTER WHEN THIS HAPPENED, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TO TELL YOU THIS! I COMPLAINED TO BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE - REFERENCE NO. 980168019 AND I GOT NOWHERE. THEY SAY THE LEAK IN THE RACK & PINION STEERING GEAR WAS CAUSED BY THE ACCIDENT! MY INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR HAS PICTURES THAT PROVE OTHERWISE.

FRONT SEATBELT IS TOO TIGHT. SHE STATED TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SEATBELT CUTS OFF HER CIRCULATION WHEN SHE DRIVES HER CAR . ALSO THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT SHE CAN GET A CLOTHES PIN TO ATTACH TO THE SEATBELT TO STOP THE SEATBELT FROM BEING TOO TIGHT. SEATBELT REPLACED, BUT REPLACEMENT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK *ML

THE WINDSHIELD ANGLE AND DESIGN RESULTS IN VISION BEING OBSCURED DUE TO REFLECTION.

WHILE ON AN INCLINE POSITION AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN AND BRAKES APPLIED, WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL BACK, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *AK