1997 BUICK CENTURY Complaints

COOLANT WAS REPLACED AT @ 115,000 MILES. COOLANT WAS IN GLOBES IN OVER FLOW TANK. APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES AFTER REPLACEMENT, COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON (FIRST TIME EVER SINCE I HAVE OWNED CAR). COOLANT WAS @ 1 GALLON LOW. COOLANT HAS ALSO BECOME GLOBBY AGAIN. TOOK INTO REPLACE WITH DIFFERENT COOLANT (NOT DEX-COOL). UPON INSPECTION GARAGE FOUND THE ENGINE GASKET HAS BEEN LEAKING COOLANT. THEY CLAIM IT WAS CAUSED BY THE DEX-COOL COOLANT, THEY DID NOT DO THE FLUSH BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO CHANCE MAKING THE LEAK WORSE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

A MIXTURE OF WATER AND ANTI FREEZE SEEPED INTO THE OIL. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE FLUIDS MIXED WITH THE OIL, AND WENT THROUGH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THIS KNOCKED THE CRANKSHAFT AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED 8 MONTHS LATER. *AK

POWER STEERING LOCKED UP WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER LOCKED, DID NOT GO INTO THE FULL TURNS OR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE RACK AND PINION AS DESCRIBED IN STEERING GEAR BEARINGS RECALL 03V527000. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD UNTIL THE RAIN STOPPED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. RECALL 99V348000 WAS ISSUED, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *AK *SC *JB

1997 BUICK CENTURY POWER STEERING STARTED TO LOCK UP WHEN STEERING TO THE LEFT. *MR VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND A NEW RACK AND PINION WAS INSTALLED. CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL. *LA

SAFETY CONCERN RELATIVE TO HEAD LIGHT LENS FOGGING FROM THE SUN. (NAR) *PH DEALER NOTIFIED. *CB

WHEN TURNING CORNERS STEERING WHEEL STICKS. CONSUMER HAS TO PULL HARD TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL UP. *AK REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ON STEERING INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF STEERING RACK. *LA

THE ELECTRONIC DISPLAY MODULE SECOND TIME AFTER REPLACING IN MY 1997 BUICK CENTURY DOES NOT DISPLAY AND THE PART COST $300-500 AND ITS NOT SOMETHING LIKE A BULB AND NOBODY WANT S TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE . *AK

1997 BUICK CENTURY, WHILE DRIVING TO A SOCCER GAME I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. AFTER THE GAME I TURNED LEFT TO EXIT MY PARKING SPOT AND WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEED I HEARD A CLICKING NOISE AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOCKED. IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO TURN THE WHEEL STRAIGHT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY FRIEND WHOM IS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC (BUT NO LONGER WORKS FOR GM) AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THE LOWER PINION WAS DESTROYED WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENTIRE GEAR ASSEMBLE AND POWER STEERING PUMP. I HAD HIM REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AT A COST OF $800 PLUS DOLLARS. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS TIME I AM NOW AGAIN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT LOSS OF STEERING. MY MECHANIC ADVISED ITS POSSIBLE THAT THE REBUILT STEERING GEAR PLACED IN MY REPAIR CONTAINS THE SAME DEFECTIVE PINION BEARING BECAUSE GM MAY NOT HAVE COMMUNICATED THE FAULTY PROBLEM TO THE PART SUPPLIERS WHOM REBUILD THE GEAR ASSEMBLIES. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT NEWS ABOUT GM STEERING GEAR PROBLEMS AND PENDING RECALLS FOR CAR MODELS OTHER THAT THE BUICK CENTURY I WISH TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH GM TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE INITIAL REPAIR AND THE SUBSEQUENT FOLLOW-UP REPAIRS THAT I WILL NEED.*AK