1998 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT OIL PAN GASKET AND FRONT BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING,IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ON A RECALL AND THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED WATER WITHOUT UNKNOWINGLY AND WOULD BLOW OUT AND INGEST ALL OF THE WATER FROM THE RADIATOR AND ALSO THE OVERFLOW INTO THE MOTOR. *SC

ON JANUARY 2004 AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $1, 1000, FIVE MONTHS LATER, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL #04V090000 WHICH STATED THAT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3800 V6 (L36) ENGINES AND CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, THE REGULATORS HAVE A MUCH HIGHER THAN USUAL RATE OF FUEL LEAKS. A LEAK CAN ALLOW FUEL TO ENTER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THROUGH A VACUUM LINE. THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED TO THE CONSUMER THE RECALL WAS THE FUEL PRESSURE NO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT A DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE BROKE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. *AK THE WAS ATTEMPTING TO STALL WHILE IN MOTION, WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHED HOME THE VEHICLE DIED. THE ENGINE TURNED BUT DID NOT START. THE INTAKE WAS LEAKING COOLANT INTO CYLINDERS. *SC

WRITER SUBMITTED REIMBURSEMENT INFORMATION TO GENERAL MOTORS (GM) OWNER OF A BUICK LESABRE VEHICLE. RECALLED DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. *BF THE MANUFACTURER ONLY REIMBURSED THE CONSUMER A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE TOTAL REPAIR EXPENSE. *NM

NHTSA #: 04V090000 - I OWN A 1998 BUICK LESABRE 3.8L. ON 9/27/02 I HAD A HARD STARTING AND STALLING PROBLEM, TAKEN FOR SERVICE AT GM DEALER AND FUEL REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. IN AUGUST 2004 WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL AND TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO GM DEALER TO ASSURE THE RECALLED PART WAS NOT IN THE CAR. THE DEALER TOLD US THE CAR DOES RUN A LITTLE ROUGH (NOTED ON WORK ORDER) BUT THE CORRECT REGULATOR WAS IN THE VEHICLE DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. ON OCTOBER 10,2004 WE STARTED HAVING TROUBLE STARTING THE CAR. ON OCTOBER 11 WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE ON OCTOBER 18, 2004 TO AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE SHOP. ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 14, 2004 AND FRIDAY OCTOBER 15, 2004 THE CAR STALLED ONCE EACH DAY WHEN MOVING IN TRAFFIC AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 17, 2004 WHILE MY WIFE WAS FOLLOWING ME TO DROP THE CAR OFF AT THE REPAIR SHOP, THE CAR AGAIN STALLED. SHE PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR STARTED IT JUMPED FORWARD AND SHE STRUCK THE BACK OF MY TRUCK. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND THE FUEL REGULATOR TO BE LEAKING FUEL INTO THE VACUUM HOSE AND INTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THIS WAS THE PART THAT ACCORDING TO THE GM DEALER WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL ON AUGUST 11, 2004. THE END RESULT IS THERE IS $3000.00 DAMAGE TO THE LESABRE, NON TO BY TRUCK. MY BACK IS SLIGHTLY SORE BUT OF GREATER CONCERN IS THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK ON THE BUICK AND MY WIFE STRUCK HER CHEST ON THE STEERING WHEEL HARD ENOUGH TO HAVE BRUISING IN THE OUTLINE OF PART OF THE STEERING WHEEL ON HER CHEST. IN SUMMARY IM CONCERNED ABOUT THE 1.) FUEL REGULATOR, 2.) THE CAR JUMPING AND 3.) THE SEAT BELT NOT LOCKING.*AK

JULY 11, 2002: WE HAD TO HAVE 5 INJECTORS REPLACED BY JORDAN OLDSMOBILE-BUICK, HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS. COST: $709.42. MILEAGE WAS 82,260. OCTOBER 31, 2002: WE HAD TO TAKE OUR CAR TO ORR PONTIAC, CADILLAC, TOYOTA, HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS, BECAUSE THE CAR MISFIRED (OR BACKFIRED) ON US. THE WORK ORDER STATES: CUSTOMER STATES THAT OIL LIGHT AND TEMP LIGHT CAME ON; CAR WAS LOW ON COOLANT AND HAD TO ADD WATER, SAID A LOT OF WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF TAIL PIPES AND HAD VERY BAD SULFUR SMELL. INTAKE LEAKING, FLOODING CYL WITH COOLANT. REPLACED : TWO MANIFOLDS, COOLANT, OIL, ETC. COST: $1398.66. MILEAGE: 88,103. NOVEMBER 15, 2002: OIL GAUGE GOES TO RED AND ENGINE HAS KNOCK. DIAGNOSIS WAS INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGEI WAS TOLD THAT PARTS OF THE ENGINE HAD BEEN MADE OF PLASTIC AND THIS PLASTIC HAD MELTED. COMPLETE NEW ENGINE. COST: $4174.94. MILEAGE: 88,821.

CORRECTION TO OID ID#10096015 WITH REPORT DATE 10/20/2004: THE MODEL YEAR INFO FOR BUICK VIN #[XXX] WAS INCORRECT. THE CORRECT MODEL YEAR IS 1998. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TURN SIGNAL FAILURE. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE FAILURE AS IT REQUIRES THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF A MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, TURN SIGNALS.*AK

RECALL FOR FUEL REGULATOR AND INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEMS . *BF THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE RECALL AND HAD ALREADY HAD THE REGULATOR AND INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE MANIFOLD, THEY STATED IT WAS NOT RUPTURED, BUT IT WAS WARPED AND NEEDED TO BE REPALCED. THE MANUFACTURER SENT THE CONSUMER A CHECK FOR A 127.40, BUT THE CONSUMER BELIEVED HE WAS ENTILTED TO THE REMAINING PORTION OF 374.98. *JB

DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR CAUSED DAMAGED . *BF OIL LEAKED DUE TO MANIFOLD WEAR. THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND THE WARNING LIGHTS HAD COME ON. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. RECALL# 04V090000. *SC THE CONSUMER RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER AFTER SHE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. *JB