1998 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

INTERMITTENTLY THE HORN WOULD SOUND OFF AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE. THE HORN SOUNDED OFF TWENTY TIMES SINCE LAST JUNE.*AK *NM

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND MECHANIC REPLACED THEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

REGULATOR LEAKING ALLOWING FUEL TO ENTER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. *MR WATER IN THE RESERVOIR TANK KEPT EVAPORATING. THE CONSUMER WOULD CONTINUE TO REFILL THE TANK BUT IT CONTINUED TO LEAK. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR CAUSED THE LEAK ALLOWING FUEL TO ENTER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THROUGH A VACUUM LINE. THE PLENUM CRACKED DUE TO THE BACKFIRING OF THE ENGINE CAUSED BY THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. *SC *JB

VEHICLE FAILED TO START WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD DEGRADED AROUND THE ERG DISTRIBUTION NIPPLE AND THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR DIAPHRAM RUPTURED LEAKING FUEL INTO THE ENGINE THROUGH THE VACUUM HOSE. THIS WAS THE SAME DEFECT AS DESCRIBED IN THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR RECALL 03V473000, BUT THIS VEHICLE'S MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ALTHOUGH IT HAD THE SAME TYPE OF ENGINE. *AK *NM

THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO START. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND SUDDENLY THE ENGINE LOCKED AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONSUMER'S HOUSE AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CORRODED. THIS PROBLEM CAUSED WATER AND ANTI-FREEZE TO ENTER THE ENGINE, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVER HEAT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

THE ENGINE BACK FIRED AND BLACK SMOKE CAME OUT THE TAIL PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER MANIFOLD BROKE. AS A RESULT, THE TAIL PIPE/ TENSION O-RING/THERMOSTAT, AND GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WATER CONTAMINATION. THE ENGINE HAD A MIXTURE OF WATER AND OIL IN IT. FUEL REGULATOR, COIL, AND SPEEDOMETER WIRES ALSO NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK THE SPARK PLUGS WERE CONTAMINATED WITH ANTIFREEZE. THE ENGINE WAS CONTAMINATED WITH ANTIFREEZE AND FUEL. RECALL#04V090000 THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS BROKEN AND BURNED THROUGH AND THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR LEAKED GAS. *SC *JB

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED INSIDE THE ENGINE. *JB THE VEHICLE WAS MISSING AND WAS SMOKING. NEW MANIFOLD AND PLUG WIRES WERE ADDED. *SC

THIS IS A ENGINE PROBLEM WITH WHAT I BELIEVE WAS A BAD PART DESIGN. THE PART IS FAILURE OF INTAKE PLENUM. THE EGR PIPE FROM THE ENGINE COMES THROUGH THE PLASTIC INTAKE. THERE IS A LOT OF HEAT GENERATED AT THIS POINT. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME A HOLE IS BURNED THROUGH THE INTAKE. THIS FLOODS THE ENGINE WITH COOLANT. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW. THE FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURED AT 59,000 MILES. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1100.00. I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS. THE REPONSE WAS . YES WE KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE K ENGINE BUT THE FACTORY HAS NOT CALLED FOR A RECALL. AT 113,577 MILES THE PROBLEM OCCURED AGAIN. I AGAIN HAD THE ENGINE REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1140.93. AGAIN I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS. I WAS TOLD THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS SENT OUT IN 1996. THIS STATED THAT IF A OWNER COMPLAINED OF A COOLENT LEAK AROUND THE INTAKE. NOT ONLY SHOULD THE PLASTIC INTAKE PLENUM BE REPLACE BUT ALSO THE ALUMINUM INTAKE SHOULD BE REPALCED BECAUSED THE FACTORY HAD REPLACED THE EGR PIPE WITH A SMALLER PIPE. THIS WOULD KEEP THE HEAT FROM BURNING A HOLE IN THE PLASTIC PLENUM. THE COST OF THIS REPAIR IS TO BE PAID BY THE OWNER. I CHECKED OUT THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND FOUND THE PROBLEM COVERED ALL GM 3800 SERIES ENGINES FORM 1995 - 1998 MY ENGINE VIN # IS 1G4HR52K3WH51080. I WAS TOLD BY THE GM SERVICE TECH. THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURED SO OFTEN THAT ANY OWNER OF A 3800 SERIES ENGINE AND THE NEW DESIGN INTAKE HAS NOT BEEN INSTALLED YOU ARE GUARANTEED THE ENGINE WILL FAIL. AGAIN I FEEL THIS WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM.

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE ENGINE PRODUCED A LOUD BANG, THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. *AK