1998 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

I AM UPSET THAT THE GM RECALL # 03054B DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 1998 BUICK LESABRE, ONLY THE PARK AVENUE, ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT. FOR BUICK. *AK MY LESABRE DID THE SAME THING AS DESCRIBED ON THE RECALL RESULTS FOR THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION FOUND ON THE INTERNET. HOWEVER, YOUR OFFICE DID LIST IT USING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V090000. PLEASE E-MAIL ME @ [email protected] OR LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR ME @ 850-482-8156, IF MY VEHICLE (1998 BUICK LESABRE, CUSTOM) CAN BE ADDED TO THIS RECALL. AFTER LOOKING AT THE REVIEWS FOR THIS VEHICLE IT SEEMS THERE ARE A FEW COMPLAINTS. THANKS

INFO COPY OF LET TO GM, INQUIRING IF THERE IS ANYTHING MORE TO DO TO STOP THE UNNECESSARY TASK OF WRITING MULTIPLE LTRS FOR REIMBURSEMT FROM GM REFERENCING ENGINE COOLANT LEAK ON BUICK VEHICLES. REF ES03-006044 /S/BRENNER 9/23/03. *PH *MJJ NAR

CONSUMER DISSATISFIED WITH THE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD REPAIR KIT AND NOTHING ELSE. (NAR) *PH THE CONSUMER WAS ONLY PARTIALLY REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS MADE PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTIFICATION ON THE FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE'S STARTER. *NM

CONSUMER INSPECTED THE TIRES AND NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FRONT TIRE TREAD WAS SEPARATING AND STEEL BELT WAS VISIBLE. THE OTHER 3 TIRES HAD CRACKS ALONG THE SIDES. DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED. *AK

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE, THE CONSUMER HEARD AN EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS THE PROBLEM. *AK THE EXPLOSION CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND THE HOOD. *NM

WHILE DRIVING WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM THE REAR . VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED COOLANT ONTO THE ENGINE, AND ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE MANIFOLD WARPED, WHICH CAUSED COOLANT TO SPILL INTO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB *JB

THE CONSUMER READ AN ARTICLE WHICH INDICATED THAT GM RECALL CERTAIN CARS WITH POWER STEERING DEFECTS. *LA THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR POWER STEERING PROBLEMS WHICH REQUIRED REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 35392 MILES. *NM

PURCHASED NEW, THIS WELL MAINTAINED, GARAGE KEPT VEHICLE FAILED WITH 44,500 MILES. I CHANGED THE OIL & FILTER AFTER THE FIRST 500 MILE BREAK-IN PERIOD & EVERY 1K MILES. ON 2/12/04, THERE WAS A ROUGH UNEXPECTED ENGINE KNOCK UPON STARTUP. PLACED IN REVERSE, THERE WAS A SHAKING SENSATION & THE CHECK ENGINE LAMP EVENTUALLY LIT. I DROVE TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIATOR COOLLANT LEAKED INTO THE OIL PORTION OF THE ENGINE. IT WAS AN UNPLEASANT SITUATION, HOWEVER, A DECISION HAD TO BE MADE & I OPTED TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE WITH A 2004 LESABRE. I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT THE SAME DAY AND TRIED TO PUT MY 1998 PROBLEM BEHIND ME. I HAVE OWNED LESABRES IN THE PAST, A PARK AVENUE & OTHER GM PRODUCTS WHERE I CLOCKED OVER 250,000 MILES EACH ON MOST OF THEM. TWO DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF MY 2004, THE BURNING QUESTION WAS WHY MY 1998 BIT THE DUST? I FELT DRAWN TO MY COMPUTER & SEARCHED: "BUICK LESABRE PLENUM FAILURES" TO SEE WHAT I MIGHT FIND. I VIEWED SEVERAL HUNDRED COMPLAINTS AT THIS SITE AND MANY OTHERS DESCRIBING THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. ALL I COULD HELP BUT WONDER, WAS IF THIS SAME DEFECT PRONE PART WAS IN THE CAR I JUST PURCHASED? I CALLED GM AND SPOKE TO A REP. I TOLD HERABOUT MY 1998 MODEL AND THEN ASKED IF SHE COULD LET ME KNOW IF IT HAD BEEN CHANGED ON MY NEW 2004 MODEL? YES, MY 2004 HAS THE SAME DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD, SO WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE SAME SITUATION WILL ARISE IN THE FUTURE. WHAT WILL THEY DO FOR ME ABOUT MY NEW CAR? NOTHING. BEWARE THE TICKING TIME BOMB IF YOUR GM VEHICLE HAS THE 3800 SERIES II. A LOUD POP, FOLLOWED BY HESITATION & BY THE TIME THE SER ENGINE LIGHT GLOWS -- IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE. MANY FIRES HAVE BEEN REPORTED ALONG WITH THIS PROBLEM. SOURCES INDICATE THAT IT IS ON APPROXIMATELY 35 MILL ASSORTED GM CARS MANUFACTURED FROM CIRCA 1994 TO PRESENT.

WHEN ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ENGINE MANIFOLD UPPER INTAKE VALVE. *JB (MANIFOLD AND GASKETS MALFUNCTIONED) THE OIL PAN AND VALVE COVE WAS REPLACED. THERE WAS ALSO A FUEL INJECTOR PROBLEM. THE DEALER FOUND THE #4 CYLINDER MISFIRING WITH NO FUEL DROP. *SC