2002 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

I OWN TWO BUICK LESABRE'S, ONE IS FROM 2000 AND THE OTHER IS FROM 2002. BOTH VEHICLES HAVE OR ARE UNDER 50,000 MILES. THE WINDOWS HAVE STOPPED WORKING IN THREE OF THE 2000 MODEL AND TWO OF THE WINDOWS IN THE 2002 MODEL NO LONGER WORK. THE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN 1-7 DAYS OF EACH OTHER ON EACH VEHICLE. SEEMS TO BE TIMED. *JB

RECENTLY, MY 2002 BUICK LESABRE (PURCHASED NEW IN 2002) HAD THE TWO REAR WINDOWS FAIL WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. IN BOTH CASES, THE CABLE WHICH RAISES/LOWERS THE WINDOW BROKE. THE CABLE CANNOT BE REPLACED ALONE BUT THE MOTOR AND REGULATOR MUST ALSO BE REPLACED. THE COST FOR THIS AT A GM DEALER WAS $479.00 WHILE THE SAME JOB COST $290 AT A NON-GM REPAIR CENTER (GEMINI/GOODYEAR). I LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH BUICK AND THEN RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. I FOUND A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM ON A 1999 BUICK LESABRE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND ONE WHICH IS KNOWN TO BUICK FOR SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR TO THE 2002 MODEL. WHILE IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE (UNLESS THERE IS ADVERSE WEATHER SUCH AS FREEZING COLD OR DRIVING RAIN), IT IS AN ECONOMIC ONE. WHY NO RECALL BY BUICK? IS IT BECAUSE THE PROBLEM CROPS UP AFTER THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. I SUSPECT SO. *JB

REAR WINDOW REGULATOR ON 02 BUICK LESABRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED-OVER $500. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER THE FRONT PASSENGERS WINDOW REGULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED-$400. THE DEALER INDICATED A "BULLETIN" EXISTED. THE MECHANIC ON THE 2ND OCCURRENCE SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MY BROTHER HAS A LESABRE AS WELL, AND GUESS WHAT? WINDOW REGULATOR PROBLEMS!!! WITH A BAD DESIGN LIKE THIS, WHY CAN'T SOMEONE FORCE GM TO RECALL THESE PARTS? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A WHINING NOISE WAS HEARD AFTER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED AND REPRESSED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ALERTED. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM GM DROVE THE VEHICLE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME WAS MAY 2005 HOWEVER THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AGAIN JUNE 14, 2006. THE REPRESENTATIVE HEARD THE NOISE HOWEVER STATED IT WAS TOO FAINT. THEY WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR MAKE ANY REPAIRS UNTIL THE NOISE GETS LOUDER. THE DEALERSHIP AND REPRESENTATIVE BOTH BELIEVE THE NOISE IS COMING FROM THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED A FAILURE COULD OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THE NOISE. 08/02/06 CONTACTED REQUESTED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT BE REPLACED; AT TIMES TRAC-OFF LIGHT COMES ON; AND THE GAS CAP LOOSE LIGHT COMES ON. NO CODES FOUND. *TT

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW WAS OPENED AND WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE POWER WINDOW MOTOR REGULATOR. THE PROBLEM HAS NOW OCCURRED ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN ALERTED OF THE CURRENT PROBLEM. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE BEFORE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. UPDATED 07/05/06. *JB

WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY ( WITH OUT MY KNOWING THAT I HAD BUMPED THE PARKING LIGHT SWITCH) BUMPED THE PARKING LIGHT SWITCH WHILE ADJUSTING THE DASH LIGHTS WHILE DRIVING AFTER DARK THE HEAD LIGHTS WENT OUT, I HAD NO IDEA WHY THE HEAD LIGHTS WENT OUT. IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT I WAS ONLY DRIVING ABOUT 5 TO 10 MILE PER HOUR AND WAS ABLE TO STOP WITH OUT AN ACCIDENT. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHY THE HEAD LIGHTS HAD GONE OUT, I PUSHED ALL THE LIGHT SWITCHES UNTIL FINDING OUT THAT I HAD ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE PARKING LIGHT SWITCH. I NOTIFIED BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE LIGHTS, THAT THE HEAD LIGHTS WERE DESIGNED TO GO OUT WHEN THE PARKING LIGHT SWITCH WAS PUSHED. THEY REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION OF ANY KIND WHAT SO EVER. IF YOUR HEAD LIGHTS GO WHEN DRIVING 65 MPH AFTER DARK, THAT IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT GOES TO THE FLOOR. TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL MUST BE PUMPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR BRAKE REPLACEMENT PREVIOUSLY. THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT DUPLICATED WITH ANY ADDITIONAL TESTING.

MY 2002 BUICK LESABRE IS IN THE SHOP AT THIS MOMENT GETTING A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE INTAKE SYSTEM DUE TO THE USE OF THE RECOMMENDED FLUIDS. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWED ME THAT THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND BUICK REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WHAT CAN I DO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, AND WHY HASN'T A CLASS ACTION SUIT BEEN STARTED TO RECTIFY THIS ABOMINABLE SITUATION? THANK YOU. DR. GERALD M. LEVITT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED SOMETIMES THE TRUNK LID FAILS TO REMAIN OPEN AND UNEXPECTEDLY FALLS DOWN, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURY TO THE PERSON WHO OPENED IT. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PARTS WERE ORDERED ON 07/08/2006, AND REPAIRS WERE MADE ON 03/07/2006. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE OPERATES NORMALLY. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL, HIT A DITCH AND RAN INTO A TREE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IT WAS SNOWING AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR A SECOND BEFORE LOSS OF CONTROL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED AND NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE TWO OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. UPDATED 3/9/2006 - *NM