1998 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON THE ENGINE IS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC AND HAS THE EGR TUBE RUNNING THROUGH IT, CAUSING THE PLASTIC TO HEAT UP AND ALLOW ANTIFREEZE TO RUN INTO THE ENGINE. DEALER FOUND AND REPLACED LEAKING INTAKE PLENUM. *TT

WHILE DRIVING AT 25-35 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK

WAS RETURNING FROM CHARLESTON, SC TO COLUMBIA, SC SUNDAY 7/28/02 ABOUT 7:00 PM AFTER A HOT DAY ON INTERSTATE 26. AFTER ABOUT AN HOURS TRAVELLING TIME, IN WHICH THE CAR FELT OUT OF ALIGNMENT OR TIRES OUT OF BALANCE DUE TO BAD ROADS IN CHARLESTON, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, THE CAR PULLED OR FISHTAILED IN HEAVY BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. I COMPENSATED STEERING AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. THE OTHER VEHICLES SURROUNDING ME MOVED AND/OR SLOWED TO GIVE A WIDE BERTH. I HAD THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS AN AXLE OR CV JOINT HAD BROKEN, BUT UPON WALKING AND LOOKING AROUND THE CAR I FOUND ALL TIRES FULLY INFLATED, BUT THEN NOTICED THAT THE REAR TIRE BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAD ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF IT'S TREAD LAYER MISSING AND BARE STEEL WIRES WERE EXPOSED. I WENT ONLINE AND LOOKED UP GENERAL TIRES, READ ABOUT STRESS CRACKS APPEARING WHERE THE TREADS MET THE SIDEWALLS, THEN INSPECT THE ONLY OTHER GENERAL TIRE LEFT ON THE VEHICLE- IT HAD CONTINUOUS SMALL CRACKS THERE. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO WOULD ONLY PARTICIPATE PARTICALLY IN THE TIRE REPLACEMENT COST IF I USED THEIR TIRES AGAIN- I REFUSED THEIR BRANDS AND BOUGHT GOODYEARS INSTEAD. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE LIVED THROUGH THE TREAD COMING OFF, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT ANYONE ELSE THAT MAY HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR WOULD HAVE!*AK

PROBLEM 1....PRESSURE REGULATOR IN THE OIL PUMP LOCKED ,CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BLOW. THIS RECENTLY HAPPENED TO A FRIEND OF MINE AT AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE. PROBLEM 2....CAR HAS STARTED TO STALL FOR NO REASON. USUALLY WHEN I'M SLOWING DOWN FOPR A RED LITE OR TO TURN.PROBLEM 3..... WHILE DRIVIND AT AROUND 65-70 THE CAR HAS SURGED FOR AN INSTANT(SORT OF LIKE WHEN YOU HIT THE GAS PEDAL SUDDENLY FOR A SECOND). *AK

GM MADE THEIR INTAKE MANIFOLDS OUT OF A PLASTIC RESIN ON THE BUICK 3800 V6 ENGINE. THEY ROUTED THE EGR VALVE THROUGH IT WHICH CAUSES A HEAT BUILD UP THAT WRAPS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ALLOWING COOLANT TO GO INTO THE ENGINE. MY REPAIR BILL WAS $803.76 PLUS ONE STARTER $189.00 THAT BROKE WHEN THE ENGINE SIEZED. FROM READING ON THE INTERNET THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINES WITH THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD. THE DEALER THAT FIXED MY CAR AID YES IT WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THAT HE HAD ANOTHER CAR OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS MINE IN THE SAME MORNING AS MINE. SAME PROBLEM AND THAT HE HAD ONE THE WEEK BEFORE. IN MY CASE THE ENGINE DID NOT LOCK UP AS I AS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BUT THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS PROBLEM FOR SOMEONE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THIER ENGINE LOCKS UP. *AK

AT 50MPH ENGINE STALLED THEN VEHICLE LOST POWER. COULD HAD CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

BRAKE LINES ON ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ROTTED INSIDE OUT. OWNER STEPPED ON BRAKES AND VEHICLE CONTINUED FORWARD ALMOST HITTING PEDESTRIANS. OWNER INDICATED THAT VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO SALT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

CONSUMER CAN SMELL GAS COMING FROM VEHICLE, ALSO FUEL IS LEAKING ONTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK. CONSUMER STATES GAS FUMES ARE PRESENT WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED.*JB

VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLS WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER STATED ENGINE MANIFOLD THAT IS MADE OF PLASTIC IS CRACKED AND SENDING FLUID THROUGH ENGINE, DAMAGING PARTS IN ENGINE. *AK THE PLASTIC INTAKE WAS REPLACED AND THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT OF REPAIR EXPENSE. *YH

AFTER HAVING T EGR VALVE SERVICED, MILES LATER WITHOUT WARNING, INTAKE MANIFOLD BEGAN TO LEAK COOLANT ONTO ENGINE, CAUSING ENGINE TO SHUTDOWN AND LOCK UP. MECHANIC STATED INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHEN VALVE WAS SERVICED.*AK