1997 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AS TIME PROGRESSED, THE RATTLING NOISE GRADUALLY INTENSIFIED. THE OIL PRESSURE BEGAN TO DECREASE AND INCREASE RANDOMLY AND FLUCTUATE FROM LOW TO NO PRESSURE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE OIL PUMP FAILED AND IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 162,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK, THERE WAS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK COMING FROM THE THE PIPING ABOVE THE FUEL TANK. THE PIPES WERE ALSO OBSERVED TO BE RUSTED. A SERVICE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND BOTH THE DEALER AND THE PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT MANUFACTURER DID NOT USE THE CORRECT QUALITY PARTS.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON NORMAL DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE 17 YEAR-OLD DRIVER SUFFERED FIRST DEGREE BURNS ON THE RIGHT FOREARM, AND WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER, HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THAT THE INFLATER MODULE MAY CORRODE, CAUSING INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG. UPDATED 12/15/06. *JB

I HAVE DISCOVERED A BRAKE FLUID LEAK FROM THE ABS MODULATOR ASSEMBLY IN MY 1997 BUICK LESABRE. THERE IS A RECALL (#00V114000) FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM IN 2000 LESABRES. THIS CAN CAUSE THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION! THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO COVER EARLIER YEARS. IN THE MEAN TIME I AM GOING TO PURCHASE A NEW ABS MODULATOR ASSEMBLY. I FEAR THE NEW VALVE ASSEMBLY WILL DEVELOP THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD ON TWO OCCASIONS ON THE SAME DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF TO COOL DOWN, WHILE WATER AND ANTI-FREEZE WAS ADDED TO THE RADIATOR. AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE PLENUM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE BACK FIRED CAUSING AN EXPLOSION WHEN AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO TURN VEHICLE ON. THE VEHICLE WAS RENDERED UN-DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO DEALERS FOR SERVICE. THE DEALERS DETERMINED THAT A LEAKY FUEL REGULATOR CAUSED THE BACK FIRE THAT DESTROYED UPPER INTAKE OF MANIFOLD, WHICH COULD ALSO LEAD TO FIRES. THE DEALERS REPLACED THE FUEL REGULATOR AND UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED TO SEE IF VEHICLE WAS PART OF A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURERS DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. *JB

TWO COMPLETE SETS OF BRAKES SINCE OCTOBER 2005 INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKS, BOTH VERY COSTLY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID # 96V116000 REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A LOUD BACK FIRE HEARD WHICH APPEARED TO BE NEAR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED, NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.