1998 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

NO INJURIES. ENGINE STOPS OR STALLS AT VARIOUS TIMES. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

1. IT STALLED OUT MANY TIME WHILE DRIVING. NO ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON AFTER RESTARTING. 2. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHILE DRIVING ON BUSY BIG CITY FREEWAY AT RUSH HOUR. 3. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY REPLACING THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR

MY WIFE DRIVES A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. SHE HAS A DISABILITY AND IS PACEMAKER-DEPENDENT. ON 5-17-2005 SHE WAS ENROUTE ON THE HIGHWAY TOWARD OUR TOWN IN THE BUICK WHEN IT STARTED RUNNING HOT. FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO OUR TOWN, WHERE SHE THEN PULLED OVER IN A WAL-MART PARKING LOT. HOWEVER, SHE BECAME VERY STRESSED OVER THE SITUATION BECAUSE THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE HAD GONE WELL INTO THE RED BUT SHE WAS AFRAID TO PULL OVER FOR FEAR OF BECOMING STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY. AS IT TURNS OUT, THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM IS A FAILED PLENUM, AN ISSUE WHICH OCCURS FREQUENTLY WITH THE GM 3800 ENGINE. I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WELL-KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER, THE NHTSA, AND MANY MECHANICS AND REPAIR SHOPS. THE SAFETY PROBLEM COMES FROM THE FACT THAT (AS FAR AS I AM AWARE) THERE HAVE BEEN NO WARNINGS ISSUED TO CONSUMERS WHO OWN A VEHICLE WITH THE GM 3800 SERIES II ENGINE. THE POTENTIAL FOR SITUATIONS TO OCCUR MUCH WORSE THAN OURS IS NOT ONLY LIKELY, BUT IT IS A GUARANTEED EVENT. MY ONLY RECOURSE AT THIS POINT IS TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA, A COMPLAINT WHICH I FEEL SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A SAFETY ISSUE. THESE ENGINE FAILURES ARE NOT JUST MERELY A 'CONSUMER MISFORTUNE', BUT WILL BECOME THE UNDERLYING CAUSE FOR INUMERABLE ROAD HAZARDS FOR THE CAR'S OWNERS AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS. THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO AN ENGINEERING DESIGN FLAW (MATERIALS USED) AND FUTURE SAFETY PROBLEMS (INCLUDING LOSS OF LIFE) CAN BE AVOIDED. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA.

BETWEN 47,111 AND 49817 MILES ENGINE HAS STALL THREE TIMES AND AFTER COMPLETE STOP I RE-STARTED ENGINE RIGHT AWAY, THERE NO WARNING LIGHTS DURING STALL AT CONTROL PANEL.

1998 BUICK LESABRE HAD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED. THE CONSUMER'S CLAIM FOR A REFUND FOR REPAIRS WAS NOT APPROVED. *MR THE CONSUMER HAD TURNED LEFT ONTO A LOOP AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISS AND MAKE NOISES. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND VIEWED A LOT OF WATER UNDER THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT HE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SPARK PLUGS THAT WERE DAMAGED WHEN THE WATER FLOODED INTO THE BLOCK AND OR THE RUPTURED PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. REFER TO RECALL CAMPAIGN#04V090000. THE HORN WOULD GO OFF WHEN THE HORN PAD WAS BUMPED OR WHEN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE BECAME' HOT. *SC THE MANUFACTURER WROTE THE CONSUMER A LETTER WHICH STATED THE PART THAT WAS REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. *JB

1998 BUICK LESABRE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR PART THAT WAS INSTALLED DURING A RECALL. *MR RECALL CAMPAIGN# 04V090000. *SC THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE THE REPAIRS MADE AT A DEALERSHIP. *JB

1998 BUICK LESABRE EXPERIENCING REPEAT PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE EQUIPMENT.*MR THE REAR BRAKE CYLINDER FAILED AND THE BRAKES STARTED TO LEAK BRAKE FLUID ONTO THE REAR BRAKES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR BRAKE CYLINDER. SIX MONTHS LATER THE REAR BRAKE CYLINDER FAILED AGAIN, WHICH REQUIRED THE REAR BRAKE CYLINDER TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *JB

VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER PULLED OVER. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CHEVROLET DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT WATER GOT INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND LOCKED IT UP. THEY REMOVED AND REPLACED THE(MANIFOLD) PLENUM WITH ALL NEW GASKETS, NEW OIL, ANTI FREEZE AND NEW SPARK PLUGS. *BF *NM

CAR HAD BEEN HARD TO START FOR A WHILE. ON DAY OF INCIDENT, WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, A BACKFIRE OCCURRED AND SMOKE ROLLED OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WITHIN MINUTES, A FIRE STARTED, COMPLETELY DESTROYING THE VEHICLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD BURST WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP. OWNER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO. *AK