1997 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

HEARING A THUMBING SOUND WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, I WENT TO INVESTIGATE THE WERE ABOUTS OF THE NOISE. I COULD NOT SEE THE PROBLEM BUT, WHEN MY WIFE SAID THAT THERE WAS A LOUD THUMBING NOISE THAT OCCURS ONLY WHILE DRIVING. TWO DAYS LATER THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS FLAT. I TOOK THE TIRE OFF THE CAR AND NOTICED THAT THE TIRE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND A PIECE WAS MISSING. APPROX 6-8 INCHES OF RUBBER WAS GONE. FIRESTONE TIRE P205-70R15 95S. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF THIS TIRE? THIS IS MY THIRD SET OF TIRES AT 85232 ORIGINAL MILES ON THE 1997 BUICK LESABRE CUSTOM CAR. CAN YOU HELP. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD FOR THE TRANSMISSION ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY COMPLETED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH SHOWED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. THE DEALER REPLACED TWO SOLENOID VALVES. THE INDICATOR LIGHT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS EMISSIONS TESTING WITH THIS LIGHT ILLUMINATING. *AK

STARTED CAR HEARD LOUD POP, WHITE SMOKE, THEN FLAMES - CAR CAUGHT FIRE - TOTAL LOSS. *JB

SPEEDOMETER IS NOT ACCURATE; NEEDLE BOUNCES ERRATICALLY; CANNOT DETERMINE SPEED. PART REPLACED BY DEALER IN 9/1998; PROBLEM RECURRED IN 9/2001; PART REPLACED BY DEALER; PROBLEM RECURRED IN 10/2005. SPEEDOMETER IN THIS VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE; REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE; MANUFACTURER WILL NOT FULL WARRANTY PARTS & LABOR. *NM

DT: WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT OF THIS TYPE. THE CONTACT OWNS A BUICK LESABRE THAT HAS A PLASTIC INTAKE CALLED A PLENUM. THIS DEVICE CRACKED AND ALLOWED ENGINE COOLANT TO BE MIXED WITH THE OIL. THIS CAUSED A VAPOR LOCK. NOW, TWO OF THE CYLINDERS SHOW ZERO COMPRESSION, AND A THIRD SHOWS A PRESSURE OF 60 POUNDS. THE ENGINE WAS TOTALED AND MUST BE REPLACED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTOMOBILE REPAIR SHOP, AND THE MECHANIC MADE THESE TERMINATIONS. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO A BUICK DEALER, WHO SAID THEY DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. AT THIS TIME, NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER'S 1997 BUICK LESABRE HAD BLOWN A PISTON. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 30-35 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED WITH OIL CHANGES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER PLANNED ON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. *SC *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THE HORN WILL NOT STOP BLOWING, AND THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY IS MAKING A NOISE. THE SOUND IS COMING OUT OF THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN DRIVING THE HORN JUST STARTS BLOWING OUT OF NOWHERE, IT JUST STARTS BLOWING, SPECIFICALLY STATES THE CONSUMER. WHEN PRESSING THE HORN PAD IT WILL STOP SOMETIMES. ONE HAS TO PRESS IN A CERTAIN SPOT. THE CAR IS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONSUMER IS GOING TO CALL AND SEE WHAT GM CAN DO. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR TWO WEEKS.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE CUSTOM. THE ROCKER PANELS RUSTED. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CONTACT LIVED IN A STATE WHERE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. HE FIRST BEGAN TO NOTICE THIS PROBLEM A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. THIS WAS NOT INTERFERING WITH THE DOORS OPENING OR CLOSING, BUT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF THIS IN THE FUTURE. THIS WAS OCCURRING ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AND DRIVER'S SIDE. *AK

DT: CONSUMER OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE SHUT OFF. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST A LITTLE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO GET COMPLETELY OUT OF TRAFFIC. SHE WAS STUCK IN VEHICLE BECAUSE EVERYTHING ON VEHICLE SHUT DOWN DUE TO THE GROUND CABLE COMING LOOSE, NOT LOOSE FROM THE MOTOR BLOCK. VEHICLE HAS BEEN WORKED ON, SHE DID NO FEEL THAT CABLE COMING LOOSE WAS DUE TO A DEFECT. SHE WAS MORE CONCERNED THAT WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER SHE WAS STUCK IN VEHICLE WITH NO WAY TO ESCAPE. THE DOOR LOCKED AND POWER WINDOWS DID NOT WORK. THE BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT THERE WAS NO MANUAL LOCK THAT COULD BE USED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR WHEN POWER FAILED. SHE WAS STUCK IN VEHICLE WITH VEHICLE IN THE ROAD AND IN DANGER OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. SHE STAYED IN VEHICLE ONE HOUR ON A VERY HOT DAY UNTIL SHE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT A FRIEND ON CELL PHONE, AND HE CAME TO HELP HER. *AK

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT ON JULY 1, 2005 VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND HE THOUGHT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. WHEN HE TRIED TO GET A JUMP AND START IT THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD BACKFIRE NOISE. AT THAT POINT, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR MAN, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS RECALL 96V116000. HE WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL, DEALERSHIP THEN CHECKED WITH GENERAL MOTORS, AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL WAS FOR CANADA., AND BECAUSE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S. IT WOULD NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. CONSUMER THEN CALLED BUICK AND WAS TOLD THE SAME INFORMATION. *AK