1998 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGED, BRAKE WAS APPLIED, WENT TO FLOORBOARD, NOTHING HAPPENED. BRAKES WERE PUMPED, NOTHING HAPPENED. VEHICLE STRIKES ANOTHER VEHICLE, AIRBAG DEPLOYS, AUTOMOBILE CONTINUES IN A DITCH, POPS OUT OF THE DITCH, GOES THROUGH AN EMPTY PARKING LOT, POPS ONTO ANOTHER STREET AND EVENTUALLY STOPS AFTER GOING OVER ANOTHER CURB INTO ANOTHER PARKING LOT ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM ACCIDENT. THEORY IS THAT ABS MALFUNCTIONED WHICH CAUSED REGULAR BRAKES TO FAIL. *JB

LOSS OF COOLANT. THE PLASTIC INTAKE PLENUM GOT A HOLE IN IT. THIS FILLED THE ENGINE WITH COOLANT THUS CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE DEFECTIVE PART REPLACED AT A COST OF 900 DOLLARS. I STILL HAVE THE DEFECTIVE PART. I'M RETIRED, SO THIS PUT A STRAIN ON OUR BUDGET. THANK YOU. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AT 55 MPH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. VEHICLE WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

THE 3.8L GM ENGINES USED '95 - '98 FOR THE BUICK: RIVERA, LESABRE, PARK AVENUE, REGAL, CHEVY: LUMINA, MONTE CARLO, OLDSMOBILE: 98,88,INTRIGUE, PONTIAC: BONNEVILLE, GRAND PRIX HAVE A KNOWN DEFECT. SERVICE BULLETIN 01-06-01-007A COOLANT LEAK. IN DECEMBER 2004, MY PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED AND ALLOWED THE ENGINE COOLANT TO FILL THE CYLINDERS OF THE ENGINE WITH COOLANT. GM RESOLVED THE DEFECT WITH A DESIGN CHANGE IN 99. I FEEL THAT GM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. SECOND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AT 55 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT WARRANTS A RECALL. I CONTACTED GM; SERVICE RECORD NUMBER 1-293342957 THEY NEVER CALLED ME BACK AFTER A NUMBER OF MESSAGES (7) THEN DENIED THE CLAIM. *NM

1998 BUICK LESABRE. PLENUM GASKET ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILS AND ALLOWS COOLANT TO GET INTO ENGINE. THEN ENGINE DIES IN THE ROAD CAUSING PEOPLE TO SLAM ON BREAKS. NO WRECKS. THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM WITH LESABRE'S BUT BUICK HAS FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO PAY $1200 TO FIX CAR AND IT NOW PROBABLY HAS ENGINE DAMAGE. I WOULD LIKE BUICK TO COME FORWARD WITH THIS AND LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT. THIS HAS TO STOP! *NM

RECALL CAMPAIGN RECEIVED CONCERNING FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. *BF THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A BACKFIRE WHICH RESULTED IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MANIFOLD. THE PROBLEM RECURRED AND THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. *SC

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 1998 BUICK LESABRE AND I PULLED OVER TO DISCOVER THAT THERE WAS LOW LEVELS OF COOLANT. IT HAD JUST BEEN CHECKED 2 MONTHS EARLIER AT AN OIL CHANGE AND THE WEEK BRFORE WHEN I GOT GAS. I ADDED COOLANT AND GOT BACK ON THE ROAD. AFTER 5 MILES THE CAR QUIT RUNNING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAD IT TOWED TO A BUICK DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED PLENUM THAT ALLOWED COOLANT TO FOUL THE PLUGS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PLENUM, FOULED PLUGS, COOLANT, AND OIL FOR $800.00 DOLLARS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD CONSTANTLY. THEN, ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED. THE GASKETS HAD BEEN CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES. ANTI-FREEZE AND OIL LEAKED. CONSUMER FOUND THAT IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. *AK

THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR FAILED AND RUINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. AT LOW MILEAGE THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. *BF RECALL#04V090000 *JB

VEHICLE RETURNED FOR INSPECTION WITH REGARD TO 04V090 12/13/04 COMPLAINTS POOR PERFORMANCE, FUEL ECONOMY, HARD STARTING, AND USE OF DEXCOOL ANTI-FREEZE SINCE RECALL PERFORMED. DECOOL ANTI-FREEZE ENTERING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OF ENGINE, AND ENGINE OILING SYSTEM FROM FAILURE OR RUPTURE OF UPPER INTAKE PLENUM NEAR EGR PASSAGE. ANTI-FREEZE HAS FILLED ENGINE LIFTERS CAUSING NOISE/FAILURE, FILLING COMBUSTION CHAMBER CAUSING HYDRO-LOCKING OF ENGINE, COULD CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF ENGINE RESULTING IN POSSIBLE FIRE OR ACCIDENT. DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR UNDER 04V090 MANIFOLD OVER PRESSURE CONDITION STATED REPLACEMENT OF UPPER & LOWER INTAKE, LIFTER, PLUGS, OIL, ANTI-FREEZE AT A COST OF $1,150 ON VEHICLE THAT HAD 77,827 WHEN THE RECALL WAS DONE, AND NOW HAS 80,407 MI. WHICH IS LESS THEN 3,000. THIS COULD VERY WELL HAVE HYDRO-LOCKED THE ENGINE AT FREEWAY SPEED,OR CAUSED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN SEVERE DAMAGE, INJURY, AND POSSIBLE FIRE FROM ENGINE OIL & FUEL HITTING THE HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER!*AK