2005 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

3/17/2005 TRAVELED TO MYRTLE BEACH, SC MOSTLY ON I-95. ON THE WAY I EXPERIENCED PERIODS OF RAIN. THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED A PROBLEM WAS DURING RAIN WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSED ME APPLY MY BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. WHEN I APPLIED FOOT PRESSURE IN THE NORMAL MANNER THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND PROPERLY, INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN IMMEDIATELY, I DISCOVERED I NEEDED TO APPLY AT LEAST 2-3 TIMES MORE PRESSURE (IF NOT MORE) TO GET THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. I ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WHENEVER I WAS IN WET CONDITIONS. I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ON DRY ROADS AT ANY SPEED, AND I WAS DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 75 MPH. 3/23/2005 RETURNED TO HARRISBURG, PA. EXPERIENCED RAIN FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA/NORTH CAROLINA BORDER ALL THE WAY HOME (APPROXIMATELY 520 MILES). THE RAIN VARIED IN INTENSITY FROM A LIGHT DRIZZLE TO A DOWN-POUR. THE BRAKES CONTINUED TO NOT SLOW THE CAR IN THE NORMAL WAY (MY TOP SPEEDS VARIED FROM 55 TO 75 MPH). I CONTINUED TO HAVE TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FOOT PRESSURE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE OR EVEN GET IT TO RESPOND. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE THE RESPONSE WAS VERY SIMILAR TO DRIVING A CAR FROM THE 40'S OR 50'S EQUIPPED WITH BRAKE SHOES THAT HAS BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH A LARGE PUDDLE OF WATER AND THE BRAKE SHOES NEEDED TO BE DRIED BY APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO DRY THEM BEFORE THEY WOULD TAKE HOLD AGAIN. AT ONE POINT I THOUGHT THE FLOOR MAT MIGHT BE THE CULPRIT AND INTERFERING WITH THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE MAT WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE BRAKE PEDAL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, BUT THE DAY I WAS ABLE TO DO THIS THERE WASN'T ANY RAIN AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. WHEN WE RECEIVE HEAVY RAIN AGAIN I WILL BE GOING BACK TO THE DEALER. *AK

A SWITCH LABELED "ENG/MET" LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH CAUSES THE SPEEDOMETER READ APPROXIMATELY DOUBLE YOUR ACTUAL SPEED. IT IS VERY EASY TO ACCIDENTALLY PRESS THIS SWITCH WHEN TURNING ON YOUR LIGHTS, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME THE FIRST DAY I DROVE THIS RENTAL CAR. *JB