1999 BUICK LESABRE Complaints

WHILE PARKING CONSUMER NOTICED COOLANT LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER STARTED UP THE VEHICLE AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT VALVE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A WORN OUT PART. *AK

WHILE PARKING CONSUMER NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER STARTED UP THE VEHICLE, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT VALVE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A WORN OUT PART. *AK

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, THEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. *AK

AIR BAG DESIGN FLAW - A LIFE THREATENING DESIGN FLAW. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1999 BUICK LESABRE CUSTOM (PURCHASED AT THE END OF THE MODEL YEAR). THE CAR OFTEN SPENDS TIME IN THE BRIGHT FLORIDA SUN. ALTHOUGH I USE A REFLECTIVE WINDSHIELD SUN SCREEN, THE CAR STILL GETS HOT INSIDE (AS DO MOST FLORIDA CARS). RECENTLY, THE HORN BEGAN TO HONK CONTINUOUSLY. I TOOK IT INTO THE ORANGE BUICK AND GMC DEALER IN ORLANDO FL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE AIR BAG HAS SWOLEN UP AND COMPRESSED THE HORN RELAY. THE AIR BAG IS BROKEN AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS APPARENTLY A FLAWED AIR BAG DESIGN, WHICH MUST ALSO ENDANGE PEOPLE WITH THIS STEERING WHEEL/AIR BAG DESIGN, LIVING THROUGHOUT THE HOT SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. THE COST TO REPLACE THE POORLY DESIGNED AIR BAG (WITH ANOTHER ONE HAVING THE SAME POOR DESIGN) IS OVER $700 (DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DO SINCE I RECENTLY LOST MY JOB, WHICH HAS MOVED OFF SHORE TO INDIA). IT SEEMS THAT THE BUICK MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO CORRECT THEIR LIFE-THREATENING FLAWED AIR BAG DESIGN. I HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM THE D.O.T. ABOUT THIS LIFE-THREATENING SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

FAILURE OF CAR TO START WHEN IGNITION KEY TURNED. STILL HAD LIGHTS & DASHBOARD. THIS OCCURED 9:00 AT NIGHT AND COULD HAVE LEFT ME STRANDED. AS IT WAS, I HAD BEEN WITH A GROUP OF FOLKS AND SOMEONE WAITED TO FOLLOW ME. NEXT DAY MECHANIC TOWED CAR TO SHOP, UNABLE TO FIX BECAUSE HE NOT SET UP FOR DIAGNOSTICS. REFERRED ME THE GM DEALER. DEALER DETERMINED THEFT DETERRANT MODULE SHOT. ONCE FIXED, TWO DAYS LATER, SECURITY LIGHT SHOWING ON DASH. NOW WE NEED A NEW KEY LOCK IGNITION CYLANDER SWITCH AND KEY. MY COMPLAINT IS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SITUATION WHERE I COULD HAVE BEEN LOCKED INSIDE MY CAR WITHOUT A WAY TO GET OUT! THIS, IN MY MIND, IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THESE PARTS NEED TO BE RECALLED! I TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AND IT IS NOT OLD. THEREFORE I SEE NO GOOD REASON FOR THESE PARTS TO FAIL. MY BILL WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $700.00 PER THE GARAGE ESTIMATE. I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARANTY, BUT THESE PARTS NOT COVERED, NATURALLY. I GUESS THEY WEREN'T EXPECTED TO FAIL. (MILEAGE I SUBMITTED IS AN ESTIMATE AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT OEM MEANS, SO I LET IT DEFAULT TO NO.)

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN ENGINE STALLED. THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, BUT NO FAILURE CODE WAS FOUND. *AK THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED BY TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS WHO BOTH SHOWED NO FAILURE CODE. *SC

THE OWNER WENT OUT TO THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. HE THEN CONTACTED THE AUTO CLUB AND THEY CAME OUT AND ATTACHED JUMPER CABLES. WHEN THE OWNER TURNED THE IGNITION AS INSTRUCTED BY THE MECHANIC HE IMMEDIATELY HEARD A "BANG" FOLLOWED BY A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT A LEAK DEVELOPED AND LEAKED FLUID ONTO THE ENGINE. ANTIFREEZE WAS GONE. HAD THROTTLE BODY HOUSING REPLACED ON 8/27/03 BECAUSE OF OIL LEAKAGE. HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS. CONSUMER NOTICED A RECALL ON 2000-2003 BUICKS BECAUSE OF PLASTIC BODY HOUSING MELTING.*AK

AFTER SOME LOCAL DRIVING AND BEING PARKED, CAR PRODUCED CLOUD OF EXHAUST SMOKE AND THEN WOULD NOT START. PROBLEM TRACED TO COOLANT LEAKAGE INTO CYLINDERS FROM FAILURE OF UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS. REPAIR COST: $681.30

SIMPLE FACTS WHEN REAR ENDED THE SEATS ON 1999 BUICK LESABRE BROKE BACK SENDING IN BACK SEAT,SEAT BELT NEARLY KILLED ME , AND THE JACK PLACED ON THE RIGHT WING FLEW IN THE FRONT SEAT...... THEN IN 2002 THE CAR CAUSED A MAJOR EXPLOSION NEARLY KILLING ME WITH A FLYING BUICK SIGN CAUGHT ON FIRE THE TIRES .....ETC PROBLEM ....INTAKE MANIFOLD THE CAR ONLY HAD LITTLE MILEAGE AND YES WAS WELL MAINTAINED