2011 BUICK LUCERNE Complaints

THE BUICK LUCERNE 2011 WE OWN HAD THE BATTERY EXPLODE UPON TURNING THE KEY. I AM WIFE/CAREGIVER TO 100% DISABLED VETERAN AND HIS SERVICE DOG. NORMALLY I WOULD HAVE PUT THEM BOTH IN THE CAR BEFORE TURNING THE KEY BUT LUCKILY ON THIS DAY I DID NOT OR WE ALL WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE CAR WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WE IMMEDIATELY HAD CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC AFTER THE ACID AND SMOKE IN CAR HAD CLEARED. IT WAS DEEMED THAT BATTERY EXPLODED AS IT IS UNDER THE REAR SEAT AND WE COULD NOT SEE IT UNTIL THE SEAT WAS OUT. A NEW BATTERY WAS PUT IN BUT THE RESIDUAL ACID BURNING AND MELTING SEAT HAD ME TAKE IT BACK FOR FURTHER REPAIR. THE INSURANCE COMPANY FINALLY CONCEDED TO REPLACE THE 2ND BATTERY AND PUT NEW FOAM IN BACK SEAT AS THE 1ST NEW ONE WAS ALREADY CORRODING AFTER 2 WEEKS. IT WAS TOLD TO ME THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS GOING TO TOTAL THE CAR AS IT IS A LIFE THREATENING FIRE HAZARD BUT THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND AND HAD US PAY ABOUT $1000 OUT OF POCKET FOR NEW ALTERNATOR AS THEY CLAIM IT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION. WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN OR CAUSE A FIRE AS THE ENTIRE WIRING UNDER THE SEATS FROM THE ALTERNATOR IS DEFECTIVE. IT IS TERRIFYING TO BE IN THIS (OUR ONLY VECHICLE FOR TRANSPORT TO VA HOSPITAL TREATMENTS) CAR DAILY. WE WAIT ANOTHER EXPLOSION OR FIRE ANY MINUTE. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO EXAMINE THE CAR FOR SAFETY AS THEY MUST BE EQUALLY AFRAID OR UNABLE TO ASSURE IT IS SAFE. PLEASE ADVISE OTHERS OF THIS LIFE THREATENING FIRE HAZARD BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I PRAY IT WONT BE US, OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT TO HARM OTHERS. WE STILL OWE $$ ON THIS CAR AS WE BOUGHT IT USED 2 YEARS AGO AND THE DEALER WILL NOT ASSIST IN HELPING US GET ENOUGH TO PAY THE LOAN BUT GLADLY TOOK MANY THOUSANDS OVER VALUE FROM US. PLEASE MAKE THIS PUBLIC TO SAVE LIVES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP RELAY HAD OVERHEATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

THE SEAT BELT WARNING BELL SOMETIMES DOES NOT BEEP UNTIL YOU ARE ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD, THIS HAPPENS ON BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDE AND IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, THAT BELL SHOULD RING IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO GEAR!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. IT TOOK THE CONTACT SEVERAL MINUTES TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND, EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE CONTACT WAS LOCKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE ELECTRONIC LOCK SYSTEM WITHIN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT SERVICED THE VEHICLE HIMSELF AND FOUND THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT IN SYNC WITH THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE TRAVEL IN THE THIRD CLUTCH PISTON. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD ACTIVATE AT RANDOM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,400. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNINTENTIONALLY WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO A WALL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. IN ADDITION, THE DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT DID NOT DISCLOSE IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OR NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED; HOWEVER, THE BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN--WHEN I ACCELERATED TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE CAR SHIFTED INTO THE GEAR FOR DRIVING IN THE SNOW. THE GEAR SHIFT STILL WAS IN DRIVE. IN THE SNOW DRIVE GEAR YOU GET A BUMPY RIDE AND CAN ONLY GO 30 MPH. I HAD ON STAR AT THAT TIME AND THEY TOLD ME TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND IT WOULD GET ME OUT OF THAT GEAR. I DID THAT TWICE AND IT WORKED. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A DEALER IN FLORIDA AND THEY SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY FUSE--WHICH THEY REPLACED. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN THIS WEEK; I NOW HAVE 34,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. TURNING THE CAR OFF ALSO WORKED. I WILL BRING THE CAR INTO BUICK TO HAVE IT CHECKED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE CAR WILL SLIP INTO THE SLOW GEAR WHILE I'M DRIVING. HAS ANYONE ELSE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

BACKGROUND - I JUST WENT THROUGH THE IGNITION RECALL ON MY 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND I AM COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR NOW. THEN I RECEIVED RECALL 14299 ON MY 2011 BUICK LUCERNE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 14V355) INVOLVING A SIMILAR IGNITION ISSUE. IT ALSO MENTIONED THE WEIGHT ISSUE OF ITEMS HANGING ON THE KEY CAUSING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, BRAKING, ETC. THE RECALL PROVIDED THE SAME INTERIM INSTRUCTIONS AS THE COBALT, REMOVE EVERYTHING FROM THE KEY INCLUDING THE FOB. I TOOK MY BUICK LUCERNE IN FOR THE RECALL AND FOUND OUT ALL IT INVOLVED WAS ADDING TWO KEY RINGS AND AN INSERT IN THE KEY. AFTER THE RECALL IS PERFORMED IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE TO ADD PREVIOUSLY REMOVED ITEMS BACK ON YOUR KEY RING. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW ADDING TWO KEY RINGS AND AN INSERT CAN CORRECT A WEIGHT ISSUE ON THE KEY. I HAVEN'T HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED YET BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE BOTH KEYS WITH ME WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I AM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF I AM WASTING MY TIME DRIVING 40 MILES FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE A GENERAL MOTORS SHAM. HAS THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION EVALUATED AND APPROVED THIS FIX? *TR