1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Complaints

CONSUMER JUMP STARTED VEHICLE WITH CABLES WHEN ENGINE BLEW AND A FIRE STARTED, CLAIM 23-1290-238. *SLC

SEVERE TREAD SEPARATION ON LEFT FRONT. OTHER THREE TIRES SHOWED START OF DETERIORATION. GOOD YEAR DEALER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND IMMEDIATELY REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES, ADJUSTING THEM AT 50% REAR AND 45% FRONT. IF DEFECT HAD NOT BEEN CAUGHT, SEVERE INJURY COULD HAVE OCCURRED. SINCE ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE, I SUSPECT THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES OF ONE DEFECTIVE TIRE.*AK (DOT NUMBER: M6X0BMWR50 TIRESIZE: P22560R16)

PLASTIC CASE ON INTAKE MANIFOLD - HOLES BURN THROUGH CASE AND WATER GOES INTO CYLINDER

WHEN GOING DOWNHILL THE CONSUMER PLACES THE VEHICLE IN FIRST GEAR AND THE ENGINE DIES THE MECHANIC BELIEVES THAT SHIFTING DOWN EFFECTS THE ENGINE'S COMPUTER SO THAT IT SHUTS DOWN BUT THE CONSUMER IS CONSERNED ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE OWNERS MANUAL WHICH STATES IF YOU DONT DOWNSHIFT THE BRAKES COULD GET HOT AND CAUSE POOR OR NO BRAKING ABILITY. NLM

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN VEHICLE LOST ELECTRICAL POWER AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT A WARNING. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. *AK *ML

THE FRONT DISC PADS, REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND REAR CALIPERS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON A TWO-YEAR-OLD CAR WITH ONLY 38,500 MILES ON IT. BEFORE THE BRAKES WERE FIXED, THE CAR WOULD SHAKE SO BADLY IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO FALL APART. *AK

WIFE HAS COMPLAINED THE STEERING AT TIMES WOULD HAVE NO POWER STEERING. EVERY TIME I WOULD GO OUT AND CHECK THE STEERING IT WAS FINE. THIS WAS GOING ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR. THIS CAR IS MY WIFES AND I RARELY DRIVE THIS CAR. ON JUNE 10, 2000, I DROVE THE CAR ON A 100 MILE ROUND TRIP WITH MY FAMILY(WIFE, TWO BOYS AGE 12 AND MYSELF). 2 MILES FROM THE END OF THIS TRIP WHILE ON A STEP GRADE AT A RATE OF SPEED OF 30 MPH A VECHICLE AHEAD IN SAME LANE AS ME WAS TURNIG RIGHT INTO A DRIVEWAY. THE ROAD ALLOWED PASSING (DOTTED LINE). ANTICIPATING TO STEER AROUND THE VEHICLE. WHEN TRYING TO STEER LEFT THE STEERING BECAME MANUAL, NO POWER ASSISTANCE. ALL MOST IN PANIC, TURNED THE WHEEL HARD (FORCEFULL) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN POWER ASSISTANCE RETURNED. NOW COMPENSATING FOR OVER STEERING TO THE LEFT TRIED TO STEER RIGHT ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME SITUATION OCCUR, NO POWER ASSISTANCE TO THE RIGHT. TURNED HARD TO THE RIGHT ONLY TO HAVE THE POWER ASSIST RESUME. ASKED MY WIFE IF THIS IS WHAT SHE HAD EXPERIENCED. SHE SAID NOT TO THIS EXTENT. IDROVE THE CAR THE REST OF THE WAY HOME (2 MILES) WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBLEMS UNTILL I TRIED TO TURN INTO MY DRIVEWAY. AGAIN NO POWER STEERING. CALLED THE DEALER MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AS SOON AS I COULD GET IN. DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN UNTILL I BROUGHT TO DEALER. (JUNE 14,2000). DEALER FOUND AN INTERNAL FAILURE IN THE STEERING RACK. I ASKED IF BUICK HAD A RECALL ON THIS FAILED COMPONENT. DEALER SAID NOT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE. CALL THE BUICK HOT LINE FOR COSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE AND THEY WOULD NOT ATHORIZE THE REPAIR UNDER BUICK AN DHTAT IS WAS RESPONIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. I EXPLAINED TO THE REPRESENTITIVE FROM BUICK THAT I FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE SAFETY FEATURE ON THE VEHICLE HAD FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. I ASKED IF THEY FELT THE STEERIG OF A VEHICLE OR LACK OF THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THEY WOULD NOT COMMENT, AND WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR. RAN OUT OF SPACE. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT, JUST HAD VEHICLE SERVICED FOR AN OIL CHANGE. STARTED VEHICLE AND ENGINE EXPLODED, FLAMES ENGULFED VEHICLE. BUICK HAD RECALL FOR SAME PROBLEM IN 96 & 97 MODELS. *AK *ML

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT OFF. THERE WAS NO STEERING OR BRAKES, ETC. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, DRIVER JUST BARELY TOUCHED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND VEHICLE WENT DEAD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER STATED THAT A FAULTY CELL IN THE BATTERY CAUSED THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML