1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Complaints

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A LOUD BACKFIRE AND VISIBLE SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS BLOWN APART. THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF RAW FUEL. I CONTACTED A LOCAL BUICK DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN CAMPAIGNS CONCERNING THIS VEHICLE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE REPAIR WILL COST IN THE RANGE OF $2000 - $2500 DOLLARS.

PURCHASED CAR 04/20/2006. IN JULY '09 USED CAR DEALER REPLACED INTAKE GASKET SET. (THEIR COST) IN JUNE '09 REPLACED CATALYTIC CONVERTOR & THERMOSTAT (MY EXPENSE) AUGUST '10 SAME MECHANIC REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET (MY EXPENSE) ODM 53405 DEC '10 I DISCOVERED ON INTERNET THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THESE PROBLEMS. CONTACTED BUICK AND JULIAN DELCOUR, VICE PRESIDENT SAID THE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN REPAIRED IN 2001 BUT UNABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH DOCUMENTATION. NOTE: RECALL ID#56853 DATED 2/24/2004 RELATED TO FUEL SYSTEM. SEAT BELT RECALL WAS IN 2000. DELCOUR DECLINED MY REQUEST FOR REPAYMENT OF REPAIRS MADE AT MY EXPENSE. THEY NEVER RESPONDED TO ME IN WRITING, ONLY PHONE CONVERSATIONS. MY ANSWERING MACHINE RECORDED HIS LAST CALL TO ME REGARDING THE NON-PAYMENT OR RELEASE OF RECORDS. QUESTIONS TO YOU: 1-WHY COULDN'T HE PROVIDE PROOF OF REPAIRS MADE AND UNABLE TO PROVIDE THIS TO ME, I THEN AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY HAVE NO PROOF. 2-SHOULDN'T THEY BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND PAY FOR MY EXPENSES? I HAVE DOCUMENTED EVERYTHING RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM AND WOULD BE ABLE TO FURNISH YOU COPIES. HOPEFULLY, THIS PROBLEM CAN BE RESOLVED WITH YOUR ASSISTANCE AND I WILL BE SENT A CHECK IN THE AMOUNT OF $931.21 PLUS $100 FOR TWO TOWING CHARGES FROM BUICK.

1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE TO VEHICLE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING OIL ON JULY 3, 2006. THE DEALER REMOVED AND REPLACED THE INTAKE GASKET. ON JULY 9, 2009 THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THERMOSTAT WERE REPLACED AT A COST OF $ 395.91. TWO MONTHS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM RESURFACED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR PULLED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT. BEING ONLY A FEW BLOCKS FROM MY REPAIR SHOP, I SLOWLY DROVE THERE. THE MECHANIC TOOK THE CAR BACK ON THE ROAD AND WHEN BRAKED, PULLED MORE VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT. UPON INSPECTION THE FRAME, ENGINE CRADLE SECTION, HAD BROKEN. IN 30 YEARS, THE MECHANIC HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN. THE CAR HAS ONLY 65,000 MILES AND EVEN THOUGH IT IS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE IT WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. UPDATED 10/05/10 *BF PICTURES RECEIVED. UPDATED 10/07/10 UPDATED 101810 *BF UPDATED IVOQ 10/21/10*JB *TR

CAR OVERHEATED, ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH,I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND COASTED TO A STOP OFF OF THE ROADWAY, ENGINE LOCKED UP. HAD IT TOWED TO BUICK SHOP, WAS TOLD THAT COOLANT HAD GOTTEN INTO THE ENGINE. NEEDED TO REPLACE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLDS AND GASKETS, VALVE COVER GASKETS, SPARK PLUGS AND CHANGE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER. FLUSH COOLING SYSTEM. RESET TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND TEST CAR. COST ABOUT $1800. 81000 MILES ON THE CAR. *TR

1. ENGINE STALLED - SKIPPED, MISSED. LOSS OF ANTIFREEZE. FINALLY COMPLETELY DIED AND HAD TO BE TOWED. 2. OCCURRED TWICE 3. REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY TWICE IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. WHENEVER THE CONTACT WOULD START THE VEHICLE, HHE NOTICED THAT IT WOULD TURN ON FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND THEN IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, HE HEARD A LOUD POP COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLDS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2008, WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH , THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GAIN SPEED. THE CONTACT NOTICED SPARKS COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FLAMES BEGAN TO APPEAR UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 10/30/2008. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT LAP BELT IS LOCKED IN A POSITION AND CANNOT BE PULLED OUT TO WRAP ACROSS THE PASSENGER. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V117000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING) WAS REFERENCED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CRACKED LIKE IT DOES ON ALL OF THE 3.8 LITRE ENGINES G.M. NEEDS TO COVER THIS EXPENSIVE REPAIR WHEN THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR SOME TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE, RUN HOT, AND MAKE SOUNDS AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS GULPING WATER. THE MOTOR LOCKED UP. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, IT WOULD NOT RESTART. A MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE MOTOR LOCKED UP BECAUSE COOLANT WAS ENTERING INTO THE MOTOR. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE IN THREE YEARS. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. HE PAID FOR THE REPAIRS ON BOTH OCCASIONS. THE PURCHASE DATE, POWERTRAIN, AND MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 03-25-08 *BF THE DEALER STATED PERFORMED FUEL RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. UPDATED 03/25/08 *TR