1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Complaints

DRIVER SIDE MIRROR TURNS A BRONZE COLOR AND IT IS HARD TO VIEW THROUGH IT. I CAN'T FIND THE RIGHT PLACE TO SUBMIT THE VEHICLE MAKE. THE VEHICLE IS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM TOWN. I MOVED OVER ON THE STREET NEAR MY HOME TO LET ANOTHER CAR PASS AND I FELT A LARGE BUMP AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR DROPPED DOWN. I GOT OUT THINKING I HAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE TIRE WAS IN THE WHEEL WELL AT A VERY CROOKED ANGLE AND SIT SOME WHAT ON THE TIRES EDGE. I WAS ABLE TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE WHEEL AND LIMPED HOME. THE MECHANIC ON MONDAY SAID THE CRADLE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR RUSTED OUT AND HAD BROKEN. WHEN THE CRADLE BROKE SO DID THE RIGHT AXLE. HE HAS HAD A HARD TIME FINDING A GOOD USED CRADLE AS GM DOES NOT MAKE NEW ONES ANYMORE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM TOWN. I MOVED OVER ON THE STREET NEAR MY HOME TO LET ANOTHER CAR PASS AND I FELT A LARGE BUMP AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR DROPPED DOWN. I GOT OUT THINKING I HAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE TIRE WAS IN THE WHEEL WELL AT A VERY CROOKED ANGLE AND SIT SOME WHAT ON THE TIRES EDGE. I WAS ABLE TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE WHEEL AND LIMPED HOME. THE MECHANIC ON MONDAY SAID THE CRADLE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR RUSTED OUT AND HAD BROKEN. WHEN THE CRADLE BROKE SO DID THE RIGHT AXLE. HE HAS HAD A HARD TIME FINDING A GOOD USED CRADLE AS GM DOES NOT MAKE NEW ONES ANYMORE. *TR

TWO DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT I STARTED HAVING AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR OVER A RELATIVES HOUSE A HALF MILE FROM MY HOME, AND DECIDED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FROM THEIR. ON THE DRIVE HOME, THE RIGHT FRONT CONTROL ARM SEPARATED FROM THE SUBFRAME (ENGINE FRAME OR CRADLE) AT THE AFTER BRACKET WHICH RESULTED IN THE RIGHT HALF SHAFT FAILING. THIS HAPPENED AS I WAS TURNING INTO MY DEVELOPMENT. THE SUBFRAME WAS SERIOUSLY CORRODED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE SUBFRAME AND HALF SHAFT REPLACED WITH NEW PARTS. I CONTACTED BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A MAJOR STRUCTURAL FAILURE ON THE CAR. THEY DECLINED TO OFFER ANY REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR, DUE TO THE VEHICLES AGE (NINE YEARS) AND MILEAGE (134,500). I MAINTAIN THAT THE FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED, AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT HAD IT OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

GREETINGS, I PROCURED A CAR FROM THE TWIN CITY BUICK DEALERSHIP ON 3046 AIRPORT HIGHWAY [ALCOA TN 37701] TO PURCHASE A NICE USED CAR FOR MY SON. THE SALESMAN, WAS NICE ENOUGH TO SHOW ME / STEER ME IN THE DIRECTION OF A 1998 BUICK PARK AVE WITH 30K ORIGINAL MILES. WE RAN A BACKGROUND CHECK ON THE MILES AND CAR HISTORY REPORT AND WITH A HANDSHAKE CALLED THE DEAL DONE. MY SON USED THE CAR FOR ONE YEAR AND PUT ABOUT 10K MILES ON THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS GETTING A LITTLE WARMER THAN NORMAL. THE CAR WAS CHECKED OUT AT CLIFTON BUICK DEALERSHIP IN ROCKWOOD TENNESSEE MY SON WAS AT SUMMER CAMP IN ROCKWOOD TENNESSEE AS A BOY SCOUT LEADER FOR THE LAST TWO SUMMERS AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PLENUM GASKET DEVICE WAS DEFECTIVE. IN ADDITION, ANTI-FREEZE WAS DISCOVERED LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE AS WELL. THE BILL TO GET BEN'S CAR BACK ON THE ROAD WAS IN $568.06 ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. IT WAS A FAULTY SENSOR DISCOVERED AND MOST LIKELY ATTRIBUTED TO THE ANTI-FREEZE LEAKING THROUGH THE TAILPIPE AS WAS SUGGESTED BY THE DEALER. THIS COST WAS $315.66. FINALLY, ABOUT A WEEK GOES BY AND NOW THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. AGAIN WE ARE AT THE DEALER AND DISCOVERED IT WAS NOT THE ANTI-FREEZE BUT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FROM THE PLENUM ISSUE. THE COST TO TROUBLE-SHOOT THE CAR WAS $82.60. ADDITIONAL DETAIL PROVIDED BY THE DEALER IS $3,360.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A USED ENGINE THAT HAS 68K MILES AND 1 YEAR WARRANTY OR $4,453.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A REBUILT ONE THAT HAS A 3 YEAR 100K MILE WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED THE REBUILT ONE. *JB UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S FRAME HAS RUSTED OUT. A LOCAL MECHANIC IS CURRENTLY REPLACING THE FRAME. THE PURCHASE DATE AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 118,000. THE CONSUMER PROVIDED PICTURES OF THE DEFECT. UPDATED 07/06/07 *TR

SUPERCHARGER TENSIONOR PULLEY/BEARING ASSEMBLY AND BELT HAS BROKE FOR THE THIRD TIME AT MILEAGES OF 82457, 93720, 139,000. *NM

ON MAY 6, 2006 WE WERE COMING BACK TO SPARTANBURG, SC FROM THE BEACH. WE WERE ABOUT 7 MILES FROM KINGSREE, SC. AFTER LEAVING A SERVICE STATION, WE STARTED GETTING "CHECK ENGINE" MESSAGES. WE WENT BACK TO THE SERVICE STATION TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG. WE HAD NO COOLANT. I PUT A GALLON OF COOLANT IN AND DECIDED TO GO INTO KINGSTREE, SC IN CASE THERE WAS MORE TROUBLE. JUST AS WE GOT TO KINGSTREE, SC WE STOPPED AT ANOTHER STATION AFTER GETTING MORE "CHECK ENGINE" MESSAGES. AGAIN, WE WERE OUT OF COOLANT AND NOW THE CAR WOULD NOT START. A WRECKER TOWED IT TO A GARAGE. THE MECHANIC SAID HE WAS FAIRLY CERTAIN OF WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE BUICK HAD BEEN HAVING LOTS OF TROUBLE WITH A PARTICULAR PART. HE THEN CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS THE UPPER INTAKE. HE REPLACED THE UPPER INTAKE PART WITH A REVISED PART FROM BUICK AND ASSURED US WE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY MORE TROUBLE WITH THE COOLANT. THIS COST $571.48 AND A 6 HOUR DELAY. THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS IF WE HAD NOT BEEN NEAR A SERVICE STATION. BUICK REFUSES TO PAY OR ACKNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE OVERHEATED SEVERAL TIMES AND CONTINUOUSLY REQUIRED ADDITIONAL COOLANT FLUID. THIS WAS ALWAYS PRECEDED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, THEY DETERMINED THERE WAS A PINHOLE SIZED LEAK IN THE MANIFOLD. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS ABLE TO REPAIR THE LEAK.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED IN MAY 2003 THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START AT TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE PLENUM ON THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. TWO WEEKS AGO ON 2-4-06 THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING 65-70 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND DRIVEN HOME. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 2-6-06 WHERE THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE PLENUM ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AGAIN. COOLANT HAD SEEPED INTO THE ENGINE RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED.