1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Complaints

DT: THE FRONT FRAME OF THE CAR RUSTED AT IT'S WELD AND BROKE OFF THE CAR. THE CONSUMER NOTICED IT 2 MONTHS AGO CONTACTED THE DEALER ONCE AND THE MANUCATURER TWICE. THEY TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT AFTER THE YEAR 2003. THE CONSUMER HAS PRICED A NEW FRAME FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND OTHER PLACES.*AK THE FRONT FRAME IS ATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE BODY AND SUPPORTS THE ENGINE, TRANSAXLE STEERING RACK AND STEERING PARTS.*SB *NM

AIR BAG SYSTEAM READY LIGHT WILL STAY ON.OPEN HOOD TO CHECK BATT. AND CAME ON AFTER SHUTING IT. *AK

1. LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT WITH NO APPARENT EXTERNAL LEAKAGE 2. DIFFICULTY STARTING AND THEN FAILURE TO START ENGINE 3. CORRODED PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ALLOWS ENGINE COOLANT INTO ENGINE DESTROYING ENGINE. *AK

VEHICLE IS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVE. THE PLASTIC IDLER PULLEY AND ASSEMBLY FAILED AND THE SURPENTINE BELT NO LONGER TURNED SO THE POWER STEERING WAS LOST (AND MAYBE POWER BRAKES ALSO). THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON I 45 IN HOUSTON AND EXITING OVER A CLOVERLEAF ONTO BELTWAY 8. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO USE MY MUSCLE TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE AND THE PULLEY ASSEMBLY AND BELT WAS REPLACED.*AK

1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE PCM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR *NM

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HAVING THE VERY SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 00V117000. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. *AK THE TWO FRONT SEAT BELTS FREQUENTLY BEGAN JAMMED IN THE SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR. THIS NOT ONLY HAPPEN WHILE INITIALLY BUCKLING THE BELT BUT ALSO OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING LEAVING SLACK IN THE BELT. *NM

I AM SUBMITTING THIS FOR MY FATHER-IN-LAW WHO IS 85 YEARS OLD. THERE IS A DEFECT IN GM 3800 ENGINES (VIN K-RPO L36) AT LEAST FROM 1995 TO 2003. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS DEFECT WHICH MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENTS. MY FATHER-IN-LAW WAS PASSING ANOTHER CAR AT ABOUT 70 MPH ON A TWO LANE COUNTRY ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE IN HIS 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE LOCKED-UP. THE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE THAT THE ENGINE BE REPLACED. THE LOCAL BUICK DEALER STATED THAT GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES (IN FACT, IT'S RATHER WELL KNOWN AMONG AUTO MECHANICS), BUT HAS A POLICY OF NOT ASSISTING WITH REPAIRS AND HAS NOT RECALLED THE ENGINES. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT IN THIS CASE, HOWEVER, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT TO OCCUR ANYTIME AN ENGINE LOCKS UP AT SPEED. I FEEL THAT THESE ENGINES SHOULD BE RECALLED AND MODIFIED/REPAIRED AT GM'S EXPENSE (THERE IS AN AFTER-MARKET KIT AVAILABLE WHICH IS AN INDICATOR OF THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM). THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE ENGINES CAN DEVELOP A LEAK NEAR OR UNDER THE THROTTLE BODY AREA OF THE UPPER (PLASTIC) INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE EGR PASSAGE MELTS THE UPPER INTAKE PLENUM WHICH RESULTS IN AN EXTERNAL (IF YOU ARE LUCKY) OR AN INTERNAL WATER LEAK. IF THE LEAK IS INTERNAL, THE ENGINE CAN ALMOST INSTANTLY LOCK-UP CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. MY FATHER-IN-LAW'S CONNECTING RODS WERE BENT. *AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD DISINTEGRATED. AS A RESULT ANTI- FREEZE LEAKED INTO THE MANIFOLD AND STARTED TO BURN. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

I NOTICED COOLANT IN RESERVOIR WAS DISAPPEARING WITH NO VISIBLE EXTERIOR LEAKING. I FILLED IT AND WATCHED IT CAREFULLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. WITHIN 20 MILES I HAD USED 2 QUARTS OF COOLANT AND THEN MY SES LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC CHECKED IT OUT AND DETERMINED THAT NO. 6 CYLINDER WAS TAKING IN COOLANT. AFTER REMOVING THE INTAKE PLENIM HE FOUND A HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE COOLANT JACKET BY THE EGR VALVE. HOPEFULLY, MY ENGINE IS O.K. BUT SEEMS TO HAVE LOST SOME MILEAGE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART AND I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED. MY TOTAL BILL CAME TO ONLY $382.00 INCLUDING THE NEW PLENIM AND GASKET. (LABOR IN TOWN IS A BARGAIN). I HAVE THE OLD PART AND WILL PROVIDE IT IF REQUESTED.*AK

VEHICLE BATTERY FAILED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK THE BATTERY CABLE CAME LOOSE WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS SITTING IN THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE USING THE POWER DOOR LOCKS. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE BY UNLOCKING THE DOORS MANUALLY. *NM