1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE Complaints

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BELT AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $545.00. *AK REFER TO RECALL#77955 *SC

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND WITH OUT ANY WARNING STEERING WHEEL FAILED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC INDICATED THE BELT BROKE. *AK

VEHICLE OVERHEATED TWICE WITHIN A 2 MONTH PERIOD. COOLANT ELBOW BROKE WHEN VEHICLE OVERHEATED THE FIRST TIME. THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD BROKE. *LA *JB

THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON THE CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NM

MY NUMBER ONE PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR IS THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED UNDER NORMAL USE. THIS ALLOWED COOLANT TO MIX WITH THE OIL WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE MAIN BEARINGS WERE DESTROYED AND I HAD TO BUY A NEW ENGINE. (I HAVE THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD IN MY POSSESSION.) THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CAN NOT WITHSTAND THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE EGR VALVE AND EVENTUALLY SUFFERS FROM THERMAL FATIGUE AT THE EGR AND STRESS RELAXATION AROUND THE FLANGE OF THE MANIFOLD. I NOTIFIED GM OF THE PROBLEM IN WRITING AND THEY OFFERED ME $800 COMPENSATION FOR MY $5,000.00 PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY ENGINE WAS PROBABLY ON ITS LAST LEGS. I TOLD THEM THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN BABIED AND OFFERED UP RESULTS OF THE MANDATORY EMISSIONS TEST THAT THE CAR UNDERWENT NOT 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO FAILURE AS PROOF THAT THE CAR WAS IN GOOD RUNNING ORDER. (IN TORONTO, ALL VEHICLE OWNERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR CARS FOR EMISSIONS TESTING EVERY 2 YEARS. THE CAR IS MEASURED FOR HYDRO CARBON OUTPUT, NOX OUTPUT, CO, AND CO2. IF THE ENGINE HAD BEEN MALFUNCTIONING, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN QUALIFIED.) THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF GM DIDN'T SWITCH FROM ALUMINUM TO PLASTIC. OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR INCLUDE A REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE, - 3'RD ALTERNATOR, 2ND BATTERY , A SECURITY SYSTEM THAT SOUNDS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, WATER IN THE TRUNK (SEVERAL ATTEMPT TO REPAIR, ENDED UP DRILLING A HOLE IN THE TRUNK), FAILED AC COMPRESSOR, FAILED HEATED SEAT, SEVERAL INSTRUMENT CONTROL LIGHT BULBS HAVE BURNED OUT AND CAN NOT BE REPLACED, YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT. THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS THAT WARP EVERY 35,000 KM. - FUEL GAUGE THAT DOESN'T WORK BELOW A QUARTER TANK. IF YOU WOULD LIKE COPIES OF CORRESPONDENCE SENT TO GM, LET ME KNOW. REGARDS DOUG WEBB 13 BRUMELL AVENUE TORONTO, ONTARIO M6S 4G3 [email protected] 905-238-0007 EX. 2624 (DAYTIME)

HEATER/AIR CONDITIONING LEAKS ONTO FLOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AFTER PURCHASE (NEW) AND WE COMPLAINED. DEALERSHIP REPLACED WATER PUMP. STILL LEAKED. BECAME MUCH WORSE IN JULY 2003 (REQUIRED A ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS TO KEEP THE FRONT FLOOR BOARD SEMI DRY ON TRIPS). WE TOOK IT TO FITZPATRICK IN CONCORD, CA AND THEY STATED THAT ALL GM VEHICLES DID THAT AND THERE WAS NO REPAIR NEEDED. THIS WAS WHEN THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW, NO LONGER IS.

THE HEATER IN THE SEAT QUIT WORKING. A NEW ONE WAS INSTALLED AND IT DOESN'T HEAT UP CORRECTLY. THE MOTOR IN THE WINDOW FAILED. THE ROTORS/BRAKES WERE WARPED. THE STEREO FAILED. THE WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL UP CORRECTLY DESPITE A NEW ONE BEING PUT IN. THE STARTER IS DRAGGING. SOME OF THIS WAS COVERED UNDER THE SMART CHOICE EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER SOME OF THE REPAIRS ARE STILL NEEDED AND I STILL HAVE TIME REMAINING ON MY SMART CHOICE WARRRANTY BUT THEY HAVE WENT BANKRUPT AND MY DEALER SAYS THE WARRANTY IS NO LONGER VALID AND I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS DONE.

TRANSMISSION STARTED TO JUMP INTO OD. VIBRATION AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. REPLACED TRANNY WITH GM REBUILT.AFTER 700 MILES PROBLEM CAME BACK (VIBRATION ONLY) SAME PROBLEM BUT NOW HAS METAL TO METAL GRINDING WHEN MAKING LEFT TURN AND ACCELERATING. REPLACED ENGINE MOUNTS. THEY WERE CRACKED. PRIOR TO THIS DEALER SAID IT WAS THE SOLINOID, REPALCED. THEY ONLY MADE THIS TRANNY IN 1997

THE A/C WILL TURN ON AGAIN AFTER I TURN IT OFF. THE RADIO WILL SHIFT TO CASSETTE AND BACK WHILE DISPLAYING E33. DRIVERS WINDOW WILL COME DOWN UNEVENLY AND GET WEDGED. THE ALTERNATER WENT OUT AND THE BOTTOM BOLT STRIPPED DURING REMOVAL. THERE IS A LURCH SOMETIMES DURING SHIFTING.

MY FACTORY INSTALLED SUPERCHARGER HAS HAD A PULLEY MECHANISM FALL APART. AS A RESULT THE BELT FROM THIS SYSTEM (SIMILAR TO A DRIVE TRAIN BELT) FELL DOWN THROUGH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE ABRUPTLY STOPPING MY VEHICLE AS THE BELT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE ANOTHER COMPONENT IN THE ENGINE. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES AND EACH TIME HAS INVOLVED A DIFFERENT PULLEY ON THE SYSTEM.*AK