1999 BUICK PARK AVENUE Complaints

DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT STUCK IN THE RELEASE POSITION. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO TIGHTEN THE BELT. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS YET TO BE DETERMINED.*AK

THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 13TH, 2003, MY FATHER (JAMES) STARTED HIS 1999 BUICK PARK AVENUE IN THE GARAGE. UPON TURNING THE KEY, HE HEARD AN EXPLOSION. HE OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ENGULFED IN FLAMES. HE THEN PUSHED THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AND CALLED 911. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. ONE OF THE FIREMEN, WHO WORKS ON CARS, TOLD US THAT HE HAD WORKED ON 2 OTHER CARS THAT EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. COLIN HAMES. *AK

THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT, AND SEAT BELT INTERLOCK WILL NOT LOCK. *AK NINETY PERCENT OF THE TIME THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT WILL NOT UNLATCH. YOU HAVE TO PULL AND PULL INCH BY INCH UNTIL IT RELEASES. IT IS VERY SLOW IN RETRACTING AND SOMETIMES WON'T RETRACT AT ALL. *PH

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SHAKING AND SMOKING DUE TO ANTI-FREEZE LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE.*MR (NAR) THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A REFUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $1177.52 FOR REPAIRS MADE ON DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. *CB

CONSUMER WENT TO START VEHICLE AND THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD. THE MOTOR AND ALL CONNECTING PARTS CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

I STARTED NOTICING THAT I WAS HEARING POWER STEERING 'WHINING', WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL AT TIMES. THIS GRADUALLY DEVELOPED INTO THE RECENT SITUATION WHERE IT APPEARED THAT I WOULD LOSE POWER STEERING CAPABILITY WHILE MAKING A SHARP TURN. THIS TURN COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS MAKING A RIGHT/LEFT TURN DIRECTLY INTO A DRIVEWAY, WHILE TRAVELING SLOWLY. THIS ALSO HAPPENED WHEN MAKING A U-TURN, AFTER TURNING THE WHEEL ALL THE WAY LEFT/RIGHT. BACKING UP, TURNING HARD LEFT/RIGHT, ALSO PRODUCED THE PROBLEM THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE READY TODAY. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD INITIALLY STATED THAT TWO HOSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I CALLED LATE THIS AFTERNOON, THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE HOSES HAD NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. HE STATED THAT GM'S INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS WERE TO REPLACE THE HOSES. AT THE END OF THE DAY THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO REPACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE RACK AND PINION COMPONENT. I HAVE SEEN THE COMMENTARIES CONCERNING THE STEERING PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES. WHY WAS THERE NOT A SAFETY RECALL ON THEM. HOW DO I TRUST THIS NEW STEERING SYSTEM TO NOT FAIL AT SOME FUTURE POINT? AS THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD STATED INITIALLY, I COULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE IF I HAD NEEDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANE CHANGE, AT SLOW SPEED, AND THE STEERING HAD SURPRISED ME BY BECOMING HARD TO STEER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MY LIFE AND THAT OF OTHER'S COULD BE AT RISK BY THIS TYPE OF SAFETY ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING TAKEN TO GET GM TO RESOLVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND TO REIMBURSE CONSUMERS WHO HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIRS TO A DEFECTIVE SYSTEM. I WOULD BOTH LIKE TO HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE AND MY MONEY BACK FOR THE REPAIR THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED ENGINE WOULD STALL. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. *AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ENGINE COOLING LEAK AT UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. MANUFACTURER ISSUED A RECALL FOR 2000-2003 VEHICLES, BUT CONSUMER OWNED A 1999, BUICK, PARK AVENUE. CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE FIXED AND ASKED FOR REIMBURSEMENT, HE WAS DENIED. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THE BATTERY TERMINAL LEAKED ACID ONTO THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE BATTERY HAD BEEN REPLACED TWICE DUE TO A LEAK. *PH THIS HAPPENED FOR A SECOND TIME. THE BATTERY WAS BY DELCO FOR GM WHICH HAD SIDE TERMINALS WHICH SUDDENLY LEAKED. (THIS ACID CORRODED THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT AND LEAKED ONTO THE GARAGE FLOOR EATING THE CONCRETE. PRIOR ODI# 8002108 *SCC *JB

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT CANNOT BE OR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PULL FROM THE FULLY RETRACTED POSITION. *AK