1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Complaints

WHILE ENROUTE HOME FROM VACATION LOW COOLANT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. WITHIN A FEW MILES THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP BACK A MILE OR SO TO A CHEVROLET DEALER I HAD PASSED. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAD FAILED, COSTING $593 TO REPLACE ALONG WITH THE SPARK PLUGS, OIL AND FILTER. HOWEVER, UPON RETURNING HOME, I OPENED THE OIL FILLER CAP TO FIND A GLOB OF WATER CONTAMINATED OIL INSIDE. NOW EVEN SHORT TRIPS RESULT IN WATER DROPLETS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE OIL FILLER CAP. ALSO, THE ENGINE IDLE IS DOWN ABOUT 100 RPM, IT DOESN'T SOUND OR RUN AS SMOOTHLY AS BEORE AND THERE'S A SLIGHTLY DETECTABLE METALLIC KNOCK FROM THE ENGINE. I BELIEVE THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS ALSO FAILED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD AND GASKET DESIGN, A $34,000 VEHICLE HAS A SICK ENGINE AT ONLY 64,000 MILES. THE MECHANIC THAT REPLACED THE GASKET SAID HE HAD ONLY WORKED AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THREE WEEKS, BUT REPLACING THESE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS HAD BEEN A CONTINUOUS JOB. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID I WAS LUCKY, BECAUSE ANOTHER CUSTOMER HAD SEIZED THE STARTER AND BROKEN THE FLYWHEEL TRYING TO JUMP START HER CAR FULL OF COOLANT FROM A FAILED INTAKE GASKET.*AK THIS PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND GASKET DESIGN IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY GM AND NOT BORNE BY THE CUSTOMER. I'VE ALSO EXPERIENCED MOST OF THE OTHER CHARACTERISTIC FAILURES WITH THIS CAR SUCH AS, WARPED BRAKE ROTORS, FAILED IGNITION CONTROL MODULE, FAILED SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR, BROKEN ASH TRAY DOOR LATCH, SHUDDER IN STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEED, SUSPENSION VIBRATION DUE TO DEFECTIVE BUSHINGS, ETC. AFTER 26 YEARS OF GM OWNERSHIP LOYALTY, I'M CALLING IT QUITS.

DRIVER STARTED THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. *AK

WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION, THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PRESSURE HOSES IN THE POWER STEERING. *AK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVE OVER BUMPS, THERE WAS A NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE AREA. THE ASH TRAY LID WAS INOPERATIVE. *JB

WHEN MAKING A TURN IN EITHER ON A STRAIGHT " " DIRECTION THE VEHICLE STALLED. BUT THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. *AK *SC

I HAVE A 1998 BUICK PARK AVE. PURCHASED AT MY DEALERSHIP: BRUNSWICK BUICK PONTIAC, 1120 ROUTE 18 NORTH, EAST BRUNSWICK NJ, 08816, PHONE# 732-651-4110, MR. JOSE PASCUAL (SERVICE ADVISOR), WITH ORIGINAL GOODYEAR EAGLE LS TIRES SERIAL NUMBERS: 0606, 0610, 0615, 0623 ON THE VEHICLE. AT APPROX. 41593 MILES, MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT IN MY DRIVEWAY. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ABOVE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT A GASH APPROX. 5" LONG ON THE 'INTERIOR CAUSED BY A DISPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES STEEL BELT, AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY THE SERVICE REP., I WAS TOLD THAT THE OTHER THREE TIRES WERE ON THE VERGE OF A SIMILAR FAILURE. HAD THE FAILURE NOT HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY BUT ON THE HIGHWAY I MIGHT NOT BE WRITING THIS. I CONTACTED A MR. TOM D. AT GOODYEAR (732-821-4700) REFERENCE # 671401, AND WAS TOLD TO BRING ALL FOUR TIRES TO A GOODYEAR DEALER WHICH I DID AND WAS TOLD THE DETERIORATION WAS DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, BUT I TOLD GOODYEAR THAT NO-ONE WOULD BUY THESE TIRES WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE BELTS WOULD COME APART AT APPROX. 40000 MILES. I CONVEYED THEIR COMMENTS TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DID NOT AGREE WITH THIS CONCLUSION AND IS HOLDING THE FOUR TIRES FOR A G.M. REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT THE TIRES. IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO REPLACE THE TIRES PREMATURELY AT MY EXPENSE AS I HAD MORE NORMAL USE OF THE EXISTING TIRE RUBBER. I AM SEEKING: 1- REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST $409.53 OF THE TIRE REPLACEMENTS FROM GOODYEAR, AND 2- TO APPRISE YOUR AGENCY OF THIS CONDITION AS RECOMMENDED BY A BUICK G.M. CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MS. KELLLY BRISTOL, PHONE # 866-952-4368, X58036, SERVICE REQUEST # 1-172024374, SO THAT ANY OTHER PERSONS HAVING SIMILAR TIRES CAN HAVE THEM EXAMINED FOR POSSIBLE DEFECTS. *JB

FAILURE OF PLASTIC UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD ON 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO ENGINE CYLINDERS. THE REPAIR BILL COST $990. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OTHER MANUFACTURER BESIDES GENERAL MOTORS CONSTRUCT THEIR INTAKE MANIFOLDS OUT OF PLASTIC. THE SERVICING DEALERSHIP NOTED THAT THEY ARE REPLACING AN AVERAGE OF 3 PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS EACH WEEK DUE TO PLASTIC FAILURE AND ANTIFREEZE LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE CYLINDERS. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AS THIS ENGINE (3.8 LITER) AND PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE USED IN MULTIPLE GM VEHICLES FROM AT LEAST 1996 THROUGH THE PRESENT. *JB

WHEN THE GAS TANK WAS FILLED TO HIGH GAS SPILLED OVER INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR: THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WENT OUT ON MY 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE 3800 V6 AND I HAD IT REPLACED ON 8-19-03 AT A COST OF $142.79. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT BUICK HAS NOW ISSUED A RECALL ON THE BUICK PARK AVENUE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN #03V473000) FOR FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS AND BUICK HAS INFORMED ME THAT MY PARK AVENUE IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL. I BELIEVE THAT MY CAR IS INVOLVED WITH THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT BUICK IS NOW INVOLVED IN. I BELIEVE THAT IF MY CAR IS INVOLVED THAT BUICK SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR MY REPAIR AND THE COST THAT I HAVE INCURRED. I HAVE DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT THE FACT THAT THE PART WAS REPLACED AND I PAID FOR THE REPAIR. *CB

THE PLASTIC UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED AN INTERNAL CRACK, WHICH LEAKED COOLANT INTO THE COMBUSTION CYLINDERS. THE 3.8L V6 ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND THEN HYDROLOCKED. IT WAS REPAIRED BY A CERTIFIED BUICK DEALER. THE DAY THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED, WITHIN 20 MILES OF DRIVING, THE REAR MAIN BEARING SEAL FAILED. THE DEALER FELT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE COOLANT MIXING WITH THE OIL. AFTER THIS REPAIR, THE ENGINE RAN APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES AND SPUN A MAIN BEARING, DUE TO THE COOLANT/OIL MIXTURE. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO BUICK. THEY FEEL IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM.

3.8L ENGINE SEIZED IN MID-DRIVE ON HIGHWAY. TOWED AND DIAGNOSED BY BUICK DEALER AS CORRODED MANIFOLDS FROM DEX COOL. REPLACED BOTH MANIFOLDS. REPLACED ALL GASKETS ON PANS ETC. REPLACED FLUIDS, OIL AND COOLANT, AS WELL AS PLUGS AND CLEANED ALL.