2003 BUICK REGAL Complaints

I OWNED A 2003 BUICK REGAL WITH 13,000 MILES THAT I PURCHASED NEW AT A DEALER IN INDIANAPOLIS IN JULY OF 2003. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME ON FEBRUARY 4, 2005 FROM RUNNING ERRANDS, MY SEAT HEATER IN THE DRIVER SEAT BECAME SO HOT THAT I HAD TO PULL OVER AND PUT MY WINTER COAT DOWN TO SIT ON IN ORDER TO FINISH THE DRIVE HOME. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY HOME, I PULLED INTO THE GARAGE AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. A SHORT TIME LATER, I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING IN THE HOUSE THAT WAS ON FIRE. I LOOKED OUT INTO THE GARAGE AND THE INSIDE OF MY BUICK WAS ON FIRE. I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS LOCATED ABOUT ONE BLOCK FROM MY HOME. THEY CAME IMMEDIATELY AND PUT OUT THE FIRE AS WELL AS DISCONNECTED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SO THAT MY HOME WOULD NOT CATCH ON FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTACTED GM ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. I WAS TOLD THAT A WRECKER WOULD COME WITHIN TWO HOURS AND PICK UP THE CAR AND TAKE IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THE WRECKER DID PICK UP THE VEHICLE ON FEB. 4TH AND TRANSPORTED IT TO ERIC DICKERSON BUICK IN INDIANAPOLIS. A DIAGNOSTICS WAS RUN ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 7TH. IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING FOR THE SEAT HEATER. AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE CAR WAS TOTALED. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH BUICK AND ASKED THAT THE CAR BE REPLACED. AFTER MANY WEEKS OF BEING PUT OFF BY GM, WE WERE OFFERED A SETTLEMENT BY GM TO NOT SUE THEM. I WAS ALLOWED TO PURCHASE A NEW 2005 BUICK LACROSSE, HOWEVER, I HAD TO GIVE THEM MY CAR AND $3,528.62 OF MY SAVINGS. GM DID PAY FOR MY CAR RENTAL FOR THE TIME I NEEDED ONE. I BELIEVE GM SHOULD HAVE REPLACED MY CAR WITH A NEW ONE AT NO COST TO ME. THEY LEFT ME NO CHOICE. I HAD TO HAVE A CAR. PLUS, THEY ARE NOT RECALLING THIS VEHICLE. I THINK ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE CHECKED. THIS WAS VERY UPSETTING TO ME AS I AM NEARLY 80 YEARS OLD. BUT, THIS INCIDENT SCARED ME AND LEFT ME WITH A DEPLETED SAVINGS ACCOUNT. BUT, IT WAS CHEAPER THAN GOING OUT AND BUYING A NEW OR USED CAR SIMILAR TO MY 2003.*AK

THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT BECAME LOOSE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER, ESPECIALLY ON SLOWER SPEED. *AK THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *SC *JB

WHILE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH IN TRAFFIC DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS VERY HARD. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED $9700 DAMAGE BUT THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE. *NM

AIR BAG LIGHT WAS LIGHTING INTERMITTENTLY. *PH THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO RAN A DIAGNOSTIC. THE DIAGNOSTIC DIDN'T RETRIEVE ANY FAULT CODED THEREFORE NOTHING WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO DO ANY REPAIRS UNDER THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PURCHASED FROM THEM. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SALES DEALER WHO REPAIRED THE PROBLEM WITHIN A DAY. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE SDM HARNESS WAS IMPROPERLY ROUTED AND PULLED AT THE CONNECTOR. *NM (NAR)

WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE TO STALLED. THE OWNER HAS MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND THE PROBLEM STILL CONTINUED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF A THROTTLE PROBLEM. THEY SPRAYED SOMETHING ON IT (ALUMINUM TYPE SPRAY) AND SENT US ON OUR WAY UNTIL THEY ORDERED A NEW PART. IT WAS THE WRONG PART AND A MONTH WENT BY WITHOUT A FURTHER CALL REGARDING ANY NEW PART COMING IN. ON SEPTEMBER 13TH I HEADED INTO ANCHORAGE ON THE BUSIEST HIGHWAY IN THE STATE OF ALASKA. THE THROTTLE SPRING LET GO. I FOUND MYSELF CLUTCHING THE STEERING WHEEL WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND THE BRAKES WOULDN'T WORK. I TRIED DOWNSHIFTING BUT THAT DIDN'T EVEN CAUSE A BLIP OF REACTION IN THE CAR'S SPEED. NOT KNOWING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN BY APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHILE GOING AT LEAST 70 MILES PER HOUR, I HAD NO CHOICE AND PUSHED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THAT DIDN'T WORK AT ALL. AS I RUSHED DOWN THE ROAD WITH THE PARK BRAKE ON, I ALSO PRESSED ON THE REGULAR BRAKES AND THAT FINALLY WORKED ENOUGH THAT I COULD SLOW DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. I DROVE ONTO THE SHOULDER AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. SMOKE ROSE ALL AROUND THE CAR. I STAYED CALM AND TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO BE IN THE RIGHT LANE IF I ROLLED THE CAR. LUCKILY THE SATURDAY MORNING TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT ENOUGH, INITIALLY, THAT I DIDN'R REAR END ANY VEHICHLE, I DIDN'T ROLL, AND I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL. I HAVE NOT, AND WILL NEVER AGAIN DRIVE IT. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR SINCE 9-13-03. I AM A 10 YEAR CUSTOMER OF BUICK. THEY ARE DOING A BUY BACK OF THAT CAR AND I WILL BE OUT ABOUT $3000 WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE. PRETTY EASY "OUT" FOR A COMPANY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SUED IF I HAD BEEN KILLED IN THEIR VEHICLE. MY OWN DRIVING SKILL RESULTED IN MY NOT HAVING A FATAL OUTCOME IN THIS INCIDENT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A WEEKDAY MORNING, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A TRAFFIC JAM IN MY PATH. IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON SNOW OR ICE, I WOULDN'T BE AROUND TO TELL YOU OF THIS. I AM REPORTING THIS SO OTHERS ARE AWARE OF THE THROTTLE PROBLEM.

THE REAR DOOR CHILD SAFETY LOCKS HAVE BEEN REMOVED ON THE 2003 MODEL MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR A CHILD AS YOUNG AS FOUR YEARS OLD WHO IS RESTRAINED IN A CHILD SEAT TO MANUALY UNLOCK THE REAR DOOR, PULL THE DOOR HANDLE AND OPEN THE DOOR. THESE DOOR LOCKS WERE STANDARD ON THE REGAL PRIOR TO THE 2003 MODEL. DT