1997 BUICK REGAL Complaints

1997 BUICK REGAL GS ON THURSDAY MAY 1, 2008 I RECEIVED IN THE MAIL A RECALL LETTER FROM GM. IN THIS LETTER IT EXPLAINS THAT THESE VEHICLES HAVE HIGHER ROCKER COVER GASKET TEMPS. IN SHORT, THIS COULD LEAD TO VEHICLE FIRE AND SURROUNDING PROPERTY. ON FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND PARKED AT A FRIENDS HOUSE. WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND ENGINE OFF, THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE AREA. THE VEHICLE AND CONTENTS WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED. DAMAGE WAS ALSO CAUSED TO THE FRIENDS HOUSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND REQUIRES A LOT OF EFFORT. HE FEELS IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE HE IS UNABLE TO STEER PROPERLY. GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V527000 (STEERING:RACK AND PINION), EVEN THOUGH THE FAILURES ARE IDENTICAL. THE GM RECALL NUMBER IS 03062. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 128,281. UPDATED 02-14-08. *KB

UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. THE SAFETY MECHANISM THAT PREVENTS THE IGNITION KEY FROM BEING REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE DRIVING HAS MALFUNCTIONED, THUS KEEPING THE IGNITION KEY CAPTIVE WHEN DRIVER IS READY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. WHEN VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO "PARK" THE DOORS UNLOCK AS EXPECTED (CONFIRMING PROPER OPERATION OF THE PARK SWITCH), BUT THE IGNITION SWITCH DOES NOT ALLOW THE KEY TO BE ROTATED TO THE EXTRACTION POSITION. AFTER A SEEMINGLY RANDOM AMOUNT OF TIME AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, A SMALL CLICK IS HEARD IN THE STEERING COLUMN, THE KEY CAN THEN BE ROTATED TO THE EXTRACTION POSITION, AND THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE COLDER THE TEMPERATURE, THE LONGER THE DRIVER MUST WAIT FOR THE KEY TO BE RELEASED. TYPICAL WAIT TIMES BEFORE THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH ARE BETWEEN 1 SECOND TO 10 MINUTES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER LEFT AND RIGHT. THIS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V527000, REGARDING THE STEERING RACK AND PINION. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. UPDATED 7/25/2006 - *NM

MY WIFE IS COMPLAINING OF A HARD LEFT STEER ON HER 1997 BUICK REGAL. THE PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR ON EACH TURN AT THIS TIME, BUT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING. BUICK'S CUSTOMER HOT LINE IS REFUSING TO MAKE THE REPAIR ON HER CAR. THEY CLAIM THAT THIS CAR IS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE RECALL # 03062. YET THE RECALL SHOWS THIS RECALL COVERS THE BUICK REGAL MODEL BUILT BETWEEN 08-01-96 THROUGH 07-31-97. THIS CAR WAS BUILT IN THIS TIME FRAME. THIS COULD CAUSE MY WIFE TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT WITH THE POTENTIAL OF FATAL INJURIES. *JB

I NOTICED THAT I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS STEERING WHILE TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT - VERY STIFF AND HARD TO MANIPULATE STEERING WHEEL WHILE AT LOW SPEEDS. I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FLUIDS WERE ALL LEVEL ETC. AND THE TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED. I CONTINUED SEVERAL WEEKS LATER AND AGAIN THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LOW (3RD WEEK OF DEC 2003 & 2ND WEEK OF JAN 2004). I PLANNED ON TAKING THE CAR IN FOR MAINTENANCE WHEN I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE DURING THE 3RD WEEK OF FEB 2004. I TOOK THE CAR INTO SIGNAL HILL BUICK IN CALIFORNIA FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. I WAS MET WITH THE RUDEST SERVICE POSSIBLE, I WAS UNABLE TO GET A RIDE HOME, THE TECHNICIAN I SPOKE TO INITIALLY WOULD NOT EVEN TELL ME WHAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM WITH MY STEERING OTHER THAN THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IT WAS NEVER NOTED THAT STEERING SYSTEM WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE SERVICED. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO HOOMAN BUICK IN CULVER CITY, CA, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE SYSTEM WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN ITS ENTIRETY. *JB

UNABLE TO MAKE LEFT TURN WITH EASE. LEFT TURNS ARE VERY HARD AND AT TIMES DOES NOT TURN LEFT AT ALL. STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY RETURN TO CENTER POSITION. I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE A COMPLETE LEFT HAND TURN, WHICH CAUSED ME TO OVER TURN AND DRIVE OFF THE ROAD. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT WAS PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATIONS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. WHEN THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE HE SAID THE BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AND SPLIT. THE VEHICLE WAS ROUTINELY MAINTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE MECHANIC TO THE SERVICE DEALER. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES, BUT THE BRAKE LINES WERE STILL LEAKING. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE BRAKE CORROSION WAS DUE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES.*AK

DT: THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS STALLING WHILE GOING DOWN A HILL. THE CONSUMER HAD THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR AND THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS FIXED AT A DEALERSHIP, AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WORKING PROPERLY. 1997, BUICK, REGAL. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY $837.00 TO HAVE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR/IGNITION REPLACED. *AK *JB

DT: THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED , BUT THE CONSUMER DID NOT LIKE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE HIM FOR THE REPAIRS.. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THIS ISSUE. *AK