1997 BUICK RIVIERA Complaints

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN SECURITY LIGHT IS ON THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. CONSUMER HAS TO WAIT 2-3 MINUTES, SOMETIMES LONGER, AND THE VEHICLE WILL START.*AK

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL COMPLETELY DISENGAGED. *JB *SC

1997 BUICK RIVERA ... DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY-HOLE WORN INTO HIGH PRESSURE FREON DISCHARGE HOSE-FREON SPRAYED THROUGHOUT ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ONTO DRIVE BELTS-BELT BROKE AND WRAPPED AROUND HARMONIC BALANCER - BROKE TEETH AND CRANK SENSOR- ENGINE DIED IMMEDIATELY-LOSS OF POWER STEERING, BRAKING, ETC., DEAD CAR HARD TO CONTROL - TOWED TO GM DEALER - DEALER REPLACED ALL PARTS ($900.00) - GM MECHANICS AND SERVICE MANAGER ALL AGREED TO BUICK DESIGN FLAW - STEEL MANIFOLD FOR FREON HOSES IS FORMED IN SUCH A WAY TO CAUSE FREON HOSES TO RUB AGAINST EACH OTHER AND EVENTUALLY WEAR A HOLE INTO FREON HOSE. - I KEPT PART - CALLED DEALER TO COMPLAIN- THEY REFERRED ME TO BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE- THEY SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING AS NO RECALLS NOR SERVICE BULLETINS HAD BEEN ISSUED ON THE MATTER - I ASKED FOR INFORMATION AS TO HOW MANY OF THESE INCIDENTS HAD OCCURRED - OR HOW MANY OF THIS FREON MANIFOLD REPLACEMENTS HAVE BEEN SOLD - OR IF THERE HAD BEEN A REDESIGN TO CORRECT THIS PART - THEY WOULD FURNISH ME WITH NONE OF THIS REQUESTED INFORMATION.*AK

WE HAVE A '97 RIVIERA WITH PAINT PROBLEMS...IF THE PAINT BECOMES CHIPPED OR SCRATCHED, TEMPERATURE CHANGES CAUSE THE PAINT TO SHRINK AND EXPAND (MORESO WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS COLDER) AND UNLESS I BREAK THE SHEETS OF PEELING PAINT OFF, IT KEEPS SPREADING. THIS EXPOSES THE GRAY METAL SEALER. I'D BE GLAD TO SEND YOU A SAMPLE OF THE PAINT (CHAMPAINGE PEARL) WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. *JB

THE SENDING UNIT FAILED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME AT 44,000 MILES, SECOND TIME AT 67,000 MILES, AND THIRD TIME AT 80,000 MILES. THE UNIT WAS REPLACED. CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW HOW MUCH GAS WAS ACTUALLY IN THE VEHICLE. *AK THE SENDING UNIT HAD BARE AND MELTED COMPONENTS. *TC

JACK FOR MY 1997 BUICK RIVIERA COLLAPSED WHEN I TRIED TO CHANGE TIRE. FORTUNATELY, I HAD NOT REMOVED THE FLAT TIRE YET AND WAS NOT INJURED. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER USED THE JACK SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. I STILL HAVE THE DEFECTIVE JACK. I ALSO OWN A 1995 BUICK RIVIERA AND ITS JACK IS MUCH STURDIER AND HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM. I SHOWED THE BROKEN JACK TO MY AUTO MECHANIC. HE SAID THE JACK WAS UNSAFE AND NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE EQUIPMENT FOR THE CAR. HE SAID THE JACK WAS TOO SMALL AND LIGHTWEIGHT FOR THE BUICK RIVIERA. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IF I HAD BEEN UNDER THE CAR OR ATTEMPTING TO REPLACE THE FLAT TIRE WHEN THE JACK COLLAPSED.*AK

PAINT IS PEELING IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS RANGING FROM THE FRONT HOOD TO THE BACK SIDES.

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

1997 BUICK RIVIERA WITH 3800 ENGINE HAS A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT DEGRADES AND LEAKS COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSES HYDROLOCK, THEREBY RENDERING THE VEHICLE USELESS. THIS CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME AND LEAVE YOU STRANDED AND IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE TYPE. GM ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM IN JULY OF 2001 (TSB 01-06-01-007A) AND THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO HAVE INDICATED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF ENGINE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE FOLKS AT GM AND I AM HAVING NO SATISFACTION WITH THEM WHATSOEVER. THEY CLAIM THAT THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO SERVICE RECORD ON FILE WITH A DEALER PLAY A BIG PART IN HOW THEY LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL CASE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A LARGER PROBLEM THAN GM WOULD WANT TO ADMIT TO, SEE WEBSITE WWW.GM-V6LEMONS.COM. I FEEL THAT A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON THIS PROBLEM AND IF ENOUGH PEOPLE TAKE THEIR COMPLAINTS TO TH NHTSA THEN MAYBE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. *LA

CONSUMER NOTICED STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE TRAVELING OVER PUDDLES. *AK