BUICK Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY A FEW DAYS BEFORE DECEMBER 3, 2011, AND I HEARD A LOUD "POP" SOUND FROM THE BACK SEAT OF MY CAR. ON THE 3RD, I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND STARTED HEARING THE SOUND OF AN OPEN WINDOW IN THE BACK SEAT. I TRIED TO CLOSE THE BACK-RIGHT WINDOW WITH THE POWER WINDOW CONTROL ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR, BUT IT DIDN'T MOVE THE WINDOW (I HEARD THE MOTOR RUNNING, THOUGH). I THEN PARKED THE CAR AND GOT OUT TO TRY TO PULL/PUSH THE WINDOW SHUT, BUT IT WOULD NOT STAY ALL THE WAY UP. IT HAD STARTED WITH JUST AN INCH OR SO BEING OPEN, BUT EVENTUALLY IT SLID DOWN SO IT WAS ONLY ABOUT HALFWAY UP. FROM WHAT I'VE READ ONLINE ( HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/BUICK/LESABRE/2002/WINDOWS_WINDSHIELD/WINDOW_REGULATOR_BROKE.SHTML ), THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF CAR, BUT BUICK IS SAYING THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE TO DECLARE A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE WINDOW REGULATOR. I DISAGREE. FROM WHAT I'VE READ, REPAIRING A SINGLE WINDOW WITH THIS PROBLEM CAN COST UP TO $300 PLUS LABOR, AND USUALLY WHEN ONE WINDOW GOES BAD, THE OTHERS ARE SOON TO FOLLOW. I DON'T REALLY FEEL LIKE PAYING $1200 FOR WINDOWS IN A CAR I ONLY PAID $5000 FOR USED... *TR

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE A FEW MONTHS AGO AND HAVE HAD TWO NEAR MISSES. BOTH INVOLVING A PERSON AS I WAS TURNING A CORNER. THE DRIVER HAS A HUGE BLIND SPOT (14") BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOW GLASS WHICH INTEFERS WITH SEEING. IN ADDITION, THIS BLIND SPOT IS CLOSE TO THE DRIVER, MAKING IT MUCH WORSE. *TR

THE STEERING WILL BIND UP AND ALMOST LOCK UP RESULTING IN A VERY DIFFICULT TURN. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS IF THE VEHICLE WILL NOT TURN THERE COULD EASILY BE A CRASH. THIS "STEERING LOCK UP" ISSUE SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHILE TURNING INTO AN ENTRANCE, OR PARKING LOT OR TURN SIGNAL OR ONTO ANOTHER ROAD. THERE ARE NO ISSUES WHILE DRIVING BUT HAVING A VEHICLE LOCK UP WHILE TRYING TO TURN IS A PROBLEM. THIS SAFETY ISSUE NOT ONLY AFFECTS THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS BUT IT ALSO AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE BUICK SHOP 3 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE-1ST TIME I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE POWER STEERING FLUID, BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX IT. THE SECOND TIME I WAS TOLD IT WAS A DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP LEAKING ONTO THE DRIVE BELT BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX IT. THE 3RD TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE ISSUE BUT THEY WOULD FILE A CLAIM. WELL, THE ISSUE STILL EXISTS AND I HAVE EMAILED BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH NO RESPONSE BUT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT MUST BE RESOLVED! *TR

BRAKES FAILED BECAUSE BRAKE LINE CORROSION. NO WARNING AT FIRST, THEN THE BRAKE WARNING CAME ON. ALMOST DID NOT STOP AND ALMOST HIT A CAR IN FRONT. *TR

1998 BUICK REGAL W/ 3.8L ENGINE. HAD RECALL ISSUE FIXED MARCH 2011. VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AFTER DRIVING UP TO OUR LOCAL MOUNTAINS. FIRE BEGAN AFTER VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, AS WE WERE GETTING OUR CHILDREN OUT OF THE CAR. THE FIRE BEGAN AT THE SPARK PLUG WIRES, CONTINUED UP THE WIRE ASSEMBLY TO THE FUEL LINES AND BURNED THROUGH FUEL LINES. IMMEDIATELY HAD TO DISCONNECT BATTERY, SINCE FUEL LINES WERE SPEWING GAS AT THE FIRE. WE WERE ABLE TO PUT FIRE OUT WITH SNOW ON THE BRUSHY HILLSIDE WE WERE PARKED BESIDE. FILED CLAIM WITH GM. THEY DENIED IT DUE TO CAR'S AGE, AND CLAIMED THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY AFTER THE CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD. THEIR RECALL FIX DID NOT WORK. THE CAR STILL CAUGHT ON FIRE ANYWAY WITH MY FAMILY INSIDE. *KB

DROVE 2.5 MILES FROM STORE,PARKED IN DRIVEWAY ,WENT IN HOUSE, 3MINS LATER HEARD EXPLOSION,CAR ENGINE IN FLAMES,BURNED FOR 20 MINS UNTIL FIRE DEPT EXTINGUISHED. *KB

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 M.P.H. GOING DOWNHILL AT A 6% GRADE VEHICLE'S FRONT END AND STEERING COLUMN STARTED VIBRATING VIOLENTLY. PULLED OVER AND LET CAR SIT FOR 30-45 MINUTES, THEN TRAVELED ON. TOOK CAR TO BUICK DEALER AND FOUND ROTORS SEVERELY WARPED. ROTORS WERE TURNED(MACHINED) AND CAR BRAKES WERE OK FOR NEXT 2-3000 MILES. DRIVING AT 55M.P.H. NOTICED PULSATION/VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. TOOK CAR TO LOCAL DEALER AND THEY DID NOT SEEM IT WAS ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. DROVE CAR AT 55 M.P.H. ON HIGHWAY AND VIBRATION AND PULSATION BECAME WORSE. TOOK CAR TO A NATIONAL RETAILER AND HAD TO HAVE ROTORS REPLACED WITH HEAT DISSIPATING ROTORS. CAR SHOULD HAVE HAD THESE TYPE ROTORS TO BEGIN WITH DUE TO SIZE AND WEIGHT. THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE A FIRE OR THE INABILITY TO STOP WHEN NEEDED, CAUSING POSSIBLE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. *KB

SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON ISSUING OTHER PROBLEMS GAUGES ON DASH NOT WORKING. BLINKING ON AND OFF ANTI THEFT LIGHT ON. SECURITY LIGHT STAYS ON. AS A RESULT ON RESEARCH THIS AUTOMOBILE HAS THIS ISSUE AND NO ONE HAS DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR GM AUTOMOBILES WITH ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THIS USUALLY OCCURS WHEN RAINING OR HUMID. ALSO RESULTS ON NOT BEING ABLE TO START CAR. UNTIL IT DRIES OR SUN COMES OUT. *KB

DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR MAT DOES NOT STAY IN PLACE WHEN STEPPED ON DURING EXIT/ENTRY OR DURING THE COURSE OF DRIVING. MAT CAN BECOME LODGED UNDER BRAKE PEDAL RESULTING IN REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, DEMONSTRATED PROBLEM, WAS TOLD THAT NO FIX EXISTS. CONTACTED CORPORATE AND EXPLAINED DANGER, WAS TOLD THAT MATS ARE FUNCTIONING AS THEY SHOULD, NO REPAIR EXISTS. I AM A FORENSIC ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTIONIST AND HAVE SEEN THE RESULTS OF FLOORMATS BECOMING DISLODGED AND HAMPERING EMERGENCY BRAKING ATTEMPTS. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BUICK TERRAZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SLIDING SIDE DOORS WERE MALFUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE WARNING CHIMES AND THE DOORS WOULD RANDOMLY OPEN WITHOUT WARNING. AT TIMES, THE DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,000.