BUICK Complaints

FUEL GAUGE SAID I HAD 1/8 TANK OF GAS WHEN VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND DIED. VEHICLE WAS BLOCKING A LANE OF TRAFFIC ON A BUSY STREET. VEHICLE HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF THE ROAD WITH HELP OF GOOD SAMARITAN. DEALER VERIFIED VEHICLE WAS OUT OF GAS AND SENDING UNIT WAS AT FAULT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD INACCURATELY SHOW THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL AT ALL TIMES. AFTER HE WOULD REFUEL, THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,867. UPDATED 06/17/11 *BF UPDATED 06/27/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2007 BUICK LACROSSE CX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITH PROPER ILLUMINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000. UPDATED 06/17/11 *BF UPDATED 1/24/2012 *LN *TR

1998 BUICK LESABRE CRASHED AT LOW SPEED CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE, ENGINE CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED. CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS, LEAVING ME WITH BILLS OF OVER $10,000 FOR LOST CAR, REPAIRS, INSURANCE. PROBLEM HAD ARISEN ON AND OFF SINCE ACQUIRING CAR AT 65,000 MILES..TWICE TAKEN IN TO GM DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM. COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. PROBLEM WOULD DISAPPEAR FOR MONTHS AND THEN REAPPEAR. NUMEROUS MECHANICS CHECKED AND COULD NOT FIND SOURCE OF PROBLEM. AFTER CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL, NEWS STORY RAN ABOUT TOYOTA CARS STALLING OUT DUE TO DEFECTIVE ENGINE CONTROL MODULES (NHTSA REPORT #PE09054). THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS MADE BY DELPHI..WHICH WAS OWNED BY GENERAL MOTORS..MAKERS OF THE BUICK LESABRE. I CONTACTED GM HEADQUARTERS TO ASK IF THE CONTROL MODULE IN MY PART WAS MADE BY GM/DELPHI. THEY REFUSED TO ANSWER ME, SAYING THAT AS NO RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED AND MY CAR WAS GONE,THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. MEANWHILE, IT TURNS OUT THAT GM DID OWN DELPHI IN 1998, DID MANUFACTURE THOSE MODULES, WHICH HAD TO HAVE BEEN IN THE BUICK LESABRES,AND WERE YEARS LATER CAUSING IDENTICAL ENGINE FAILURES IN TOYOTAS. THOSE PARTS ARE OUT THERE TODAY, WAITING FOR SOMETHING HORRIBLE TO HAPPEN. AMONG THE 12 SUMMARIES YOU HAVE ON YOUR SITE FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH BUICK LESABRES, ONE IS EVEN WORSE THAN MINE "REPORT #9001048 "COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH A TRAGEDY BARELY AVOIDED, TRANSMISSION FAILURE". WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR AT 65,000 MILES IT HAD A SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AS WELL, WHICH WAS FOUND AND FIXED. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM PERSISTED UNTIL THE ENGINE CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON, ON A BUSY LOCAL ROAD. WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED, THE BRAKES FAILED. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. QUICK THINKING PUT ME UP AGAINST A TELEPHONE POLE SO NO LIVES WERE LOST. MANY OF YOUR OTHER COMPLAINTS MENTION COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH THIS CAR. INVESTIGATION ANYONE? *TR

DASH PAD IS SEPARATING FROM THE DASH ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL ALONG THE WINDOW LINE . CONCERNED THAT IT WILL ACTIVATE THE AIR BAGS - *TR

GAS GAUGE IS ERRATIC, GOES FROM EMPTY TO FULL AND FULL TO EMPTY LEAVING YOU WITH NO IDEA HOW MUCH FUEL YOU HAVE. WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR TURNING, VEHICLE LUNGES OR STALLS. ALSO, LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OFF WITH NO WARNING AND TAKES TIME TO RE-LIGHT. LOW BEAMS ALSO TEND TO FLICKER TO DIM.

GAS GAUGE BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. ONCE DOWN TO A HALF TANK, GAUGE WOULD READ EMPTY. NOW THE GAUGE READS EMPTY AT ALL TIMES, HAVE TO USE ODOMETER TO FIGURE OUT WHEN TO GET GAS. BOUGHT FROM A FRIEND WHO OWNED FOUR AS COMPANY CARS, AND HE FOUND OUT THAT ALL FOUR BEGAN DOING IT. *TR

ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE BEGINNING IN AUG, 2010. ALWAYS FAILS AFTER COMPLETE FILLUP. SOMETIMES OPERATES BELOW 3/4 TANK. CURRENTLY NOT OPERATING AT ALL FOR PAST 90 DAYS. IT IS SHOWING "LOW-FUEL" WARNING LIGHT IRREGUARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK, THE GAUGE NEEDLE REMAINS ON EMPTY. THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE OR WHEN MY 2006 BUICK RAINIER WILL RUN OUT OF FUEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHILE PARKED WITH A PASSENGER SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE PASSENGER WOULD NEED TO WEIGH AT LEAST 125 POUNDS IN ORDER TO ACTIVATE THE AIR BAG. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE FAILURE TO NO AVAIL AND THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000. UPDATED 05/24/11*LJ UPDATED 2/9/12 *CN

THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2006 BUICK RAINIER IS MALFUNCTIONING. THE PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND IS NOW CONTINUAL. IT DOES NOT GIVE ACCURATE FUEL LEVELS. SOMETIMES WHEN THE TANK IS FULL, THE GAUGE READS EMPTY, AND VICE VERSA. THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE !!! I WAS ON THE FREEWAY THE OTHER DAY AND RAN OUT OF GAS (EVEN THOUGH THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED NEARLY HALF-A TANK.) THIS COULD'VE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF AND/OR OTHERS. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONS ON GMC CARS OF THIS VINTAGE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A GOVERNMENT MANDATED RECALL OF AFFECTED VEHICLES BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST BECAUSE OF THIS COMPONENT FAILURE. MY BUICK DEALER WANTS OVER $500 TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS NOT THE RESULT OF WEAR AND TEAR OR CARELESSNESS OR MISUSE ON MY PART, BUT RATHER THE FAILURE OF A CRITICAL SAFETY DEVICE. THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO BEAR THIS FINANCIAL BURDEN. *TR