BUICK Complaints

WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FILLED WITH 1/4 TANK OR BELOW AND IS PARKED ON A SLIGHT DECLINE, THE FUEL GAUGE WILL DROP BELOW EMPTY AND THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE A HARD TIME STARTING OR WILL NOT START AT ALL UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS PUSHED ONTO A MORE LEVEL SURFACE. IT HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER 5 TIMES FOR THIS CONDITION AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. *TR

THE PROBLEM I'M EXPERIENCING IS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. ONCE ENGAGED, IF THE CAR GETS INTO A SITUATION REQUIRING ACCELERATION (E.G. GOING UP A HILL), THE CAR GOES INTO HIGH ACCELERATION MODE AND DOES NOT STOP ONCE THE SET SPEED IS REACHED. AFTER INITIAL ENGAGEMENT, BUT NOT WITH THE CONTROL SET, VIRTUALLY ANY MOVEMENT OF THE TURN SIGNAL LEVEL CAUSES ENGAGEMENT OF THE CRUISE CONTROL IN THE ACCELERATION MODE. TAPPING THE LEVER, ACTIVATING THE TURN SIGNAL OR HIGH BEAM CONTROL CAUSE THE CAR TO GO INTO CRUISE MODE UNDER ACCELERATION. I HAVE ALLOWED IT TO GO AS FAST AS 85 MPH TO SEE IF IT WOULD DISENGAGE AND IT DID NOT. I FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT NOW THAT I HAVE BEEN PLAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS GOING ON WHEN IT RUNS AWAY, I CAN CAUSE IT TO HAPPEN ON CUE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS SINCE IT GOES INTO ACCELERATE MODE UNTIL THE CRUISE CONTROL IS EITHER DISENGAGED WITH THE POWER SWITCH OR THE BRAKE PEDAL. I HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN IT REPAIRED. THE INITIAL VISIT TO THE SHOP WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN DETERMINING THE CAUSE OR REPLICATING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE ESTABLISHED HOW TO INITIATE THE RUNAWAY ACCELERATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS ACCELERATING TO SPEEDS OF 45 MPH AND REMOVED HER FOOT FROM THE PEDAL YET THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARRANT. SHE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF AND SHE PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK TO AVOID CRASHING INTO A VEHICLE AHEAD OF HER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE HAD EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE AT LEAST TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

I HAVE A 2008 BUICK LACROSSE CXL WHICH I PURCHASED 04/29/2008. AT ABOUT 3,000 MILES I NOTICED THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY SHOWING THE BAG WAS OFF EVEN THOUGH MY WIFE WAS IN THE SEAT AND BUCKLED UP. I TOOK THE UNIT INTO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD THEY COULDN'T CHECK FOR A CODE UNLESS THE "OFF" LIGHT WAS SHOWING WHEN SOMEONE WAS IN THE SEAT. LATER THE INDICATOR LAMP STARTED COMING ON AND WOULD STAY ON (SHOWING THE AIR BAG WAS OFF) FOR MILES. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AND THEY CHECKED ALL CONNECTORS AND PINS. IT DID NOT MALFUNCTION WHEN THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE BUT THE MALFUNCTION RETURNED ON THE WAY HOME. THIS DEALER HAS RECHECKED THE VEHICLE TWO TIMES TO NO AVAIL, THE LIGHT STILL COMES ON. I HAVE FOUND IF I HAVE MY WIFE MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD AND/OR BACKWARD THE LIGHT WILL GO OF FOR A WHILE, (THE TIME VARIES WITH THE ROAD CONDITIONS E.G. ROUGH, SMOOTH, STRAIGHT, CURVY AND SO FORTH). I FOUND ANOTHER INSTANCE ON LINE WHERE A 2009 LACROSSE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS MINE. A FIX WAS NOT PROVIDED IN THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THE VEHICLE. BUICK DOESN'T LIST ANY TECHNICAL BULLETINS PERTAINING TO THIS MALFUNCTION. THIS IS A VERY DIS-CONCERNING ISSUE ANY TIME WE DRIVE AND I SUPPOSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE ALSO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, A FIRE OCCURRED IN THE ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,278 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 148,000.

MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE BECAME UNABLE TO CONTROL IN THE RAIN AT 55 MPH. TOOK TO DEALER AFTER 3 DAY RUN AROUND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN ON THIS VEHICLE THAT THE STEERING POSITION SENSOR BECAME WET AND STARTED BOOSTING STEERING CONTROL. THEY REPLACED SENSOR AND INNER FENDERS (TO KEEP MOISTURE OFF SENSOR) THIS VEHICLE WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING I HAVE EVER TRIED TO CONTROL. HOW CAN ANYTHING STAY DRY UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR IN THE RAIN?? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT HAD TO PUSH DOWN HARD ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SO THAT IT WOULD RELEASE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD MOVE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 62,500. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 64,000. UPDATED 07/19/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND WHEN HE APPLIED IT HARDER IT SNAPPED FREE. UPDATED 07/21/10.*JB

CAR WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND FIRST THEN FORCED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT. THIS RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO BOTH FRONT AND REAR. THE IMPACT TO THE FRONT FAILED TO ACTIVATE EITHER DRIVER OR PASSENGER AIRBAG ,YET CAUSED ENOUGH DAMAGE TO INDICATE A FORCE BEYOND THE ACTIVATION POINT WAS RECEIVED. *TR

WHEN STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT MOST OF THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR ENDS UP IN THE INTERSECTION DUE TO LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE. UPON INSPECTION, THE METAL BRAKE LINE FROM THE ABS UNIT, RUNNING ACROSS THE FIREWALL TO THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. ALL THE BRAKE FLUID BLEW OUT OF THE BRAKE CIRCUIT WHEN THE LINE RUPTURED DURING THE STOP. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, TWO OTHER STEEL BRAKE LINES AND THE STEEL FUEL FEED LINE ARE ABOUT TO RUST THROUGH AND FAIL AS WELL. I HAVE NEVER SEEN BRAKE AND FUEL LINES RUST THROUGH LIKE THIS! NINE YEARS OLD. THE FIRST BRAKE LINE MENTIONED RUNS ALONG THE FIRE WALL, RIGHT BEHIND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, AS SUCH, IT HAS A FIBER HEAT SHIELD WRAPPING AROUND IT FOR ABOUT TWO FEET AND THIS IS WHERE THE WORST RUST OCCURRED, CONVENIENTLY HIDDEN FROM SIGHT. I SUSPECT THE HEAT SHIELD MATERIAL HELD MOISTURE, LEADING TO THE RUST. WHEN DISCUSSING THIS PROBLEM WITH A MECHANIC AT THE GM DEALER, HE SAID, "I SEE THIS ALL THE TIME." I KNOW CORROSION RESISTANT MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE TO PREVENT THIS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN ON ALL THE FOREIGN CARS I HAVE OWNED. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE I AM TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINE IS TO DROP THE SUBFRAME THAT HOLDS THE DRIVETRAIN, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1200, SINCE THE LINE IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS TO GO ON THE BODY AT THE FACTORY! *TR

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. CAUSED ENGINE TO DIE WHILE DRIVING. UNABLE TO CHANGE GEAR OUT OF DRIVE. ALL WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING. WOULD NOT RESTART. HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT, NO DAMAGE. TEMP FIX GOT IT STARTED, THEN SAME THING HAPPENED ON FREEWAY, COASTED TO SHOULDER, NO DAMAGE. TOWED TO DEALER, DETERMINED IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM AND REPLACED. OKAY SINCE. *TR