BUICK Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 107,000. UPDATED 08/04/09 *BF THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND STAY ON. UPDATED 08/06/09.*JB

CRUISE CONTROL AT 46,000 MILES WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES THE CRUISE WORKS FINE, OTHER TIMES IT STOPS WORKING AS YOU ARE DRIVING. OTHER TIMES THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES. DEALER CANNOT RECREATE PROBLEM, SO THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. *TR

BEFORE 46,000 MILES BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ON MY VAN WENT BAD THEY WENT BAD WITHIN 5 MONTHS AND 3,000 MILES OF EACH OTHER. I NOTICED IT BY VERY LOUD NOISES COMING FROM THE FRONT OF MY CAR. I DO NORMAL DRIVING WITH A MIX OF FREEWAY AND AROUND TOWN. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, OR INJURIES. DEALER REPLACED WHEEL BEARINGS UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. THE OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

2005 BUICK RAINIER WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VAN IN COMING TRAFFIC. MY WIFE DRIVING THE RAINIER HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND BENT IT. SHE RECEIVE A LARGE LACERATION REQUIRING ABOUT 30 STITCHES, CLAVICLE STRAIN, BROKEN COLLAR BONE AND MULTIPLE BRUISES. SHE WAS WEARING THE SEAT BELT. COLLISION WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO LIFT THE REAR OF THE CAR OFF THE GROUND AND TURN IT FACING THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE VAN SHE HIT. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! *TR

POWER SLIDING DOORS IN THE REAR FAIL TO CLOSE ON A REPEATED BASIS, OFTEN HAVING TO TRY AND CLOSE THEM 10 TO 12 TIMES. AFTER READING ABOUT THIS KNOWN ISSUE AND HOW OTHERS VEHICLE OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE DOOR(S) OPENING ON THEIR OWN WHILE DRIVING, I FELT I NEEDED TO REPORT MY MALFUNCTION WITH THE DOOR SENSORS. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE FOR WHICH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR ONLY DETECTS A LOW WEIGHT (110 LB) ADULTS ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME. THE OTHER 50% OF THE TIME IT TURNS THE AIRBAG OFF EVEN THOUGH THERE IS AN ADULT IN THE SEAT. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. SEE OTHER CASES AT HTTP://WWW.ENCLAVEFORUM.NET/INDEX.PHP?TOPIC=449.0. WHY ISN'T A RECALL ISSUED OVER SUCH A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BUICK LACROSSE. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, HE SMELLED A ROTTEN ODOR INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE ODOR OF THE ROTTEN FUMES IS CURRENTLY MAKING THE CONTACT ILL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE ODOR. THE VENTILATION SYSTEM WAS CLEANED AND AN ANTI MOLD CLEANER WAS PLACED IN THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE SMELL STILL PERSISTS. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED BECAUSE THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000. UPDATED 08/21/09. *LJ A TECHNICAN STATED THE ODOR WAS COMING FROM THE LEATHER SEATS. UPDATED 08/26/09 *JB

LOSE ALL GAUGES, AND LIGHTS IN THE CAR. CAR CONTINUES TO RUN. HAPPENS FROM SEVERAL TIMES A MINUTES TO EVERY FEW SECONDS. NOW SECURITY CHECK LIGHT COMES ON AND CAR IS LOCKED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED TWICE WITHOUT WARNING IN JUNE 2008. THE DEALER REPLACED THE STARTER AND IGNITION SWITCH, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000. UPDATED 07/14/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STOP SUDDENLY. UPDATED 07/16/09.*JB

I HAVE A BUICK LESABRE, CUSTOM, 1998, WITH ABOUT 110,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR WAS RUNNING NORMALLY, WITH NO PRIOR PROBLEMS RELATING TO STARTING. I DROVE IT OUT OF TOWN, ABOUT 80 MILES AWAY. IT STILL WAS FINE, STARTING UP WITH NO PROBLEM, SEVERAL TIMES AFTER GETTING THERE. HOWEVER, AT A CAMPGROUND ENTRANCE, THE CAR REFUSED TO START. NO CLICK, BUZZ, NOTHING. ALL ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, A.C., RADIO, WINDOWS, WERE FINE. THE SECURITY LIGHT FLASHED EVERY TIME I TRIED TO TURN THE KEY....EVEN AFTER WAITING 3 MINUTES TO TRY AGAIN. I EVEN TRIED A SECOND KEY, BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TRIED, AND HE WIGGLED THE KEY IN THE KEY CYLINDER AND THE CAR STARTED. DROVE HOME, TRIED TO START CAR AGAIN, AND IT REFUSED TO START, NO MATTER HOW MUCH WIGGLING WE DID. CONTACTED SEVERAL DEALERS. THEY ALL SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE CONTACT WIRES IN THE IGNITION CYLINDER THAT READ THE KEY'S "RESISTANCE" AND SEND AN "O.K" SIGNAL TO THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THE STARTER. (THE INTERNET SAYS THEY ARE FAMOUS FOR BREAKING/MALFUNCTIONING IN GM CARS) THEY SAID IT WOULD COST ABOUT $400 MINIMUM TO REPLACE THE KEY CYLINDER. ALSO, IF THE SECURITY MODULE NEEDED REPLACING, IT COULD COST ABOUT $1000.00. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. HE PUT IN A RESISTOR BETWEEN THE TWO CONTACT WIRES COMING OUT OF THE KEY CYLINDER. DID NOT NEED TO REMOVE THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. (INCIDENTALLY, ONE DEALER EVEN INSISTED THERE WAS NO "BY-PASS" METHOD OF FIXING THE PROBLEM.) ALL KEYS WORK NOW. SECURITY LIGHT ACTS NORMALLY, DOES NOT STAY ON ALL THE TIME. REMOTE FOB WORKS O.K., TOO. *TR