BUICK Complaints

HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. TRIED THE MANUAL DASH SWITCH NO LUCK. LIGHTS SUDDENLY CAME ON FOR 5 SECONDS, THEN WENT OUT AGAIN. FOG LIGHTS AND BRIGHT NOT OPERATING. ON THEN OFF AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES, THEN OFF UNTIL I GOT HOME. NEXT DAY EVERYTHING OPERATED CORRECTLY. TRIED TO REPEAT FAULT DURING DAYLIGHT AND AT NIGHT WITH NO SUCCESS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE TO VISIT FRIENDS AT ABOUT DUSK. I ALWAYS DRIVE WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IN THE "AUTO" POSITION, BUT BECAUSE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS I SWITCHED TO THE "MANUAL ON" POSITION. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE FOR ANOTHER HOUR AND WHEN I GOT TO WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF MY DESTINATION, THE INTERIOR DASH LIGHTS AND RADIO STARTED FLASHING. MY HEADLIGHTS WERE ALSO GOING OFF AND I COULD HEAR THE RELAY ON THE COMPUTER (PASSENGER SIDE) CLICKING. I STOPPED AND INSPECTED FOR A SHORTED WIRE BUT FOUND NONE. I SWITCHED TO THE "AUTO" POSITION AND WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE DRIVE AND RETURN BACK HOME WITHOUT RECURRENCE. TESTING IT AGAIN AT HOME THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO ON AND OFF IN THE "MANUAL ON " POSITION. AFTER EXERCISING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH THROUGH ALL THE POSITIONS NUMEROUS TIMES, I COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM.. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A UNUSED CONTACT ON THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH THAT BECAME OXIDIZED AND THE LOW VOLTAGE CAUSED THE LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS AND REACTION WITH THE COMPUTER CONTROLLING THEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DESIGN TO BE DRIVING AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS AND LOOSE YOUR HEADLIGHTS. *TR

WE HAVE A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS WITH 60,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL. WE HAVE TWICE EXPERIENCED LOWER INTAKE GASKET FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN TWO EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILLS. LUCKILY THE LEAKS WERE NOTICED BEFORE THEY COULD CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE. DURING THE LAST FAILURE, WE HAD LOST MOST OF THE COOLANT, WHICH WAS NOT INDICATED BY THE "LOW COOLANT" ALARM. LUCKILY WE HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR WINDOW SERVICE AT A GM DEALER AND THEY NOTICED THE PROBLEM DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE PREVIOUS REPAIR, WHICH WAS DONE AT ANOTHER DEALER, DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAD FAILED TO NOTICE THE HEAD GASKET SEALS WHICH WERE LEAKING AND LED TO THE INTAKE GASKET FAILURE. THEY DID REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS AND SEALS AT "GM GOODWILL" WITH NO COSTS FOR THE PARTS. WE HAVE NOW SPENT OVER $3000 IN REPAIRS TO THIS ENGINE ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ALONG THIS LINE ON OTHER FORUMS AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED . *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON I95 IN GEORGIA ON THE WAY TO FLORIDA 12-28-08 MY 2003 BUICK LESABRE TRANSMISSION STARTED BUCKING AND JOLTING CAR AS IT SHIFTED. TOOK TO GARAGE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER LOCKED UP, THIS CAR HAD THE TRANSMISSION OIL REPLACED AT RECOMMENDED 50,000 MILES, BESIDES THE 2200 DOLLARS TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION WE HAD TO GET HOTEL ROOM, MEALS AND A RENTAL CAR TO CONTINUE TRIP AS THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION COULD NOT BE DELIVERED RIGHT AWAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE CONTACT ALSO SMELLED A BURNING ODOR AND NOTICED FLAMES ERUPTING FROM THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE. THE FLAMES SPREAD TO THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. ALL OF THE LOCKS MELTED, WHICH NEARLY PREVENTED HER FROM EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. AN INVESTIGATOR FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE BATTERY UNDERNEATH THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT FAILED AND CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT HAS A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT AND PICTURES OF THE FAILED INCIDENT. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 20,000. UPDATED 02/10/09. *LJ UPDATED 02/11/09. *JB

2006 BUICK LUCERNE - STEERING HAS SHORT LOOSENESS WHEN TURNING AT SLOW SPEED. UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER CORRECTED THE SAME ISSUE APPROXIMATELY YEAR AND HALF AGO, BUT PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. WILL SOON RETURN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE AGAIN. *TR

OUR 2005 BUICK RENDEZVOUS SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALER CHANGED A SENSOR FOR $125, THAT DID NOT WORK. THEY GREASED THE LINES AND CHECKED IT OUT ON THEIR EQUIPMENT BUT THAT HAS NOT WORKED EITHER. I SAW ONLINE THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND THEIR ELECTRONIC PROBLEMS. IS THERE A RECALL FROM BUICK? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN PROCEEDING TO MAKE A TURN. THE CONTACT EXERTED MORE EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V527000 (STEERING;RACK AND PINION). THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED FAILURES IDENTICAL TO THE ONES MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 62,000. THE ABS MOTOR FAILED WHICH PREVENTED THE REAR BRAKES FROM WORKING AND ALSO THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHEN USING THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL. UPDATED 03/04/09. *JB

CAR CLOUDED UP. OBSTRUCTING VISION. MECHANIC REPLACED HEATER CORE WITH GM PART. SAME THING HAPPENED IN DAYS. REPLACED WITH ANOTHER...SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. SUPPLIER TO MECHANIC INDICATED A COMMON FAULT WITH THAT PART. A THIRD PART (AFTERMARKET) HAS BEEN INSTALLED. IF THESE GM PARTS WERE KNOWN BY SUPPLIER TO BE FAULTY, WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN RECALLED AND WHY DID HE NOT INFORM MECHANIC BEFORE THE INSTALLATION? MECHANIC HAS INSTALLED PART THREE TIMES, AND ONLY BEEN PAID ONCE. I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT, HIT A CURB TO AVOID BEING HIT. AND LOST A PERFECTLY GOOD TIRE AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF VISIBILITY. I HAVE NO COMPLAINT WITH THE ORIGINAL PART...THE CAR HAS HIGH MILEAGE (BUICK LESABE, 1997,) JUST THE TWO REPLACEMENT PARTS THAT WERE PRESSURE TESTED AND FAILED WITHIN DAYS OF USAGE. *TR

BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WINDOWS ON OUR 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS HAVE STOPPED WORKING. WE'VE BEEN TOLD IT COULD COST UP TO $400 PER WINDOW. WE'VE COME ACROSS SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF GM PRODUCT. *TR