1998 Buick Lesabre complaints

THE CHECK ENGINE SOON LIGHT HAD COME ON. THE VEHICLE LOOKED AS IF IT WAS LEAKING COOLANT, HOWEVER NO COOLANT WAS FOUND LEAKING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP, THEY FOUND AN INTERNAL LEAK. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE PLASTIC PLENUM INTAKE. *AK *SCC

THE SECURITY LIGHT LOCATED ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATES. WHEN THIS OCCURS THERE IS A 3 MINUTES DELAY BEFORE VEHICLE STARTS.*AK

THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CORRODED AND CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS LEAKAGES OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING OR PARKING. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. *AK *NLM

INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED ON MY 1998 BUICK LESABRE AT 77,000 MILES. PLASTIC MANIFOLD PERFORATED DUE TO EXHAUST GAS IMPINGING FROM EGR TUBE, FLOODING ENGINE WITH COOLANT AND CAUSING ENGINE TO STALL WITH SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY.*AK

IN NOVEMBER,2002, OUR VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. WE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL LICENSED MECHANIC AND HE DISCOVERED THE UPPER MANIFOLD AND GASKET WERE DISINTEGRATED. ON FURTHER RESEARCH HE OBTAINED A COPY OF A BULLETIN FROM GENERAL MOTORS THAT STATED IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE UPPER MANIFOLD, ALSO REPLACE THE LOWER. OUR MECHANICAL INSURANCE PAID FOR THE UPPER BUT NOT THE LOWER. WE WROTE TO GM AND AFTER A FEW E-MAILS, OF COURSE THEY SAID NO WAY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. IT COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I ASK YOU TO LOOK ON THE INTERNET ADDRESS: HTTP://WWW.PETITIONLINE.COM/MOD_PER/SIGNED.CGI?GMCNSMRS. YOU WILL FIND 3700 + OR - SIGNATURES AND STORIES OF SIMILAR GASKET PROBLEMS. PLEASE SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT THIS. I BELIEVE GM KNOWS THEY HAVE HAD A GASKET PROBLEM.

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED REGARDING THE MANIFOLD, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE RAN FOR FIVE HOURS, HE STOPPED TO GET GAS AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. *JB

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK IT WAS HARD TO CONNECT BEFORE IT HAD GONE COMPLETELY OUT. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND DID NOT TAKE THE OLD PART. *SCC THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR THE PART AT HIS EXPENSE.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *PH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOOSE SPEED PULLED INTO GAS STATION. THE VEHICLE START AGAIN. GM WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMERS FRIEND HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MANIFOLD GASKETS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE MANIFOLD AND THE STARTER. *SCC *NLM

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE DOES NOT UNLOCK. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

FAX FM ANDREW HUNT (NJ) REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN GETTING REIMBURSED FOR $561.24 WORTH OF REPAIRS TO FIX THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD ON HIS 1998 GM BUICK LESABRE & RECALL ALL CARS LISTED IN GM TECH. SERVICE BULLETIN # 01-06-01-007A. *MR THE CONSUMER STATED THE CONCERN WAS THE VEHICLE DID NOT GIVE WARNING OF A PROBLEM AS THE COOLANT EMITTED FROM THE TAIL PIPE UNNOTICED. IF THERE WAS TOO MUCH COOLANT IN THE ENGINE THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP. THE DEFECTIVE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE BROKEN STARTER FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH CLEARLY SHOWED THAT THE EGR STOVE PIPE ALLOWED WATER TO GET INTO THE ENGINE. *SCC *JB

I HAD BEEN LOSING COOLANT (2 QUARTS IN 4~6 WEEKS) WITHOUT SEEING ANY SPOTS ON GROUND OR COOLANT ABOUT ENGINE / RADIATOR. WHILE DRIVING, EXPERIENCED RELATIVELY SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, MIL LIGHT CAME ON, COULD NOT DRIVE GREATER THAN 60 MPH, VERY POOR OPERATION AND ACCELERATION. DEALER (SUPERIOR BUICK, DEARBORN MICHIGAN) DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS BLOWN HEADGASKET. I SUBSEQUENTLY HAD ENGINE REMANUFACTURED UNDER DEALER PREMISE OF HEAD GASKET, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED COOLANT TO PASS INTO INTAKE PASSAGES (REFERENCE GM SERVICE BULLETIN 010601007, AND ~7A). I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THESE BULLETINS BY THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY ARE 2 YEARS OLD.*AK

CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING WITH NO SIGNS OF MECHANICAL TROUBLE. THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED, WHICH CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK, WHICH RESULTED IN ENGINE FAILURE. *AK *CB

FIRST WE WOULD LIKE TO REPORT OUR DISSATISFACTION WITH STILLWATER MOTORS IN THAT THEY ADDED BOGUS CHARGES ON TO THE INVOICE THEN LATER, AFTER WE QUESTIONED AND INSISTED ON SEEING THESE NEW PARTS AND THE OLD PARTS, THEY ADJUSTED THE INVOICE BY CREDITING US $400. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN DUE TO THE ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH, OVERHEATING AND AN INCREASED USAGE OF COOLANT. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING A DEFECT IN THE UPPER MANIFOLD RESULTING IN LEAKAGE OF COOLANT ONTO THE SPARKPLUGS. IN THE END, THE UPPER MANIFOLD, 4 GASKETS, THE OIL FILTER, AND THERMOSTAT HAD BEEN REPLACED AND HAD THE FUEL/EMISSION SYSTEM FLUSHED. WE WERE QUITE ASTOUNDED TO SEE SO MANY ISSUES WITH THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM WE HAD AND WE ARE HOPING THAT THERE IS SOME RELIEF GIVEN TO ALL BUICK LESABRE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO INCUR THESE REPAIR COSTS. *PH

VEHICLE'S "PLENIUM" INTAKE VALVE (PART NO. 506CGM4) CRACKED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO ENGINE RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE.

ON 07/21/03 MY 1998 BUICK LESABRE (VIN [XXX]), SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT PRIOR SYMPTOMS, BEGAN TO RUN EXTREMELY ROUGH AND THE ENGINE STALLED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RE-STARTED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD BEFORE THE ENGINE STALLED. I AM NOW SADDLED WITH A $2,000 REPAIR BILL  ALL, APPARENTLY, AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THE PLASTIC GM PLENUM. THE PLENUMS FAILURE CAUSED OTHER FAILURES WITHIN THE ENGINE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE AND THE STARTER). ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC THAT SERVICED THE VEHICLE, THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON IN GM VEHICLES THAT UTILIZE THE PLASTIC PLENUM. I WOULD SEEK RESTITUTION FROM GENERAL MOTORS FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HISTORICAL AND SYSTEMIC FAILURE OF THIS PLASTIC PLENUM RESULTING IN EXTRAORDINARY ENGINE REPAIRS.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE CRACKED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THE WHEELS WERE NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE WHEELS WERE ORIGINAL AND MADE OF ALUMINUM. *AK *CB *JB

THE MANIFOLD AND GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD COOLANT WAS IMPROPERLY MIXING WITH MY OIL CAUSING BLACK SMOKE TO BE EMITTED FROM MY EXHAUST, THE CAR MISSING AND EVENTUALLY SEMI-LOCKING. THE LOCKING CAUSE THE CONE OF MY STARTER TO CRACK IN TWO WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RE-START TO THE TUNE OF A $1,500. REPAIRFOR ALL. DEALER ACKOWLEDGED THEY HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER VEHICLES. THE INITIAL STATER REPLACED WAS DISCOVERED DEFECTIVE AND WAS AGAIN REPLACED ON JUNE 25, 2003. A COMPLAINT TO BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS FRUITLESS AND THEY WERE NOT SENSITIVE AT ALL TO THE PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED. *AK

AFTER OWNING THIS CAR FOR LESS THAN 3 MONTHS I NOTICED COOLANT TANK EMPTY, TOOK IT TO DEALER WHO CHARGED ME $342 FOR NEW WATER PUMP, STILL LOOSING COOLANT. COME TO FIND OUT AFTER A SLUDGE WAS FOUND IN ENGINE THAT INTAKE PLENUM WAS CRACKED ALLOWING COOLANT INTO CYLINDERS, DAMAGING THE BEARINGS AND NOW AM PAYING FOR A NEW MOTOR. GM DENIES PROBLEMS EXIST. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 50,000M MILES. *NLM

THE KEY WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION WHEN A LOUD EXPLOSION OCCURRED ALONG WITH SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AREA. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. *MR *SCC

CONSUMER HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST COMPLETE P[OWER OF THE STEERING AND BRAKES. MANUFACTURE WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING SMOKE WAS COMING INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE THOUGH THE VENTS. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE FIRE/ VEHICLE DESTROYED. *MR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, PRIOR TO FIRE, VEHICLE WOULD SURGE THEN DIE OUT AT BOTH STOPS AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN. ALSO ENGINE HAD A WHINING NOISE. DEALER REPLACED GENERATOR ASSEMBLY. FUEL FILTER ALSO REPLACED. CLEANED THROTTLE BODY. BRAKES MADE SQUEALING NOISE. REAR BRAKES CLEANED AND ADJUSTED. THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE IN THE RIGHT REAR AFTER HOT AT STOPS. EXHAUST SYSTEM MISALIGNED. THE MIRROR COMPASS AND REAR WINDOW WERE ALSO INOPERATIVE. VEHICLE WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT PRIOR TO FIRE. *TT

THE VEHICLES INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND RESULTED IN A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. *MR *TS *NLM

THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START CAR WHEN THE ENGINE BACKFIRED, THE MANIFOLD EXPLODED AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. *MR *TS *NLM

VEHICLE STALLED / ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. MR. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THE FUEL INJECTORS MAY HAVE BEEN FAULTY. *JB

1998 BUICK LESABRE DESCRIPTION OF COMPLAINT NOT GIVEN. MR. *JB

I PURCHASED A '98 BUICK LESABRE - FROM MY BROTHER-IN_LAW, IT ONLY HAD 70,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE HEAD GASKET BLEW CAUSING ME TO REBUILD THE TOP SECTION OF THE MOTOR--THEN AFTER THAT WAS FIXED AND I DROVE THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS MORE -- THE BOTTOM PART OF THE ENGINE BLEW--AND I HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPLETE ENGINE NOT KNOWING WHAT CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED BY THE DEALERSHIP "BOYLE BUICK" IN BEL AIR, MD. *JB

THE TYPE OF METAL USED IN THE ENGINE WAS FLIMSY, AND ANTI FREEZE ATE THROUGH IT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LEAK. *JB *TS

THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, THEN THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE INDEPENDENT SHOP STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT SEEPED INTO THE ENGINE. MR SCC

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MY 1998 BUICK LESABRE WENT BAD LAST FALL, WHICH COST ME OVER $1,000 TO REPAIR. THERE WERE ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON THE ENGINE AT THAT TIME. SUBSEQUENTLY, I READ AN ARTICLE IN A NEWSPAPER THAT SAID THE NHTSA WAS INVESTIGATING GM CARS WITH THE 3.8 LITER ENGINES FOR ENGINE FIRES THAT RESULTED FROM THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. I AM WONDERING IF A RECALL HAS BEEN/COULD BE ISSUED, OR IF THERE IS ANY WAY OWNERS OF CARS WITH THESE ENGINES CAN BE REIMBURSED FOR THE MASSIVE REPAIR BILLS RESULTING FROM THIS ENGINEERING DEFECT. OF COURSE I AM ALSO VERY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY SINCE I HAVE LEARNED OF THE PROPENSITY FOR FIRES WITH THESE ENGINES. THANK YOU.

CAR REFUSES TO CRANK SOMETIMES, WAIT 45 MIN-1 HOUR, THEN IT WILL CRANK. ALSO, SLOWING DOWN TO STOP AND CAR JUST DIES, REFUSES TO CRANK, AGAIN WAIT 45 MINUTES - 1 HOUR AND IT WILL CRANK. THIS IS HAPPENING EVERY 2 WEEKS-1 MONTH. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT FIRING, BUT COULD IT BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH FUEL SYSTEM? DEALER KEPT FOR 2 DAYS AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. BUICK SAID THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB

THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE.*JB

THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED SOME PARTS WHILE VEHICLE WAS WARMING UP.*JB

THE ENGINE FAILED.*DT *JB

THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START, CONSUMER HEARD A POP NOISE, AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. CONSUMER STATED MAYBE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET.*JB

THE BATTERY WAS LOW, TRIED STARTING THE MOTOR A FEW TIMES IN THE MORNING. AFTER WAITING ALL DAY, CHARGED THE BATTERY BACK UP TO NORMAL AND STARTED THE CAR. A LOUD BANG AND FLASH WAS NOTED AND THEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH AN EXTINGUISHER. THERE WAS A BACK FIRE IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, WHICH IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND IT EXPLODED CASUSING THE ENGINE TO CATCH FIRE. VISUAL DAMAGED CAUSED BY THE FIRE WAS TO THE FUEL LINE, AIR LINE AND WIRE HARNESS. VEHICLE IS 4.5 YEARS OLD AND ONLY HAS 23,000 MILES ON IT.*JB

UPPER INTAKE PLENUM GASKET FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE CYLINDERS TO FILL WITH COOLANT AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ELECTRICAL PARTS. POSSIBLE OTHER DAMAGE TO ENGINE.

WE PREFORMED A O&C ON A 1998 LASABRE FIRE, VERY MILD ENGINE FIRE WHICH ORIGINATED AT THE FUEL RAIL FUEL INLET PORT AND WAS CAUSED BY FAILURE OF THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR FUEL HOSE CONNECTOR. OWNER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, STATED A LOAD POP WAS NOTED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND A FIRE STARTED. POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR OR METARIALS PROBLEM WITH THE CONNECTOR AND CLIP.NOTED MUTIPLE COMPLAINTS IN NHTSA DATA BASE AS WELL AS AN INVESTAGATION. HOPE THIS HELPS.

VEHICLE IS LEAKING OIL. THE CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED BY A DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THAT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD IS MADE OF PLASTIC, AND THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE CAUSES A HOLE IN THE MANIFOLD. THIS RESULTS IN THE LEAK. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT IT WILL BE HARD TO START THE VEHICLE AND THEY WILL HAVE TO TRY NUMEROUS OF TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

NAR 1/21/03 DESIGN PROBLEM WITH INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO START, AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. AFTER TROUBLE SHOOTING, IT WAS DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD A HOLE IN IT WHICH ALLOWED COOLANT FLUID TO ENTER THE CYLINDERS RESULTING IN A HYDROSTATIC LOCK. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING INTAKE MANIFOLD BLEWOUT, MAKING IT HARD TO START VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT STARTER IS DEFECTIVE. WHEN STARTING VEHICLE IT MAKES A "POPPING" NOISE THEN CAR CUTS OFF. DEALER REPLACED "NO. 3" SPARK PLUG WIRE. PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED TEMPORARILY, BUT NOW IS OCCURRING AGAIN. TS

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. TOWED VEHICLE TO BUICK. MECHANIC TOOK OFF MANIFOLD AND THEY FOUND A CRACK IN MANIFOLD WHICH WAS ALLOWING WATER TO FILL UP IN ENGINE DEPARTMENT, CAUSING A HYDORLOCK. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER STEERING WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, CONSUMER STATED PROBLEM ONLY HAPPENED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS WARM. TS *JB

THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS CONSUMER ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE STARTER NOT DISENGAGING. *JG

CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE EXCESSIVE ANTIFREEZER CONSUMPTION EVERY 300 MILES, THE RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY ALL THE TIME. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

THE SAFETY INVOLVED HERE IS THE INABILITY TO CHANGE A TIRE IF IT FAILS ON THE ROAD. THE PLASTIC KEY AND INSERT ARE INADEQUATE FOR THE JOB. THE PLASTIC ON THE KEY GIVES AND THE LOCKING DEVICE ON THE HUB CAP BECOMES SO TIGHT THAT THE PLASTIC KEY WILL NOT REMOVE IT BEFORE FAILING. EACH TIME I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED OR CHANGED, THE MECHANICS REQUIRED AIR TOOLS AND 1 INCH SOCKET. ONE OCCASION OF A FLAT TIRE ON A TEXAS HIGHWAY PLACED MY WIFE AND I WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO CHANGE TO THE SPARE. HAD NOT A VERY HUSKY HIGHWAY PATROLMENT COME TO OUR RESCUE, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED. IN THIS INCIDENT WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY ONTO A PRIVATE FARM ENTRANCE. MR

CONSUMER STATES THAT OIL LEAKS FROM THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE REAR BUMPER. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *MR

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOT. CHECKED BY DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD INTO ENGINE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.*AK