1994 Buick Skylark

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE STARTER FAILS TO ENGAGE AND THE DRIVER HOLD THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, PRODUCING HEAT THAT CAN MELT SWITCH PARTS.

Risk. A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT AND VERIFY THAT THE VEHICLE WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION (ADEQUATE RESERVE CAPACITY, OR COLD CRANKING AMPS). THIS CAMPAIGN DOES NOT COVER BATTERY REPLACEMENT OR UNRELATED STARTING SYSTEM OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRS.

Defect. THESE VEHICLES WERE CONSTRUCTED WITH WELDS IN THE REAR COMPARTMENT PAN ASSEMBLY THAT ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO FUEL TANK LEAKAGE IN THE EVENT OF A REAR IMPACT COLLISION. THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLIES DO NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY."

Risk. THIS CAN RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF A VEHICLE FIRE IN THE EVENT OF A REAR IMPACT COLLISION.

Remedy. DEALER WILL INSTALL RIVETS ADJACENT TO THE LOCATIONS WHERE THE SUSPECT WELDS ARE LOCATED.

ON 11/14/2012 I BOUGHT AN EXCIDE CAR BATTERY FROM NATIONAL AUTO IN BANGOR, PA. BATTERY RAN FOR ABOUT 2 MOS. THEN STARTED TO GIVE ME PROBLEMS. AFTER SITTING FOR 2 DAYS IT WOULD NOT START. HAD CAR BATTERY JUMPED 3 TIMES. BETWEEN 01/ 2013 AND 02/ 10/2013. BATTERY COMPLETELY DEAD ON 02/11/2013. WAS PUT ON SLOW CHARGE AND RAN FOR ANOTHER 2 DAYS AND DIED AGAIN. TOOK BATTERY BACK TO NATIONAL AUTO ON 02/17/2013. BEFORE TAKING IT THERE I HAD ALTERNATOR, STARTER AND WIRES CHECKED .. EVERYTHING OK.. RETURNED TO STORE. SERVICE PERSON CHECKED IT AND SAID BATTERY WAS CHARGED...TOLD HIM IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE IT WAS DEAD IN CAR AND WE JUST TOOK IT OUT. HE GAVE ME ANOTHER BATTERY. WORKED FINE UNTIL PALM SUNDAY...DEAD BATTERY...AAA CAME OUT AND JUMPED CAR...WORKED UNTIL 04/04/2013. CALLED CAR STOP ABOUT PROBLEM....GUY SENT OUT.. HE CHECKED BATTERY OUTPUT ONLY 10...NEED 12 VOLTS TO START CAR. ALSO HAD STARTER AND ALTERNATOR CHECKED AGAIN...NO PROBLEMS THERE. TOOK CAR TO SHOP NEXT DAY...NEW BATTERY INSTALLED. CALLED NATIONAL AUTO ABOUT PROBLEM....TOLD TO BRING IT BACK... I DID SO THIS MORNING 04/07/2013 AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE IT IS HOLDING A CHARGE HE CAN'T GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK...I TOLD HIM " WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO WITH 2 BATTERIES" TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK WHEN STORE MANAGER IS THERE ON TUES AM OR WED. I AM A 68 YR OLD SENIOR WOMAN...I FEEL LIKE I AM BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO KEEP GOING BACK...I DO NOT HAVE AN EXTRA HUNDRED DOLLARS TO SPEND JUST TO LET BATTERY SIT IN CELLAR

TILT STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY FAILED AND STEERING WHEEL BECAME DETACHED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE PINS CAME OUT OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE ASSEMBLY SHOWS EXTREME WEAR WHERE THE PINS SHOULD INSERT. PINS CANNOT BE REINSTALLED. REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF STEERING COLUMN. THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF STEERING COLUMN DEFECTS ONLINE INCLUDING HIGHWAY SPEED LOSS OF CONTROL CRASHES. WHY HAS A RECALL NOT BEEN ISSUED. *KB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE ENGINE HESITATED, THEN STALLED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER ASSIST STEERING, AND POWER ASSIST BRAKING. AFTER BEING RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL MORE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR ERVICE. PREVIOUSLY, THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER WAS REPLACED BY A SERVICE DEALER IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK UPDATED 12/01/06. *JB

I OWN A 1994 BUICK SKYLARK. IT DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK. I HAD THE HEATER CORE REPLACED ON ADVISE OF A MECHANIC THAT UNTIL RECENTLY WAS AT A GM DEALERSHIP. IT STILL LEAKED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS COLD. IT WAS THEN DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE WATER PUMP SO I HAD THAT REPLACED. IT STILL LEAKED. NOW I HAVE TO HAVE THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF $660.00. I HAVE CONTACTED GM DEALERSHIPS AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS IN REGARDS TO THE MANIFOLD GASKET AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE GASKET IS THAT IT IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND THAT MANY LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON THE SKYLARKS BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. APPARENTLY GM DECIDED TO USE A PLASTIC GASKET AS OPPOSED TO THE PAPER COMPOSITE GASKET AND THIS IS THE CAUSE OF SO MANY VEHICLES HAVING TO HAVE THIS GASKET REPLACED. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT GM SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT IT WAS DUE TO A DEFECT IN DESIGN. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONSUMER WOULD HEAR A CLUNKING NOISE. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AXLE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB.....PASSENGER'S AXLE BROKE SIX MONTHS AGO, AND CURRENTLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE BROKE. IT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE THAT BOTH AXLES WOULD BE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL LOOSENED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THREE STEERING BOLTS FAILED ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK

AC HEATING - HEATER CORE WENT OUT- AC STILL NOT WORKING COMPUTER CONTROL- BUICK REPROGRAMMED COMPUTER CHIP- MY COMPLAINT WAS ERRATIC IDLING. IT FIXED PROBLEM. PAINT PEELING THIS YEAR STRUTS AND SPRINGS ON SUSPENSION ARE NOT LASTING LONG TIRES- PROBABLY MY FAULT FOR NOT ROTATING TRANSMISSION- I REPLACED IT WITH SALVAGED ONE AT 170,000- HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS 4T60E TRANSMISSION. BRAKES- FRONT ONES LAST 1,000 MILES. I REPLACE ALL HARDWARE. STEERING-LISTEN TO THIS-THE PIVOT PINS ON MY TILT STEERING FELL OUT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ON MY LAP.CAR COULD STILL DRIVE. I EPOXIED NEW PIVOT PINS IN AND THIS SOLVED THE PROBLEM. ALL REPAIRS DONE BY ME, EXCEPT FOR THE COMPUTER REPROGRAMMING-I THOUGHT IT WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THEY SHOULD HAVE FIXED IT FOR NO CHARGE. THEY DID NOT. HEARD FRIENDS TELL ME G.M CARS EAT UP ALTERNATORS AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS THREE TIMES. THANK YOU!

AT 70,514 MILES THE TILT WHEEL PIVOT PINS ON THE STEERING WHEEL WERE LOOSE AND REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. NOW AT 75,000 MILES THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. *AK *SCC *JB

THE PINS THAT HOLDS AND ALLOWS THE STEERING WHEEL TO TILT HAVE COME OUT OF THEIR HOLES ON TWO OCCASIONS MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF, CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

THE SEAT BELT ON MY 1994 BUICK SKYLARK DOES NOT SEEM TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF LOCK-UP. I AM CONCERNED AS TO THE OPERATION OF THE SENSING DEVICE ON THIS SYSTEM. CAN I HAVE IT CHECKED FOR OPERATION BEFORE I HAVE AN ACCIDENT? *JB

WHILE SITTING IN CAR WITH ENGINE RUNNING PASSENGER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK SWITCH, YELLOWISH IN COLOR. CONSUMER EXITED VEHICLE, FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED, FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF DOOR. THEY STATED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH, TEMPERATURE GAUGE ROSE IMMEDIATELY. AFTER THAT, VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM TAIL PIPE. OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO 2 MECHANICS. OWNER WAS INFORMED THAT PROBLEM WAS DUE TO HEAD GASKET. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED AT #2 PLUG, RESULTING IN POWER LOSS, WATER INTRODUCTION IN CRANKCASE, COSTLY REPAIR AND , EVENTUALLY, FAILURE OF ROD BEARINGS.*AK

THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH WIRES SHORTING OUT, LIGHTS COMING ON, HORN NOT WORKING, ETC. *YH

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH HOOD FLEW OPEN AND STRUCK WINDSHIELD, MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK AND NO AJUSTMENTS CAN BE MADE, ALSO STEERING WHEEL IS EXTREMELY LOOSE WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. *AK CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, DEALER FOUND TILT WHEEL IS VERY LOOSE, FOUND PIN LOOSE IN SHAFT, NOTCHED SHAFT TO HOLD PIN, FACTORY HAD NOTCHED SHAFT 3 TIMES, DEALER NOTCHED SHAFT APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES AND COLUMN WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, MULTI-FUNCTION TURN SIGNAL FAILED AND LEVER WAS INOPERATIVE. *YD

CONSUMER HAD A FRONT IMPACT CRASH AT 35 MPH, AND DRIVERS AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUFFERED KNEE AND BACK INJURIES, AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK *SLC

WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WAS TURNING INTO A CURVE AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIBRATING AND STEERING COLUMN DROPPED DOWN TO FLOOR. PINS FELL OUT FROM STEERING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN VEHICLE HESITATES OR COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN, CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM.*AK