Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 010601007A | 07/01/2001 | 010601007 | 620835 | Experiencing excessive engine coolant consumption, or an engine coolant leak near or under the throttle body area of the upper intake manifold. *tt | 08/31/2001 |
| 010601007 | 09/01/2007 | 010601007C | 619176 | Engine coolant consumption or coolant leak (inspect for material degradation/replace intake manifolds) *tt updated 11/02/07 *nj | 05/17/2001 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 040601021 | 06/01/2004 | 10012148 | New rear main seal and special tool for installation. *tt | 02/15/2005 | |
| 010601008A | 05/01/2002 | 010601008 | 634813 | Some owners may comment on a repeat engine oil pan leak. *tt | 10/09/2002 |
| 010601008 | 02/01/2001 | 619177 | Some owners may comment on a repeat engine oil pan leak. *tt | 05/17/2001 | |
| 776110 | 06/01/1997 | 52573 | Engine oil level indicates over full (replace oil level indicator tube assembly). *tw | 08/21/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 9874T60E04 | 10/01/1998 | 602997 | Some vehicles may experience vehicle surging at 72 to 89 km/h ( 45 to 55 mph ). *yc | 01/25/1999 | |
| 9709016116A | 09/01/1997 | 54327 | Comments of an engine oil leak that appears to originate toward the driver's side of the vehicle; rear of engine. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||||
| 040601017 | 06/01/2004 | 10008471 | New upper intake manifold and gasket kits. *tt | 08/02/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| PE02050 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/13/2002 | 10/22/2002 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | ||
| Alleged engine compartment fire during startup.loud pops or backfires before the fire started | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 03/05/2013 | 142000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph and the vehicle began to shake in a continuous jerking motion. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the retainer washer and the body mount was disengaged on the passenger's side, causing the engine cradle to collapse on the rear driver's side. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 142,000. kmj | |||
| 03/05/2013 | 142000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle began to shake in a jerking motion continuously. the vehicle was driven to the residence. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the retainer washer and the body mount disengaged on the passenger's side which caused the engine cradle to collapse on the rear driver's side. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 142,000. js | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 97000 | 1 | |
| My car jerks like a fish tugging on your line at different speeds and when coming up an incline. it also has a very strong odor that i smell when running the a/c. i smell it outside the car and occasionally i smell it inside the car. *tr | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 97000 | ||
| My car jerks like a fish tugging on your line at different speeds and when coming up an incline. it also has a very strong odor that i smell when running the a/c. i smell it outside the car and occassionally i smell it inside the car. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 153000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. the contact smelled a very strong odor of gasoline. in addition, the steering wheel would shake while driving at any speed. while performing a routine inspection of the vehicle, the contact noticed that half of the radiator fluid was missing. he added more radiator fluid and noticed that fluid continue to disappear in the vehicle every four days. after numerous refills of radiator fluid, he took the vehicle to a dealer and was informed that the upper intake manifold needed to be replaced. in addition, the water pump needed to be replaced and the main gas line was leaking, which caused the strong odor. the manufacturer stated that the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 96v116000 (fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system). the contact believes that the vehicle should be included in the recall. the vehicle is currently at the dealer and has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 153,000. | |||
| 01/23/2009 | 13000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. when the contact placed the key into the ignition and attempted to start the vehicle, the engine exploded with a very loud noise. he shut off the vehicle and checked the engine. when he opened the hood, he noticed that the intake manifold and the engine cover were shattered into many pieces. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop and the mechanic stated that he never saw a vehicle with this type of defect. the manufacturer stated that the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 96v116000 (fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system). the contact believes that the vehicle should be included in the recall since the failures are identical. the vehicle is still at the shop and has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 13,000. | |||
| 02/24/2008 | 95000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. the driver noticed that the vehicle started to smoke. the fire department was notified. the vehicle was consumed with fire and was totaled. the contact believed that the fire originated under the hood. there were no injuries. the purchase date was not available. the current and failure mileages were about 95,000. | |||
| 10/03/2006 | 155483 | 1 | 03/10/2000 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 mph on the highway, the vehicle overheated and was maneuvered off the road on two occasions on the same day. the vehicle was turned off to cool down, while water and anti-freeze was added to the radiator. after the second occurrence, the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who replaced the plenum. | |||
| 10/02/2005 | 130104 | 1 | 10/01/1996 |
| Dt: while driving 30 mph the check engine light came and the engine overheated. this was the first incident of this type. the contact owns a buick lesabre that has a plastic intake called a plenum. this device cracked and allowed engine coolant to be mixed with the oil. this caused a vapor lock. now, two of the cylinders show zero compression, and a third shows a pressure of 60 pounds. the engine was totaled and must be replaced. vehicle was towed to an automobile repair shop, and the mechanic made these terminations. the contact was referred to a buick dealer, who said they do not feel that this was a manufacturing defect. at this time, no repairs or corrections have been made. *ak | |||
| 06/20/2005 | 5 | ||
| 1997 buick lesabre backfires at startup, engine light illuminates, and the vehicle stalls without warning. *mr there was a whining noise when the vehicle was started and rear brake noise was intermittent. the consumer requested info in reference to warranties related to his make/model. *sc *jb | |||
| 05/20/2004 | 2 | ||
| While driving vehicle stalled. consumer tried to restart vehicle, but was unable to do so. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| 11/15/2002 | 44800 | ||
| Mechanic found engine coolent leaking from the upper intake manifold, which is *plastic*. the coolent was also leaking into the engine oil. i stated that such a major deteriortion or failure after only 44,800 miles is absurd and ludicrous. | |||
| 59000 | 1 | ||
| The mechanic noticed a leak in the upper plenum manifold. upon performing a routine service, the upper plenum manifold was leaking antifreeze into the engine. the antifreeze was mixing with the engine oil. this would have resulted in the engine seizing up if the leaked had gone unnoticed. the dealership is going to replace the plenum manifold with a newer designed manifold. the engine is a 3800 series. *jb | |||
| 01/27/2004 | 47435 | 1 | |
| Coolant was leaking from the head gasket. an independent dealer replaced the intake manifold. please provide further information. *jb | |||
| 1 | 08/17/1997 | ||
| Vehicle exploded and burned at start up. *mr ph | |||
| 1 | 09/04/1997 | ||
| At start up, the vehicle engine exploded and caught on fire. *mr when the hood was opened, red flames were shooting from a hole that burned on a gray cover in the engine. *scc | |||
| 09/30/2002 | 90963 | 1 | 04/10/2002 |
| Engine coolant destroyed engine due to the degradation of upper intake mainifold materials around the egr stove pipe. without warning(no warning lights went on) while on the road coolant entered the pistons through the degradated upper intake manifold and caused engine failure. this could have caused a major accident as power was lost and speed dramatically dropped. seems to be obvious engine design flaw in 3800 v-6 engines produced by gm in buick lasabres, riveras, regals, oldsmobile 98s, 88s. intrigue, pontiac bonnevilles, grand prix, & chevrolet luminas, monte carlos over a period of years dating from 1995-1998 when they changed the manifold design. a service bulletin by gm #01-06-01-007a in july 18, 2001 indicated the gm is aware of defect and has since produced a different manifold to replace and repair problem but will not stand behind these engines when they fail without warning. gm has been uncooperative in this matter. all repairs to this car are documented with biliings, etc by certified gm service dept. including oil changes and preventitive maintenance. this was a well maintained vehicle with a service history that can be documented. i have pictures of the inside of the engine where damage occurred.the gm service dept. that replaced damaged engine indicated that they had 3 other vehicles with the same engine damaged because of coolant leak through the degradation of the intake manifold in that one month time frame. this is a small dealership and they indicated that this was a indicator of a major problem with this component. *ak | |||
| 12/02/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated that while driving at any speed the engine light comes on and will stay on the remainder of the time the vehicle is being operated. dealer notified. ts | |||
| 10 | |||
| Consumer states, since purchase of vehicle, it has sporadically stalled out 10 times. 2 dealerships diagnosed via computer but advised that they cannot diagnose the problem without being able to duplicate it. consumer is concerned that the problem could potentially cause a rear-end collision. *tt *scc | |||
| 02/22/2000 | 3 | ||
| Engine plenum failed causing coolant to leak into the engine causing damage to the engine. *mjs | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 08/28/2007 | 75000 | 1 | |
| This will be 4th time intake manifold gasket is being replaced. by far the worst & most expensive used car ever to own. gm's black eye. *tr | |||
| 05/20/2008 | 99000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. while approaching a stop, the contact smelled antifreeze and noticed that the temperature gauge on the instrument panel was becoming hotter. he then noticed steam under the hood, which eventually led to the vehicle shutting off. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 99,000. | |||
| 04/10/2006 | 57000 | 3 | 09/10/2005 |
| Two complete sets of brakes since october 2005 intake manifold leaks, both very costly. *nm | |||
| 09/04/2003 | 75000 | 2 | 07/11/1999 |
| 1997 buick lesabre leaking coolant. the first incident was two years ago. plenum was replaced and same problem occurring again. had intake gasket replaced but coolant still leaking. will damage engine if not corrected. too expensive to have to correct every two years. *jb | |||
| 08/19/2003 | 8700 | 1 | 10/01/2002 |
| I would like to complain about the fact that the nhtsa has so little concern for safety that you charge $38.73 per hour and other fees to obtain recall or service bulletins about ones vehicle. i am sure that this charge does exactly as desired by consumers just giving up. your work load must be near zero which i am sure was the desire. if safety was the desire the information would be available for one to search for free. is that not what the government web sites are for. i hope homeland security does not take after your site. it would appear that the vehicle cooling leaked into the engine due to a plastic intake manifold failure. hard to believe a company would make it from plastic. i also believe if i had access to the infomation i would find that many other vehicles had the same failure and the manufacturer should bear responsibility.*ak | |||
| 12/10/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated that the water pump failed.*jb | |||
| 01/02/1999 | |||
| Vehicle is losing anti freeze into the vehicle because there is never a puddle of anti freeze on the floor. contacted dealer, and they were not willing to do anything.*ak | |||
| 4 | |||
| The vehicle stalled without warning while driving due to a blown head gasket, a few months later vehicle stalled again, vehicle was towed to a body shop and mechanice stated that head gasket had blown again and that the motor would need replaced, water pump also failed and was replaced on four occasions. *yh | |||
| 07/28/2001 | 09/01/1997 | ||
| I had taken this vehicle back to the buick dealership where i purchased it at 34k miles and told them it had a miss and that it hesitated driving down the road. they said it was a spark plug and replaced one. the last time i took it to another buick dealer it needed 4,200.00 to make it road worthy including a new water pump, new transmission, new brakes and rotors. the service code on the car should have indicated failure of these parts when i took it to the first dealer. | |||
| 03/02/2001 | |||
| Water pump stopped working for no reason. please provide any additional information.*ak | |||
| 07/23/2000 | |||
| Anti-freeze was leaking into motor and causing it to be sluggish & hesitate. also, there was a foul smell coming into vehicle. dealer said there was a defect within the part. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 07/01/2008 | 93500 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start and no warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. when the vehicle finally started, it backfired. once the contact arrived home, he looked under the hood and noticed that the coolant was low. the dealer stated that the repair would cost approximately $600 and that the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle has not been repaired. the recall number was unknown. the failure mileage was 93,500 and current mileage was 93,525. | |||
| 06/24/2006 | 173384 | 6 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. while driving at any speed, the vehicle shuts off and has to be restarted. the contact also stated that the vehicle caught fire under the hood. all passengers exited the vehicle safely and without injury. the vehicle has been to a service station on two separate occasions, but the failure still persists. the vehicle is no longer able to be driven. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 177,339 and failure mileage was 173,384. updated 02-01-08. *kb updated 02/01/08 *tr | |||
| 05/18/2007 | 167000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. while driving 10 mph, the contact heard a noise and lost control of the steering. there were no warning indicators. the vehicle was towed and the dealer stated that the cause of failure was due to the engine mounting carriage disassembling from the vehicle. the manufacturer will not perform the repair free of charge due to the vehicle's age and mileage. the purchase date and engine size were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 167,000. | |||
| 10/03/2005 | 1 | ||
| Dt: the consumer's 1997 buick lesabre had blown a piston. the consumer was driving the vehicle at 30-35 mph. the vehicle had been regularly maintained with oil changes. the vehicle had not been repaired. the consumer planned on taking the vehicle to an independent repair shop. *sc *ak | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving the intake manifold and gasket failed which caused the vehicle to stop running. *nm the consumer believed the failure was clearly an inferior designed part. *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 1997 buick le sabre engine shuddered then stopped.*mr | |||
| 05/06/2004 | 1 | 12/10/1997 | |
| Had this plastic maifold warp at highway speed with fluid coming out on to the road and belt failure possibly because of rupture ,you have a safety hazard. *ak *jb | |||
| 01/28/2004 | 1 | ||
| I had to replace the intake manifold on my buick lesabre, at a cost of $264.80 with labor another $180. this has been an ongoing problem as i understand it with gm and they are quite aware of it but have failed to correct the problem. *jb | |||
| 1 | 07/11/2003 | ||
| The engine was shut off and parked for about five minutes. consumer noticed smoke coming from the hood. the consumer was unable to extinguish the fire. by the time the fire department arrived, the vehicle was totally engulfed in flames. *ak when the vehicle caught fire, it also damaged another vehicle that was parked beside it. *ph *jb | |||
| 09/30/2002 | 90963 | 1 | 04/10/2002 |
| Engine coolant destroyed engine due to the degradation of upper intake mainifold materials around the egr stove pipe. without warning(no warning lights went on) while on the road coolant entered the pistons through the degradated upper intake manifold and caused engine failure. this could have caused a major accident as power was lost and speed dramatically dropped. seems to be obvious engine design flaw in 3800 v-6 engines produced by gm in buick lasabres, riveras, regals, oldsmobile 98s, 88s. intrigue, pontiac bonnevilles, grand prix, & chevrolet luminas, monte carlos over a period of years dating from 1995-1998 when they changed the manifold design. a service bulletin by gm #01-06-01-007a in july 18, 2001 indicated the gm is aware of defect and has since produced a different manifold to replace and repair problem but will not stand behind these engines when they fail without warning. gm has been uncooperative in this matter. all repairs to this car are documented with biliings, etc by certified gm service dept. including oil changes and preventitive maintenance. this was a well maintained vehicle with a service history that can be documented. i have pictures of the inside of the engine where damage occurred.the gm service dept. that replaced damaged engine indicated that they had 3 other vehicles with the same engine damaged because of coolant leak through the degradation of the intake manifold in that one month time frame. this is a small dealership and they indicated that this was a indicator of a major problem with this component. *ak | |||
| 05/13/2003 | 31460 | 1 | 05/25/1997 |
| The vehicle leaked oil in the consumers garage. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who stated the shield was made of plastic. he also stated he read these things were made of plastic and could catch fire if the vehicle became hot enough. *nlm *ts *jb | |||
| 01/28/2003 | 88000 | 1 | 04/23/2002 |
| Upper intake manifold cracked resulting in coolant leak into cylinders. coolant leak caused motor to hydro-lock making vehicle inoperable. both upper & lower intake manifolds were replaced.*jb | |||
| While driving vehicle, the check engine light came on. it failed to go off. taken vehicle to a mechanic and had the sensors replaced. the engine problem was the egr valve which caused the vehicle to be sluggish. took to a different mechanic and the wires and sensors were replaced again. vehicle taken for test drive and check engine light came on. restarted vehicle after turning it off and it back fired. had cracked the plastic intake phebem, which needs to be replaced. ts | |||
| 10/24/2002 | |||
| The vehicle was check by a dealership technician. the engine coolant was leaking from underneath the vehicle. mr | |||
| 07/06/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2000 | |
| While at a stop engine locked up. dealer stated this was caused by intake manifold. *ak consumer stated the intake manifold gasket failed.*jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving engine check light keeps coming on. this happens intermittently. took vehicle to dealer, and had vehicle repaired, but problem still exists. *ak oxygen sensor failed due to antifreeze in intake system. the upper intake plenium was leaking because it had cracked and was replaced. *yh | |||
| 4 | |||
| The vehicle stalled without warning while driving due to a blown head gasket, a few months later vehicle stalled again, vehicle was towed to a body shop and mechanice stated that head gasket had blown again and that the motor would need replaced, water pump also failed and was replaced on four occasions. *yh | |||
| 11/20/1998 | 04/10/1997 | ||
| Engine--oil gasket leak. | |||
| 06/03/1998 | |||
| The motor mount on the right is defective. dealer replaced the motor mount because it was missing the rubber bushings that were never installed into the motor mount. dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 09/30/2002 | 90963 | 1 | 04/10/2002 |
| Engine coolant destroyed engine due to the degradation of upper intake mainifold materials around the egr stove pipe. without warning(no warning lights went on) while on the road coolant entered the pistons through the degradated upper intake manifold and caused engine failure. this could have caused a major accident as power was lost and speed dramatically dropped. seems to be obvious engine design flaw in 3800 v-6 engines produced by gm in buick lasabres, riveras, regals, oldsmobile 98s, 88s. intrigue, pontiac bonnevilles, grand prix, & chevrolet luminas, monte carlos over a period of years dating from 1995-1998 when they changed the manifold design. a service bulletin by gm #01-06-01-007a in july 18, 2001 indicated the gm is aware of defect and has since produced a different manifold to replace and repair problem but will not stand behind these engines when they fail without warning. gm has been uncooperative in this matter. all repairs to this car are documented with biliings, etc by certified gm service dept. including oil changes and preventitive maintenance. this was a well maintained vehicle with a service history that can be documented. i have pictures of the inside of the engine where damage occurred.the gm service dept. that replaced damaged engine indicated that they had 3 other vehicles with the same engine damaged because of coolant leak through the degradation of the intake manifold in that one month time frame. this is a small dealership and they indicated that this was a indicator of a major problem with this component. *ak | |||
| 05/26/2002 | 1 | 09/01/1996 | |
| While driving at 70mph engine died. contact dealer who replaced engine, in which a connect rod had broken.*ak consumer stated that the connect rod broke and destroyed the engine, crankshaft and a/c compressor. *yh | |||
| 02/17/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer started vehicle, there was a loud pop and then flames came out from under the hood, the origin of the fire and explosion is inside the intake manifold and the engine, the cause of the fire is a back fire within the engine compartment, claim 17-9112-605.. *slc | |||
| 01/13/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle would not crank earlier in the day, vehicle was parked for a few hours when a fire started in the engine area, claim 42-1218-296. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine exploded when vehicle was started, claim 38-j616-719. *slc referenced in ea02-030 | |||
| 01/08/2000 | 1 | ||
| Engine exploded as consumer was getting out of vehicle, claim 05-4442-741. *slc | |||
| 02/17/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer started vehicle and heard a loud pop, flames came out from under the hood, the origin of the fire and explosion was inside the intake manifold of the engine, the cause of the fire was a backfire within the engine compartment, claim 17-9112-605. *slc | |||
| 01/13/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle would not crank early in the day, it was taken home and parked for a few hours when a fire started, claim 42-1218-296. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine exploded when vehicle was started, claim 38-j616-719. *slc | |||
| 01/08/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer had parked vehicle and it exploded as consumer was exiting vehicle , adjuster stated possible internal engine intake manifold to be cause, claim 05-4442-741. *slc | |||
| 12/29/2000 | 1 | ||
| Motor burned, cause of fire origninated at the engines fueling system on the intake housing side, claim 53-c681-096. *slc | |||
| 01/08/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer had parked vehicle and it exploded as consumer was exiting vehicle , adjuster stated possible internal engine intake manifold to be cause, claim 05-4442-741. *slc | |||
| 02/17/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer started vehicle and heard a loud pop, flames came out from under the hood, the origin of the fire and explosion was inside the intake manifold of the engine, the cause of the fire was a backfire within the engine compartment, claim 17-9112-605. *slc | |||
| 01/13/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle would not crank early in the day, it was taken home and parked for a few hours when a fire started, claim 42-1218-296. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine exploded when vehicle was started, claim 38-j616-719. *slc | |||
| 02/15/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2001 | |
| This 1997 buick le sabre , in very good condition , exploded with a fireball and sending plastic shrapnel and engine cover parts out to a radius of 24 feet. thank god none of the three people trying to start the car with the hood up were standing over the engine bay. the resulting repairs were $700 and my long time extremely competent group of mechanics were all baffled and could not explain why or how such a thing was even possible on such a system (i.e. late model fuel injection , starting a cold engine. *ak referenced in ea02-030 | |||
| 12/29/2000 | 1 | ||
| Motor burned, cause of fire origninated at the engines fueling system on the intake housing side, claim 53-c681-096. *slc | |||
| 01/08/2000 | 1 | ||
| Engine exploded as consumer was getting out of vehicle, claim 05-4442-741. *slc | |||
| 01/13/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle would not crank earlier in the day, vehicle was parked for a few hours when a fire started in the engine area, claim 42-1218-296. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine exploded when vehicle was started, claim 38-j616-719. *slc | |||
| 02/17/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer started vehicle, there was a loud pop and then flames came out from under the hood, the origin of the fire and explosion is inside the intake manifold and the engine, the cause of the fire is a back fire within the engine compartment, claim 17-9112-605.. *slc | |||
| 02/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1996 | |
| While attempting to start the vehicle the engine caught fire totally destroying the car. nlm there was recall on the upper intake manifold.*jb an investigator stated that the fire originated within the ignition of vapors of gasoline in the engine compartment of the vehicle, they stated that it should be noted that the conditions described at the time of the fire are in line with the recall regarding the upper intake manifold. *slc referenced in ea02-030 | |||
| 09/01/1999 | |||
| Vehicle backfires during start up. this could lead to an engine compartment fire. *ak referenced in ea02-030 | |||
| 07/31/1999 | 07/01/1999 | ||
| Since i bought the vehicle, the car has gotten horrendous gas mileage, the horn intermittently does not work and the transmission has slipped. the car was taken back to the dealer and nothing was done. i was told we were unable to find a problem. the horn issue nearly resulted in a car accident lastnight as the horn, again, decided to take the night off. this is not right!! | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 3 | 12/01/1996 | |
| Car is cutting out. no warning. i could be going 65 miles an hour or completely stopped at the red light. car will restart in about five minutes. i have had it to the dealership [two different ones] three times and it has not been fixed to date. i feel this car in dangerous and would like to get some help. | |||
| 09/12/1999 | 8 | 08/09/1996 | |
| Vehicle stalls intermittently without warning while in motion. nlm | |||
| 11/29/1998 | 2 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Car surged forward when pulling into a parking space, airbags did not deploy. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine continually experiencing clunking noise. mjs | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 2 | 09/01/1997 | |
| Possible engine failure, check engine light illuminating. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle experiencing sudden steering difficulty followed by a complete shut down of all systems. | |||
| 12/15/1997 | 15 | 04/01/1997 | |
| Car stalls while driving. also, steering wheel often tightens up. | |||
| 15 | 05/22/1997 | ||
| Engine continually stalling. | |||
| 10/10/1997 | 2 | 01/24/1997 | |
| Engine failure intermittently. | |||
| 12/02/1997 | 1 | 01/24/1997 | |
| Engine shut down unexpectantly while driving. | |||
| 03/09/1998 | 6 | 04/15/1997 | |
| While driving the vehicle will stall without indications. dealer has been contacted. dealer also replaced battry/alternator/ignition and computer. however, vehicle continued to stall. *ak | |||
| 03/30/1998 | 20 | 01/04/1997 | |
| Engine stalls intermittently | |||
| 08/17/1997 | 04/17/1997 | ||
| Driving down the highway when there was sudden loss of power/loss of brake/power steering. everything shut down, but the radio continued to play. managed to pull vehicle over to the side of highway. put in park and the vehicle started up like nothing was wrong. *ak | |||
| 09/13/1996 | 2 | 06/27/1996 | |
| While driving vehicle at night the headlights go dim for no reason. owner has taken vehicle to dealer, and was told its the design of vehicle. owner further notes that this problem has almost caused accidents. *ak ses light illuminated. when there is not even 300 pounds in vehicle and going over bumps, it bottoms out, dealer replaced rear springs and weak coil springs. consumer had to wiggle key to get it out of the door, dealer filed key and lubricated the lock cylinder. *slc | |||
| 12/31/1996 | 1 | 06/27/1996 | |
| Engine vibrates upon acceleration. | |||
| 10/01/1996 | |||
| When making a left hand turn the vehicle's engine shuts down, causing the vehicle to stall. please describe details. *ak | |||
| 0 | 07/09/1996 | ||
| When going up a hill, the engine has a skip. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine failure. | |||
| 12/30/1996 | 1 | 04/02/1996 | |
| Engine backfires upon start up. referenced in ea02-030 | |||
| 09/20/1996 | 12 | 09/23/1996 | |
| Intermittent stalling. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 11/25/2000 | 11/01/1996 | ||
| In june of this year when i went in for an ordinary oil change and was told that the serpentine belt needed to be replaced, which was done on june 19th and cost us $131. since then it has been one thing after another, the gas gauge stopped working and to repair that plus the oil change and automatic transmission service that ran us $764. on october 20th after getting into the car and starting it, the temperature light came on, and i immediately took it to your service department. that was the egr valve which was $313. then six days later on october 26th the car started to overheat when i pulled into my garage, after letting it cool we checked the coolant jar and there was nothing in it. we added water then took it straight to your service department, this time they had to replace the intake manifold which cost us $391. in between these happening i took the car in to have the brakes checked and they told me that the front brakes and the two rotors had to be replaced. we took it to another garage and had them check them since they had only been replaced less than one year before and had less than 15,000 miles. we were told there was nothing wrong with the front brakes. while road testing the car on november 25th the engine cut out and the oil light came on. when the car was started up the oil pressure went all the way down. it was taken straight to your service department and left there until it was checked on monday the 27th. we were told that the engine needed to be replaced and the cost was going to be $3,400. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 04/01/2009 | 172000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. when the contact started the vehicle, it sputtered, jumped, backfired, and shut off. the vehicle emitted a large amount of fumes and smelled of gasoline. she noticed that the catalytic converter was orange and had the vehicle towed to a repair shop. the mechanic stated that the ignition module needed to be replaced. the module was replaced, but only lasted five days. the failure recurred and the mechanic towed her vehicle to the shop. the manufacturer stated that her vin was not included in a recall; therefore, the contact would be responsible for the repairs. the failure mileage was 172,000. | |||
| 04/11/2003 | 161000 | 1 | 07/27/2001 |
| Erratic engine performance and occasional check engine light reported several weeks ago when vehicle was in for minor repair. independent delco garage owner indicated stored codes were for o2 sensor - however it appeared to be functioning normally at that time. on friday 4/11/03, erratic engine performance (missing, loss of performance) caused me to head towards garage for further investigation. en route, vehicle stalled out, and refused to restart (at one point, a back fire occurred during restart attempt. had vehicle towed to garage, and during subsequent inspection, it was discovered the heat from the egr pipe from the lower intake manifold had damaged the upper composite manifold, causing a coolant leak into the intake. stored codes at this time indicated o2 sensor, misfire and catalytic converter. owner indicated these readings were consistent with his experience, and informed me that they have replaced at least a dozen to 18 upper intakes in past 18 months. quoting him we're just a small garage. i have also been told that when he called local gm dealership (to inquire on availability of parts) he was told we have so many of these in stock that we can't even put them up on the shelves they are stacked in the aisle. what is most disconcerting is when i called buick division general motors corp customer assistance center i was told by kevin dam (sp?) and darlene vega (sp?) that there was no known complaints, investigations or recalls regarding this problem. after reviewing this site and your investigation(s) - someone is grossly misinformed! and it appeared the manufacturer may even be participating in denial and/or misrepresentation in this matter. my inquiry (complaint or whatever they call it) was given the number 1-89860067. it seems to me that we all have a ticking bomb on our hands ... unfortunately, i drive it to work each day! can you help me?. *jb | |||
| 04/16/2002 | 2 | 09/01/2096 | |
| A hole was created in the upper plenum manifold emission system by the egr valve. so i was told. is this covered under the government emissions systems warranty? buick said only the catalitic (sp) converter is covered under this warranty. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Exhaust system failed. nlm | |||
| 05/01/1996 | 1 | 04/24/1996 | |
| Exhaust system seal failed. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving engine check light keeps coming on. this happens intermittently. took vehicle to dealer, and had vehicle repaired, but problem still exists. *ak oxygen sensor failed due to antifreeze in intake system. the upper intake plenium was leaking because it had cracked and was replaced. *yh | |||
| 07/31/1998 | 1 | 09/06/1996 | |
| Oxygen sensor failed. yh | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 05/06/1997 | 1 | 03/22/1997 | |
| Catalytic converter system failed. *yc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 115850 | 1 | |
| Gasket and egr tube failure causing plenum and upper intake leakaage causing hydro-lock'. *ak | |||
| 02/15/2001 | 1 | ||
| The egr valve failed, the customer request reimbursement because he believes the original valve was defective and it should have had a lifetime warranty. nlm | |||
| 11/30/1998 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| Egr valve stuck in closed position - but if fails in open position could cause engine stall | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 10/11/2009 | 99773 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. while attempting to start the vehicle, it exhibited a no-start condition. she replaced the battery and then smoke engulfed the front-end of the vehicle. a mechanic concluded that the intake manifold failed. she was in the process of having the vehicle repaired. the dealer was notified, yet no assistance was provided. the failure and current mileages were 99773. updated 11/3/09 *cn updated 11/06/09.*jb | |||
| 07/01/2008 | 115366 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that anti-freeze was leaking on the upper intake manifold. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 96v116000 (fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system), although the failures were identical. the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 115,366. | |||
| 02/19/2006 | 25000 | 1 | 06/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, there was a loud back fire heard which appeared to be near the intake manifold. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop for inspection. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. although the dealership was alerted, no repairs were made. | |||
| 04/21/2005 | 80000 | 1 | 07/09/1999 |
| Started car heard loud pop, white smoke, then flames - car caught fire - total loss. *jb | |||
| 03/09/2005 | 32066 | 1 | 06/01/1998 |
| There was an intake back fire when starting the engine. when taken to get serviced it was determined that the fire was caused by intake manifold.*ak recall campaign 96v116000:intake backfire during starting. turned the ignition to start the car and heard a load noise. then turned the ignition off and did not try again. mechanic said luckily the car did not burn because there was gas on the engine. mechanic called buick, but they denied there was a problem and said the car was not covered. *bf | |||
| 02/22/2005 | 1 | ||
| I have a 1997 buick lesabre. i had to have over $1600 in repairs done on the upper intake manifold, which a 1998 lesabre has a recall on. why, when the same problem exists on 1997 is it not recalled as well? it's a recurring problem to the point that they redesigned the manifolds (which caused me to have to replace the lower manifold). two dealers mentioned this to be a common problem. i don't understand why the same problem is covered for a 1998 and not a 1997. my car only has 76,000 miles on it, work was preformed by a buick/gmc dealer. is there any way the recall can extend to one prior year?*ak | |||
| 07/24/2004 | 67300 | 1 | 09/15/1997 |
| Consumer notice d white smoke and loss of coolant while driving 30 mph. vehicle was taken to a repair shop, and mechanic determined a blown head gasket. dealer was not notified. *ak | |||
| 08/24/2004 | 100570 | 1 | 01/15/2004 |
| While driving vehicle commenced to run roughly. vehicle was pulled over, and found coolant missing because of design defect in part caused fluid to be drawn into engine. this caused the 3engine to seize and an overhaul to be needed. possible recall scrapped because problem was not a saftey issue. vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed consumer that the upper manifold needed to be replaced.*ak *tc | |||
| 02/23/2004 | 68000 | 1 | 12/27/2003 |
| Coolant leak at upper intake plenum on 1997 buick at 68000 miles dealer stated that gm is aware of this problem but are not helping with cost of repairs.$633.64. *ak | |||
| 01/12/2004 | 46000 | 3 | 08/15/1996 |
| While driving the vehicle it reached high temperatures due to the intake manifold failure. coolant seeped inside the engine. the dealer indicated it will cost over $1.000,00. the independent shop will replace the intake manifold for half of the price. *ak the consumer was in traffic when the vehicle ran rough and started missing. the service dealer diagnosed the problem as the egr (exhaust gas recirculation) valve/control solenoid. when the part was replaced, the service dealer found cracks in the intake manifold. following this problem, the oxygen sensor that had previously been replaced, failed again. the consumer request that gm cover the repair costs. recall# pe02050. *sc | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1996 | ||
| Parts where made with plastic, went bad and manufacturer is aware of problem. *la when pulling into traffic the vehicle almost stalled and almost caused an accident. the problem was with the plastic upper plenum manifold and gasket. the mechanic referred the consumer to a gm dealer with the service bulletin pertaining to the failure. gm refused to do anything about the problem. *ph *nm | |||
| 1 | |||
| The vehicle is leaking coolant. the dealer determined that upper intake manifold was fractured. the dealer recommends replacing it with a metal intake manifold. please provide further details. *ph | |||
| 10/02/2003 | |||
| While starting and without prior warning vehicle blew up due to the plastic manifold attached to the top of the engine, overheating., smoke was visible inside the car. there were no injuries nor fatalities to report. dealer was aware of the problem. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Failure of the upper intake manifold permitted coolant to mix with engine lubricant and caused engine to seize. engine must be replaced. *ak | |||
| 08/19/2003 | 8700 | 1 | 10/01/2002 |
| I would like to complain about the fact that the nhtsa has so little concern for safety that you charge $38.73 per hour and other fees to obtain recall or service bulletins about ones vehicle. i am sure that this charge does exactly as desired by consumers just giving up. your work load must be near zero which i am sure was the desire. if safety was the desire the information would be available for one to search for free. is that not what the government web sites are for. i hope homeland security does not take after your site. it would appear that the vehicle cooling leaked into the engine due to a plastic intake manifold failure. hard to believe a company would make it from plastic. i also believe if i had access to the infomation i would find that many other vehicles had the same failure and the manufacturer should bear responsibility.*ak | |||
| 09/30/2002 | 90963 | 1 | 04/10/2002 |
| Engine coolant destroyed engine due to the degradation of upper intake mainifold materials around the egr stove pipe. without warning(no warning lights went on) while on the road coolant entered the pistons through the degradated upper intake manifold and caused engine failure. this could have caused a major accident as power was lost and speed dramatically dropped. seems to be obvious engine design flaw in 3800 v-6 engines produced by gm in buick lasabres, riveras, regals, oldsmobile 98s, 88s. intrigue, pontiac bonnevilles, grand prix, & chevrolet luminas, monte carlos over a period of years dating from 1995-1998 when they changed the manifold design. a service bulletin by gm #01-06-01-007a in july 18, 2001 indicated the gm is aware of defect and has since produced a different manifold to replace and repair problem but will not stand behind these engines when they fail without warning. gm has been uncooperative in this matter. all repairs to this car are documented with biliings, etc by certified gm service dept. including oil changes and preventitive maintenance. this was a well maintained vehicle with a service history that can be documented. i have pictures of the inside of the engine where damage occurred.the gm service dept. that replaced damaged engine indicated that they had 3 other vehicles with the same engine damaged because of coolant leak through the degradation of the intake manifold in that one month time frame. this is a small dealership and they indicated that this was a indicator of a major problem with this component. *ak | |||
| 01/28/2003 | 78641 | 2 | 10/30/1998 |
| Upper intake manifold fractured. this is the second one in five years. the first was replaced under a recall per buick rep okeesha smith. *nlm | |||
| The upper and lower intake manifold cracked. *ak *nlm | |||
| 12/04/2002 | |||
| Nhtsa# 7843-96-v-116-000 single manifold intake. backfire during starting can cause breakage of the upper intake manifold. consumer states while driving the vehicle the plastic manifold took on fire and damaged the fuel injections rails. please provide further information. ts | |||
| 10/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer noticed persistant loss of coolant but the leak could not be discovered. the problem was a cracked intake manifold that destroyed the bearings and the engine had to be replaced. *jg ts *jb | |||
| 11/30/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1996 | |
| Is there a problem with the in engine manifold warping and causing over heating and premature engine failure?*ak | |||