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 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 1000 | 04/01/1998 | 601768 | Information on harmonic type noise from vehicle at highway speed. *yc | 08/24/1998 | |
| 98876514 | 04/01/1998 | 601121 | Condition regarding the engine intermittently stalls during a closed throttle deceleration from about 35 mph. *yc | 07/01/1998 | |
| 971201776530 | 04/29/1998 | 600214 | Comments that the engine runs rough, has lack of power, has a knock noise, and/or the mil (malfunction indicator light) is illuminated. *yc | 04/29/1998 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||||
| 3115 | 01/01/2004 | 10009950 | Engine intake manifold coolant leak. *sc | 11/02/2004 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10/07/2012 | 86240 | 1 | |
| The vehicle acted like it had a miss, the service engine light came on, flashing, then stopped flashing but remained on. i drove vehicle home, and the next morning it would not start. i had it towed to a shop and the mechanic said that it had hydro locked due to coolant dripping on the piston from a coolant leak at the intake manifold. this is not a cheap repair. *tr | |||
| 10/07/2012 | 86240 | ||
| The vehicle acted like it had a miss, the service engine light came on, flashing, then stopped flashing but remained on. i drove vehicle home, and the next morning it would not start. i had it towed to a shop and the mechanic said that it had hydro locked due to coolant dripping on the piston from a coolant leak at the intake manifold. this is not a cheap repair. | |||
| 07/13/2012 | 61502 | 1 | |
| 1998 buick - lesabre ,the intake plenum had a hole in it because it got to hot,and antifreeze went into the block. buick has had this engineering problem for a long time. no recall , it cost me $785.76 to have fixed. i want my money back. this is bs. there are 1000s of people that have this car. i have 61502 miles on this car. my mechanic said he has fixed atleast 30 over these problems with the buick-lesabre 1992 and up. times are hard right now, i don't have his kind of money. i just don't want anyone else to come across this problem, with this engineering problem. buick needs to call a recall on this problem before someone really gets hurt. lets help each other out ,and call every news station,paper. and get it resolved. *tr | |||
| 07/13/2012 | 61502 | ||
| 1998 buick - lesabre ,the intake plenum had a hole in it because it got to hot,and antifreeze went into the block.buick has had this engineering problem for a long time. no recall , it cost me $785.76 to have fixed. i want my money back.this is bs. there are 1000s of people that have this car. i have 61502 miles on this car.my mechanic said he has fixed atleast 30 ove these problems with the buick-lesabre 1992 and up.times are hard right now,i dont have his kind of money. i just dont want anyone else to come across this problem, with this engineering problem. buick needs to call a recall on this problem before someone really gets hurt. lets help each other out ,and call every news station,paper. and get it resolved | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 10/12/2011 | |||
| I have a 1998 buick lesabre. the car stopped when it was pulled into the gararge and when i tried to start it again, it made a screeching sound. the car was towed to a mechanic. the mechanic advised the starter exploded because fluid was leaking from the pleneum into the cylinders and starter. the mechanic advised it would cost over $800.00 to repair. | |||
| 03/20/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| Here's what happened, the car started consuming dexcool antifreeze, but none was noticed leaking external to the engine. the upper intake manifold made of plastic apparently warped, and/or a hole burned in near the egr stove pipe, thus dumping antifreeze into the engine and hydrolocking the engine. major problem, complete engine failure would not start or run. this car had been well maintained with both regular oil and coolant changes, the car has been adult driving . cost to repair $450.00 for just upper intake, add another $450 for the lower intake as well. *tr | |||
| 03/26/2009 | 150000 | 1 | |
| My intake manifold gasket was made of plastic and my engine locked up, i was informed from my mechanic that gm was aware of this problem and came out with a better one made of metal. this a costly mistake leading to 850 dollars of repair, that could have been prevented if gm would have stepped up with this in the first place and been fixed with the new gasket instead of causing more damage then needed. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2004 | 26000 | 1 | 06/01/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 buick lesabre. the contact noticed oil in the antifreeze bucket in the vehicle. when the vehicle was taken to the mechanic, he was informed that the cooling coils had burst in the radiator. currently, antifreeze has settled on the engine block. the vehicle was tested for a pressure leak and the mechanic was unable to find one. the contact was informed that the intake gasket failed. nhtsa campaign id number 04v090000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery) was referenced. the current mileage was 31,000 and failure mileage was 26,000. updated 06/25/08. *lj updated 06/25/08 | |||
| 10/24/2007 | 83000 | 1 | |
| Had anti-freeze in the oil. plastic intake gasket was broken. i understand this occurs in many 3.8 engines. had to have new gasket installed at a cost of about $700 dollars. the car is a 1998 buick lasabre. *tr | |||
| 06/17/2007 | 82000 | 1 | 06/11/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 buick lesabre. while driving 70 mph, the vehicle sputtered out of control and stalled. the mechanic stated that the vehicle would need a new engine due to an oil leak. the current and failure mileages were 82,000. | |||
| 07/01/2006 | 1 | ||
| 1998 lesabre upper manifold plenum over heated, melted, causing a hole which allowed anti-freeze to leak into the oil. *ts *jb | |||
| 10/14/2003 | 79000 | 1 | 04/05/2003 |
| Intake manifold burned at egr passage adjacent to throttle body coolant passage(all plastic- original design was probably cast aluminum). subsequent coolant loss into engine air intake causes erratic operation and probable engine damage. replaced manifold with new one at a cost of $500 parts plus 5 hour. labor complained to gm but to no avail. *jb | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1998 buick lesabre engine seized causing consumer to come to an abrupt stop. upper intake manifold had warped causing anti-freeze to go into the motor per mechanic. *ts ***no answer required****jb | |||
| 11/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Recall campaign received concerning fuel pressure regulator. *bf the vehicle experienced a backfire which resulted in the replacement of the manifold. the problem recurred and the fuel pressure regulator was replaced. *sc | |||
| 12/14/2004 | 59372 | 1 | 02/05/2001 |
| The 3.8l gm engines used '95 - '98 for the buick: rivera, lesabre, park avenue, regal, chevy: lumina, monte carlo, oldsmobile: 98,88,intrigue, pontiac: bonneville, grand prix have a known defect. service bulletin 01-06-01-007a coolant leak. in december 2004, my plastic intake manifold melted and allowed the engine coolant to fill the cylinders of the engine with coolant. gm resolved the defect with a design change in 99. i feel that gm is responsible for the cost of the repair of the defective part. second the engine shut down at 55 mph in heavy traffic, which is a serious safety hazard that warrants a recall. i contacted gm; service record number 1-293342957 they never called me back after a number of messages (7) then denied the claim. *nm | |||
| 11/04/2004 | 2 | ||
| Consumer noticed that antifreeze was leaking from underneath the vehicle. the brakes pedal went to the floor when applied. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that oil pan gasket and front brake pads needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 3 | ||
| The vehicle upper intake manifold failed prior to recall notification. the consumer request reimbursement. *nm the vehicle died while the consumer backed out of the driveway, restarted and backfired along with engine light illumination, and later the vehicle was started, but had ran rough. since 10/08/02, the vehicle had run fine. *sc | |||
| 06/18/2004 | 95000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle's engine misfires and loses power. *mr the service engine light had come on along with the misfires and power loss. the consumer was told that the problem could be due to the engine hydraulic lock. the consumer stated that gm was aware of the plastic intake manifold problem. *sc | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 3 | ||
| Engine backfiring on 1998 buick lesabre. *mr recall# 04v090000. the heater failed and the consumer was informed that a water pump was needed. the engine also died with less than 100k miles. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc *jb | |||
| 06/15/2004 | 69000 | ||
| The engine light was on, the vehicle was repaired. a recall letter was received. after sending the receipts to the manufacture, they are not refunding the entire amount. the intake manifold. | |||
| 06/11/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving vehicle stalled. consumer pulled over, and had the vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 08/09/2004 | 69100 | 1 | |
| A recall letter was received. vehicle was taken to the dealer. problem was the check engine light. after picking the vehicle up mechanic stated that there would be a $79.00 charge , and the check engine light remained on. *ak *nm | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving engine light illuminated. vehicle began running very hard and rough. finally, engine shut down and would not start again. consumer states due recall 04v090000 vehicle acts in this manner. *ak | |||
| 04/23/2004 | 55000 | 1 | |
| It would be hard to start the vehicle. once the vehicle was started the engine warning light illuminated. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 04/14/2004 | 51594 | 1 | 03/31/1999 |
| The intake manifold and the exhaust system were a manufacturer's design flaw. when the consumer contacted the manufacturer, the consumer was told that the tubing was too small, causing the tubing to rupture. *ak the intake manifold was worn through. *sc *jb | |||
| 01/29/2004 | 95000 | 1 | |
| When attempting to start the vehicle engine produced a loud bang, then caught on fire. no injuries were reported. *ak | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 31258 | ||
| Gentlemen: i have a 1998 buick lesabre with 31,258 miles on it. last weekend, i turned the key and heard a loud bang. the starter motor case had cracked. my independent garage put in a new starter to the tune of $526.00. when they tried to start the car, the same thing happen to the new starter. the garage then discovered that the 3.8l v6 engine was frozen due to a leak in the intake manifold which allowed coolant to enter the cylinders. they said the leak was caused by the gm "5 year" coolant rotting the manifold away. they estimated the repair at $2,000.00, including the starter. i called buick customer service; they are vague about any problem or liability. they did ask that i take the car to a buick dealer for diagnosis. i took it to fields buick. the dealer confirmed the problem and the cause. they want $2,300.00 to fix it, excluding the starter. gm refuses to do anything. i have discovered a gm technical service bulletin (01-06-01-007a) indicating that gm has known about this problem since at least july, 2001. the problem affects several makes and models. a catastrophic engine failure at 31,000 miles is absurd. | |||
| 07/29/2003 | 17000 | 2 | 05/01/1998 |
| Vehicles stalled at highway speed. *ak *jb | |||
| 02/12/2004 | 44500 | 1 | 12/30/1998 |
| Purchased new, this well maintained, garage kept vehicle failed with 44,500 miles. i changed the oil & filter after the first 500 mile break-in period & every 1k miles. on 2/12/04, there was a rough unexpected engine knock upon startup. placed in reverse, there was a shaking sensation & the check engine lamp eventually lit. i drove to the dealer. i was told that the radiator coollant leaked into the oil portion of the engine. it was an unpleasant situation, however, a decision had to be made & i opted to replace the vehicle with a 2004 lesabre. i drove it off the lot the same day and tried to put my 1998 problem behind me. i have owned lesabres in the past, a park avenue & other gm products where i clocked over 250,000 miles each on most of them. two days after the purchase of my 2004, the burning question was why my 1998 bit the dust? i felt drawn to my computer & searched: buick lesabre plenum failures to see what i might find. i viewed several hundred complaints at this site and many others describing the very same problem. all i could help but wonder, was if this same defect prone part was in the car i just purchased? i called gm and spoke to a rep. i told herabout my 1998 model and then asked if she could let me know if it had been changed on my new 2004 model? yes, my 2004 has the same defective intake manifold, so without any warning, the same situation will arise in the future. what will they do for me about my new car? nothing. beware the ticking time bomb if your gm vehicle has the 3800 series ii. a loud pop, followed by hesitation & by the time the ser engine light glows -- it is already too late. many fires have been reported along with this problem. sources indicate that it is on approximately 35 mill assorted gm cars manufactured from circa 1994 to present. | |||
| 12/10/2003 | 1 | 06/15/1998 | |
| Steering related problems involving major part replacement. i already contacted an nhtsa rep about a different issue, the ubiquitous upper intake manifold problem which we have spent thousands on. and i discussed problems with stalling too. after that, i searched the internet; i see that the manifold problem is more prevalent than i suspected. i also stumbled onto discussions of stalling, steering, and engine fire problems. when i called gm 2 years ago about the upper intake manifold, they denied the problem existed even though my dealer and other shops told me everybody knew about it. i called gm again a few weeks ago after having more gasket problems and although they finally admitted to the manifold and gasket problems, they could not help me with my expenses, they were unable to locate my previous complaint, and the rep was obsessed with having me say that i was satisfied with my call to him. i tried telling him that i was unsatisfied with gm but satisfied with him as a person, but he kept talking to me until i agreed that i was mostly satisfied with my call. i wonder if manufacturers have different obligations in recording and reporting their complaints to authorities depending on whether customers are satisfied or not. *cb | |||
| 1 | |||
| Ltr fm andrew hunt (nj) concerned classification of engine coolant leakage as safety problem & defective intake manifold problems suggest nhtsa recall all gm model yrs 1995-1998. *mr there was no advance warning when the engine would stop if the coolant leaks. the consumer was reimbursed the cost of the repair kit, but not the balance of the repairs. the starter failed when aaa attempted to start the vehicle, but the vehicle was full of coolant in the engine. *scc *jb | |||
| 12/12/2003 | 59122 | 1 | |
| Coolant leak into engine thru plastic intake manifold gasket. *ak | |||
| 11/20/2003 | 80000 | 1 | 06/15/1998 |
| The vehicle stalled while driving at 30-mph without warning. the vehicle was taken to a local garage and they found that the intake manifold was cracked and caused coolant to leak inside the engine. *ph when the vehicle stopped, the consumer was unable to restart it, the engine was hydrostatic locked due to the coolant leaks. *sc *jb | |||
| 1 | 03/21/1998 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 27000 | 1 | 03/12/1998 | |
| The type of metal used in the engine was flimsy, and anti freeze ate through it, which resulted in a leak. *jb *ts | |||
| 11/03/1999 | 2 | 09/12/1998 | |
| Consumer states there is a no start condition, and the vehicle stalls on several occasions and the check engine light would illuminate, the serpentine belt, coolant reservoir, and crank sensor all had to be replaced. *tt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 03/26/2009 | 150000 | 1 | |
| My intake manifold gasket was made of plastic and my engine locked up, i was informed from my mechanic that gm was aware of this problem and came out with a better one made of metal. this a costly mistake leading to 850 dollars of repair, that could have been prevented if gm would have stepped up with this in the first place and been fixed with the new gasket instead of causing more damage then needed. *tr | |||
| 01/16/2008 | 79917 | 1 | 11/01/2006 |
| The engine light came on. the car was not running hot nor did any other light come on. the engine was running as smooth as it always has. i pulled into a parking lot and let the engine cool. i saw the water was low so i went inside and got water to put in it. i tried to start the car and the engine would not start. white smoke came from the exhaust. i had the car towed to a dealer. they knew what was wrong before they checked the car because they had had other customers with the same problem. after replacing the manifold, gaskets, spark plugs, dexcool, pipe asm, seals, thermostat, starter, oil filter, oil, the car ran again. of course, i was out $1049.27. that was 12 days ago. tonight the car began clattering and tomorrow the car will go back to the dealer for more repair. it sounds like the lifters need to be replaced. i believe this should have been recalled and repaired before all the trouble began. i want my money back. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 50000 | 1 | 10/10/1998 |
| Intermittent small leak of anti-freeze/coolant that shows up on the garage floor. have traced that it emanates from the top of the engine near the throttle mounting and then drips down the side of the engine over the engine mounts and onto the floor. was advised by a gm mechanic that there was a recall on throttle mounting bolts that may relate to this leakage. local buick dealer indicated that my vin was not affected. nonetheless, i have that problem of coolant leakage from that area of the engine. i replaced the thermostat gasket and there is absolutely no leakage from the thermostat or the radiator hose. *nm | |||
| 11/28/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1998 lesabre burned a hole in the intake manifold causing vehicle not to start. *ts ***nar the consumer inspected the vehicle and determined that the egr valve was located in such a position that the hot exhaust gases were vented to closely to the intake manifold. | |||
| 05/11/2005 | 105000 | 1 | |
| Dt: consumer states that vehicle has a plastic intake manifold and after about 80,000 miles it failed, causing engine to lock up. he took vehicle to an independent service department and then called general motors to be reimbursed but because it was not taken to an authorized dealer they will not pay for the work done. consumer noticed the problem when he tried to start the vehicle and it would not star. smelled antifreeze. then, consumer's son examined vehicle and found out it was intake manifold. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer dissatisfied with the reimbursement of the intake manifold repair kit and nothing else. (nar) *ph the consumer was only partially reimbursed for repairs made prior to receiving the recall notification on the faulty intake manifold. the consumer also had to replace the vehicle's starter. *nm | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Info copy of let to gm, inquiring if there is anything more to do to stop the unnecessary task of writing multiple ltrs for reimbursemt from gm referencing engine coolant leak on buick vehicles. ref es03-006044 /s/brenner 9/23/03. *ph *mjj nar | |||
| 05/01/2004 | 49532 | 1 | |
| Complaint against general motors corp concerning an unsatisfactory transaction . *bf while driving the ses light illuminated. a few days later the vehicle stalled while being driven and had to be towed to the dealer. the dealer determined that the coolant passage in the upper intake manifold was leaking into the lower intake. the dealer replaced the upper and lower intake manifolds. shortly after the repairs were made the consumer received a recall notice. the consumer submitted all paperwork for reimbursement but hasn't received it yet. *nm | |||
| 05/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Problems with fuel pressure regulator on 1998 buick lesabre.*mr the fuel pressure regulator was replaced in accordance with recall v1082. while driving the vehicle stalled and would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the service dealer where it was deterrmined that the upper intake manifold had failed and coolant was flowing into the cylinders. the consumer feels the manifold should have been recalled and request reimbursement. *nm | |||
| 07/02/2004 | 1 | ||
| Problems with antifreeze leaking into the vehicle's engine.*mr the consumer was told that he would be responsible for purchase the small copper piece that would not allow the plastic to become overheated. the consumer would like to know if a recall has been issued for this problem. (1998 buick). *nm | |||
| 05/14/2003 | 66582 | 1 | 08/25/1998 |
| While driving service engine light came on. then, vehicle decelerated followed by heat and ventilation failures. this was due to engine intake manifold malfunctioning. the manifold wasn't designed correctly by the factory engineer, which caused the engine to misfire. dealership diagnostic test showed coolant leaking. cylinder replaced, and lower intake manifold improved design, per bulletin 010601007a. also, coolant and fluid plugs were replaced.*ak *nm | |||
| 02/04/2004 | 67696 | 1 | 05/22/1998 |
| Coolant consumption, or an engine coolant leak near or under the throttle body area of the upper intake manifold on a 98 buick le sabre custom four door.*ak | |||
| 11/19/2003 | 43000 | ||
| Coolant leak from manifold | |||
| 08/16/2003 | 45943 | 1 | 08/10/1998 |
| Temperature light illuminated. consumer stopped and put in coolant. next, check engine light illuminated , and engine died. vehicle was towed to dealer. the upper and lower manifolds needed replacement. *ak the dealer also installed a new thermostat and gasket and replaced all six spark plugs. *nlm | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 97925 | 1 | 12/23/2001 |
| Intake manifold melting. loss of coolant. replace plastic intake, plugs, starter, oil and filter, pcv valve, coolant. plus towing bill and shop labor. gm defect. gm knows it, gm should reimburse for repair cost. *la | |||
| 07/14/2003 | 58875 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 08/08/2003 | 65773 | 1 | |
| The vehicle overheated due to an inoperative plastic intake manifold. the manifold was replaced and the coolant system was flushed. *jb *ts *nlm | |||
| 07/26/2003 | 84877 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 06/03/2003 | 70731 | 2 | 07/09/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 05/22/2003 | 50350 | 02/15/2003 | |
| 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 | |||
| 02/17/2003 | 58500 | ||
| Upper intake plenum gasket failed, causing engine cylinders to fill with coolant and extensive damage to electrical parts. possible other damage to engine. | |||
| 08/08/2001 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| Coolant leaked into cylinders causing engine to lock up. service bulletin #010601007. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving, a fire started on the passenger side of the engine compartment, cause of fire was diagnosed as the cooling fan motor, claim 15-3047-690. *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||
| 1 | 08/25/1998 | ||
| Radiator has bad hose connection. yh | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 87566 | 1 | ||
| While parking, the consumer noticed coolant leaking from underneath the vehicle. the consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the radiator needed to be replaced. *ak the input manifold cracked/split and the engine coolant leaked into the engine. the coolant reservoir kept on going down but the consumer never saw any coolant on the driveway or in the oil. the consumer requested that gm cover the cost of repair. *sc *jb | |||
| 11/18/2003 | 58000 | 2 | 04/08/2002 |
| Vehicle was leaking antifreeze. intake manifold was replaced to stop the leak as well as the transmission was replaced. dealer, on a previous occasions, repaired a hole in the radiator. *ak *mr | |||
| 07/29/2003 | 81725 | 1 | 08/27/2001 |
| While returning home from our daughter's in virginia, our check engine light came on. we pulled onto a side road and turned off the car. looking under the hood, we found the reserve radiator reservoir to be totally empty. after 20 minutes, we tried to start the car to no avail. we were towed back to the nearest town, selinsgrove, pa, to a pep boys and were told the engine had seized up. the next day the car was towed back to rochester where our mechanic proceeded to find out the problem. we also called the dealership where we bought the car two years ago, and the service manager told us that he had seen this before. the radiator fluid is entirely sucked into the engine through the intake manifold and there is never any indication of over heating or changes on the gauge readings because the engine is not hot, due to the fluid being in there. consequently, we had to have the engine replaced. three days after this happened to us, a letter was mailed out to all owners of 2000-2003 buicks for this very same problem. we have a 1998 buick lesabre. we called the number given 1-800-832-8425 and also called bbb auto line for general motors. general motors will not do anything to help us in this matter because our vehicle is a 1998. the cost we have incurred to remedy this failure is in excess of $3,000.00. the same engine was used to repair the problem: a 3800 series ll (l36) v6 engine. how do i know the same thing won't happen again? i do not! i do not want to keep the vehicle yet i cannot afford not to. we have bought gm cars and trucks for the last 35 years. we always said: buy american. i guess that time is over. is there anything you can do to help us? *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 03/18/2009 | 41000 | 1 | |
| Bought a used (2 owner) buick lesabre in dec '08 having 37,428 . in early march, '09, after less than 4000 miles, started hearing a brief gurgling when engine turned off. in mid-march, while pulling onto a highway from a slight upward grade the vehicle lost power, and a drive train vibration took place for a few seconds....nearly causing an oncoming truck to collide with us.took vehicle into a national franchised transmission dealer for checkup...transmission checked ok. however, technician discovered radiator fluid in manifold intake area. suspecting leaking intake manifold seal and/or cracked intake manifold cover. need to use the vehicle, but have to wait for repair until money can be put together. am a disabled ex marine,vietnam vet.. shouldn't have to put up with this problem, especially when it looks like a very prevalent one ,based on what is on the net. replacement part is only 140.00 through a national parts company. the auto shops are quoting over 800.00 to fix. c'mon, let's get something done about this before someone is killed!!! haven't you noticed the power failures in some of the reports??i would think gm would do a volunteer recall, rather than risk reputation, and consumer life&limb. the problem is that gm was using havelin's 'orange' antifreeze (dextrol) and it was faulty. it was congealing in the engine, disrupting coolant flow, thereby causing overheating enough to blow intake manifolds and/or gaskets........seems the 8 auto tech's i've talked to over the past week know this. so, why don't the industry and gov.experts??? *tr | |||
| 05/17/2005 | 48840 | 1 | |
| My wife drives a 1998 buick lesabre. she has a disability and is pacemaker-dependent. on 5-17-2005 she was enroute on the highway toward our town in the buick when it started running hot. fortunately, she was able to make it back to our town, where she then pulled over in a wal-mart parking lot. however, she became very stressed over the situation because the temperature guage had gone well into the red but she was afraid to pull over for fear of becoming stranded on the highway. as it turns out, the cause of this problem is a failed plenum, an issue which occurs frequently with the gm 3800 engine. i submit to you that this problem is well-known to the manufacturer, the nhtsa, and many mechanics and repair shops. the safety problem comes from the fact that (as far as i am aware) there have been no warnings issued to consumers who own a vehicle with the gm 3800 series ii engine. the potential for situations to occur much worse than ours is not only likely, but it is a guaranteed event. my only recourse at this point is to file a complaint with the nhtsa, a complaint which i feel should be classified as a safety issue. these engine failures are not just merely a 'consumer misfortune', but will become the underlying cause for inumerable road hazards for the car's owners as well as other drivers. the problem is due to an engineering design flaw (materials used) and future safety problems (including loss of life) can be avoided. this issue should be addressed by the nhtsa. | |||
| 03/04/2005 | 71000 | 1 | 10/15/2001 |
| Vehicle stalled. driver pulled over. driver was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to dealer, and mechanic determined that engine needed to be replaced. *ak the chevrolet dealer told the consumer that water got into the engine block and locked it up. they removed and replaced the(manifold) plenum with all new gaskets, new oil, anti freeze and new spark plugs. *bf *nm | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 58486 | 1 | 10/20/2004 |
| 1998 buick lesabre. plenum gasket on the intake manifold fails and allows coolant to get into engine. then engine dies in the road causing people to slam on breaks. no wrecks. this is a well know problem with lesabre's but buick has failed to correct the problem. i had to pay $1200 to fix car and it now probably has engine damage. i would like buick to come forward with this and let people know about it. this has to stop! *nm | |||
| 12/29/2004 | 85483 | 1 | 10/29/2003 |
| The check engine light came on in my 1998 buick lesabre and i pulled over to discover that there was low levels of coolant. it had just been checked 2 months earlier at an oil change and the week brfore when i got gas. i added coolant and got back on the road. after 5 miles the car quit running in heavy traffic. i had it towed to a buick dealer who diagnosed the problem as a failed plenum that allowed coolant to foul the plugs. the dealer replaced the plenum, fouled plugs, coolant, and oil for $800.00 dollars. *ak | |||
| 12/13/2004 | 77827 | 100 | |
| Vehicle returned for inspection with regard to 04v090 12/13/04 complaints poor performance, fuel economy, hard starting, and use of dexcool anti-freeze since recall performed. decool anti-freeze entering the intake manifold of engine, and engine oiling system from failure or rupture of upper intake plenum near egr passage. anti-freeze has filled engine lifters causing noise/failure, filling combustion chamber causing hydro-locking of engine, could cause catastrophic failure of engine resulting in possible fire or accident. dealer refused to repair under 04v090 manifold over pressure condition stated replacement of upper & lower intake, lifter, plugs, oil, anti-freeze at a cost of $1,150 on vehicle that had 77,827 when the recall was done, and now has 80,407 mi. which is less then 3,000. this could very well have hydro-locked the engine at freeway speed,or caused catastrophic failure resulting in severe damage, injury, and possible fire from engine oil & fuel hitting the hot catalytic converter!*ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer inquired as to why the recall on park avenue with 3800 v6 engines extended to the lesabre as well. *ph the buick park avenue and buick lesabre are equipped with the same engine. the consumer saw recall 03v473000 for the park avenue and wondered why the lesabre is not included in the recall. *nm | |||
| 11/17/2004 | 1 | ||
| While placing the vehicle in reverse a loud popping noise was heard coming from the rear. then, vehicle stalled. consumer was unable to restart vehicle, and had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the intake exhaust manifold system, and a head gasket needed to be replaced. *ak. also, exhaust manifold cover blew off.*ak | |||
| 08/08/2001 | 76569 | 2 | |
| While driving 65 mph consumer noticed fluid leaking from underneath the vehicle. it was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the water pump needed to be replaced, and replaced it. however, the problem recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced.*ak | |||
| 11/12/2003 | 66728 | 1 | |
| The vehicle's plastic intake manifold cracked which resulted in water getting inside the crankcase. *nm the consumer requested reimbursement because she found out that the part had been recall two years ago. *nm | |||
| 06/18/2004 | 92523 | 1 | |
| While driving on my way to work the vehicle started to slow and the engine light came on. i pulled over and attempted to start the car and the engine would not turn over. i called my auto club for a tow and the car was towed to a connoco station in park rapids. they immediatly knew what the problem was, stating they see a lot of the 3800 engines do this. the intake plenum rotted away allowing coolant to fill a cylinder and stall the engine. gm has issued a service bullitin for the problem, but no recall. this could be a major safety concern with loss of power to the engine the steering and brakes will not function as they should. *ak | |||
| 01/08/2004 | 113577 | 11/30/1998 | |
| This is a engine problem with what i believe was a bad part design. the part is failure of intake plenum. the egr pipe from the engine comes through the plastic intake. there is a lot of heat generated at this point. over a period of time a hole is burned through the intake. this floods the engine with coolant. i bought the vehicle new. the first time the problem occured at 59,000 miles. i had the vehicle repaired at a cost of $1100.00. i asked the dealer about this. the reponse was . yes we know there is a problem with the k engine but the factory has not called for a recall. at 113,577 miles the problem occured again. i again had the engine repaired at a cost of $1140.93. again i asked the dealer about this. i was told that a service bulletin was sent out in 1996. this stated that if a owner complained of a coolent leak around the intake. not only should the plastic intake plenum be replace but also the aluminum intake should be repalced becaused the factory had replaced the egr pipe with a smaller pipe. this would keep the heat from burning a hole in the plastic plenum. the cost of this repair is to be paid by the owner. i checked out the service bulletin and found the problem covered all gm 3800 series engines form 1995 - 1998 my engine vin # is 1g4hr52k3wh51080. i was told by the gm service tech. that this problem occured so often that any owner of a 3800 series engine and the new design intake has not been installed you are guaranteed the engine will fail. again i feel this was a design problem. | |||
| 03/19/2004 | 101000 | 07/20/2002 | |
| 1998 buick lesabre stalled at a stoplight and wouldn't start. after having the problem diagnosed and the intake manifold removed, water was discovered in the intake and in the cylinders. | |||
| 01/12/2004 | 38075 | 1 | 04/18/1998 |
| Plastic intake manifold warped allowing coolant to leak through engine block and hydrolocked engine. call to local buick dealer comfirms this is not isolated defect. the engine shut down as i was entering the highway. manufacturer refused to admit responsibility for defective part. my cost $879.98. possible future engine damage.*ak | |||
| 12/16/2003 | 52980 | 1 | |
| The manifold warped, which caused coolant to spill into the engine. as a result the engine needed to be replaced. please provide additional information. *jb *jb | |||
| 04/03/2002 | 2 | 06/01/1998 | |
| When accelerating, the vehicle stalled. the driver stated that the vehicle has a design flaw in the engine manifold upper intake valve. *jb (manifold and gaskets malfunctioned) the oil pan and valve cove was replaced. there was also a fuel injector problem. the dealer found the #4 cylinder misfiring with no fuel drop. *sc | |||
| 11/26/2003 | 62750 | 1 | 07/22/1998 |
| While driving on interstate 75, engine light came on and the car suddenly slowed down and stopped (i had to quickly move to the shoulder). noticed no coolant in the coolant reservoir. towed it to the gmc dealer. service manager remarks: due to antifreeze leak from manifold gasket all fluids went through engine block and hydrolocked the engine and causing it to shut down. (the service manager indicated that they had to several buick lesabre with the same problem). at least i am lucky that this person knew what was the problem without speculation. i have heard others were not that lucky at other dealer place where they couldn't figure out what is the problem except speculating on the cause of the problem. all i want is that the gmc company pay for the repairs or reimburse for the repairs caused by their poor technical workmanship. *ak | |||
| 11/06/2003 | 2 | ||
| The check engine indicator light illuminated. while driving the vehicle engine stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and they replaced the plastic intake manifold at owner's expense of $985.00. *ak | |||
| 10/09/2003 | 48154 | 1 | 11/04/2001 |
| When the vehicle was started, there was an explosion. there was a breakage in the intake manifold and melting on the underside of the engine dumping shroud. a small fire was burned on the engine block when the shroud was removed. *ak *sc *jb | |||
| 09/03/2003 | 129081 | 1 | 05/18/2002 |
| The intake manifold leaked coolant into the cylinders. as a result the vehicle stalled. *ak *ts *nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer stated while traveling 35 mph all dashboard indicators started flashing, and engine stalled. *ak | |||
| 07/09/2003 | 61000 | 1 | 03/31/1998 |
| When consumer started the vehicle, black smoke was noticed coming from the rear of vehicle. when the consumer pulled out into the traffic, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired.*ak *ts *jb | |||
| 06/17/2003 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 07/12/2003 | 77000 | 1 | 10/01/1999 |
| On 07/21/03 my 1998 buick lesabre (vin 1g4hr52k6wh425412), 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 | |||
| 04/14/2003 | 67996 | 1 | 10/13/1998 |
| 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 | |||
| 01/03/2002 | 33914 | 4 | 03/14/1998 |
| 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 | |||
| 04/14/2003 | 71456 | 1 | 07/16/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 03/31/2003 | 84052 | 1 | |
| The plastic intake manifold melted inside the engine. *jb the vehicle was missing and was smoking. new manifold and plug wires were added. *sc | |||
| 12/16/2002 | 51000 | 6 | |
| 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 | |||
| 03/03/2003 | |||
| The engine caught on fire.*jb | |||
| 03/07/2003 | 66056 | 1 | |
| The engine caught on fire and burned some parts while vehicle was warming up.*jb | |||
| 11/02/2002 | 100077 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 11/18/2002 | 1 | ||
| The engine failed.*dt *jb | |||
| 02/24/2003 | 23581 | 1 | 11/27/1997 |
| 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 | |||
| 11/19/2002 | 18700 | 39 | 05/25/1998 |
| The vehicle would stall without warning. dealer was aware of the problem. ts consumer also had a problem with the starter not disengaging. *jg | |||
| 11/20/2002 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 01/21/2001 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| Engine in our car blew a head gasket, our mechanic said he has had to work on 4 additional cars the same model as ours, we feel this may be a problem, and that the engine should not fail at this particular milage.*ak | |||
| 06/23/2000 | |||
| When going down a steep hill and trying to brake vehicle shut off. also, enginecheck light came on as though vehicle has overheated. a bulletin was given to owner by a park ranger at mt. washington. the bulletin was about a problem with the inertia switch. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 07/29/1998 | 1 | 06/06/1998 | |
| Serpentine belt flipped off pulley because crank pulley is bent at inner grove belt. yh | |||
| 11/17/1998 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 20-25 mph, going down hill, put the vehicle in first gear and the engine stalled. contacted dealer, and tests were ran. stated vehicle should have been stopped before changing gears. gmc contacted and cannot duplicate the problem. *ak *ml | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 10/05/2006 | 100000 | 40 | |
| 98 buick lesabre. 3.8 driving up hill, down hill, coasting, it doesn't matter. 1 or 2 times a week the engine just dies. sometimes i can catch it full throttle and it will pick up and run fine. or throw it in on the fly and restart instantly. new fuel pump and filter usually starts good. some times i have to stop cranking it after 5 sec 1,2,3 times before it starts. this only happens 1 time every week or two. i can't let anyone else drive the car for fear they will pull out in front of a truck and the car will quit. *jb | |||
| 02/07/2005 | 86500 | 1 | 09/13/2002 |
| Loss of coolant. the plastic intake plenum got a hole in it. this filled the engine with coolant thus causing the car to stall on the highway. i had the defective part replaced at a cost of 900 dollars. i still have the defective part. i'm retired, so this put a strain on our budget. thank you. *jb | |||
| 02/08/2004 | 88400 | 1 | |
| While driving anti freeze leaked from engine head gasket. *ak | |||
| 04/04/2003 | 77290 | 1 | 12/22/1998 |
| 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 | |||
| 01/20/2002 | 1 | 03/01/2098 | |
| Problem 1....pressure regulator in the oil pump locked ,causing the engine to blow. this recently happened to a friend of mine at around the same mileage. problem 2....car has started to stall for no reason. usually when i'm slowing down fopr a red lite or to turn.problem 3..... while drivind at around 65-70 the car has surged for an instant(sort of like when you hit the gas pedal suddenly for a second). *ak | |||
| 06/15/2002 | |||
| At 50mph engine stalled then vehicle lost power. could had caused an accident. cause unknown dealer notified.*ak | |||
| 08/31/2001 | |||
| When coming to a stop vehicle would stall out. sometimes vehicle stalls out when driving along. vehicle is able to be restarted. dealer has seen numerous times and can't fix it. *ak | |||
| 04/01/2001 | 4 | 03/14/1998 | |
| Consumer stated she began having intermittent problems with vehicle going dead at stops in april 2001, the vehicle began to surge at stops and eventually had both symptoms during low speed driving, consumer went to the dealership on 4 occasions and was informed that nothing could be done until something showed up on the computer, however while driving home consumer stated that entire vehicle caught on fire, there was a loud noise, like a gunshot, smoke from the hood and the engine began dropping fire onto the street, the firewall was completely burned.*jb | |||
| 05/23/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was sitting in garage when it caught on fire, the majority of the house burned down, there were fire and police reports taken, claim 04-1284-911. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving, there was a loud bang and then vehicle caught on fire, claim 49-3208-890. *slc | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment while sitting in the driveway, claim 30-v502-462. *slc | |||
| 12/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle caught fire under the engine, claim 59-v971-469. *slc | |||
| 05/23/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was sitting in garage when it caught on fire in the engine compartment, causing damage to the majority of consumers house, claim 04-1284-911. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving there was a loud bang, vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment, claim 49-3208-890. *slc | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle caught on fire in driveway, claim 30-v502-462. *slc | |||
| 12/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| There was a huge pop, vehicle would not start and started to smoke, consumer opened the hood and it caught on fire on the top of the engine, claim 38-j837-871. *slc | |||
| 01/03/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer heard a loud bang and smoke started coming from under the hood, flames were coming from the bottom of the vehicle, experienced engine surging prior to fire, claim 42-1441-081. *slc | |||
| 01/03/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer heard a loud bang and smoke started coming out from under the hood, flames were coming from bottom of vehicle, vehicle has experienced engine failure and has a history of engine surging, claim 42-1441-081. *slc | |||
| 12/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle would not start, there was a pop sound and vehicle started to smoke, consumer pooped the hood and vehicle caught on fire in the engine compartment, claim 38-j837-871. *slc | |||
| 11/13/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was driven approximately 4 blocks and while sitting at a light, smoke became visible from the hood, then a fire started in the engine compartment, claim 20-5437-956. *slc | |||
| 11/13/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was driven 4 blocks, while sitting at a red light, consumer could see smoke coming from the hood, then a fire started in the engine compartment, claim 20-5437-956. *slc | |||
| 12/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle caught fire under the engine, fire fighter put out fire with a co2 extinguisher, claim 59-v971-469. *slc | |||
| 12/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| There was a huge pop, vehicle would not start and started to smoke, consumer opened the hood and it caught on fire on the top of the engine, claim 38-j837-871. *slc | |||
| 05/23/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was sitting in garage when it caught on fire, the majority of the house burned down, there were fire and police reports taken, claim 04-1284-911. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving, there was a loud bang and then vehicle caught on fire, claim 49-3208-890. *slc | |||
| 11/13/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was driven 4 blocks, while sitting at a red light, consumer could see smoke coming from the hood, then a fire started in the engine compartment, claim 20-5437-956. *slc | |||
| 01/03/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer heard a loud bang and smoke started coming from under the hood, flames were coming from the bottom of the vehicle, experienced engine surging prior to fire, claim 42-1441-081. *slc | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle caught on fire in driveway, claim 30-v502-462. *slc | |||
| 12/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle caught fire under the engine, fire fighter put out fire with a co2 extinguisher, claim 59-v971-469. *slc | |||
| 03/25/2002 | 1 | 12/01/1997 | |
| Engine check light has come on, and the sensor in engine has malfunctioned. can possibly cause a fire in engine. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.*akit has been indicated to consumer if defect is not fixed, possible fire or stalling may occur. *jg | |||
| 04/02/1999 | 2 | 03/13/1999 | |
| While driving, vehicle will stall without warning. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer could not find the cause of problem. *ak there is a technical service bulletin tsb #87-65-14 to flash pcm with updated calibration as a result of an intermittent stall. *tt | |||
| 04/01/2001 | 4 | 03/14/1998 | |
| Consumer stated she began having intermittent problems with vehicle going dead at stops in april 2001, the vehicle began to surge at stops and eventually had both symptoms during low speed driving, consumer went to the dealership on 4 occasions and was informed that nothing could be done until something showed up on the computer, however while driving home consumer stated that entire vehicle caught on fire, there was a loud noise, like a gunshot, smoke from the hood and the engine began dropping fire onto the street, the firewall was completely burned.*jb | |||
| 12/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle caught fire under the engine, claim 59-v971-469. *slc | |||
| 01/03/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer heard a loud bang and smoke started coming out from under the hood, flames were coming from bottom of vehicle, vehicle has experienced engine failure and has a history of engine surging, claim 42-1441-081. *slc | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment while sitting in the driveway, claim 30-v502-462. *slc | |||
| 12/10/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle would not start, there was a pop sound and vehicle started to smoke, consumer pooped the hood and vehicle caught on fire in the engine compartment, claim 38-j837-871. *slc | |||
| 05/23/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was sitting in garage when it caught on fire in the engine compartment, causing damage to the majority of consumers house, claim 04-1284-911. *slc | |||
| 11/13/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was driven approximately 4 blocks and while sitting at a light, smoke became visible from the hood, then a fire started in the engine compartment, claim 20-5437-956. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving there was a loud bang, vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment, claim 49-3208-890. *slc | |||
| 02/13/2002 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| While starting vehicle engine would not start. vehicle was serviced by technician, and plenum was replaced. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 4 | 01/05/1998 | ||
| 3 times in shop due to checke engine light on. claimed it was sensor. new alternator needed. new struts needed. engine light was not sensor but was due to antifreeze leak from manifold gasket. all fluids went thru engine and out tailpipe causing over heating. | |||
| 04/05/2001 | 2 | ||
| The engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled while driving, the dealer recommended and performed a tune up, the problem has not been resolved. nlm | |||
| While driving 60 mph with the cruise control engaged vehicle completely shutdown without warning, cause unknown. dealer reprogrammed the computer which did not correct the problem. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 06/01/1999 | 8 | ||
| Vehicle experiences continued stalling, unable to determine cause. mjs | |||
| 03/08/2000 | |||
| While backing out of the garage and driving down city streets suddenly and without warning vehicle just shut off. contacted dealer, and he was not able to find the problem. *ak | |||
| 03/08/2000 | 0 | ||
| While driving at any speed the vehicle could stall without a prior warning. *ak | |||
| 09/29/1998 | 5 | 03/23/1998 | |
| Vehicle stalls continually while driving, replacement of the egr valve, knock sensor and pcm have not rectified problems with stalling. mjs | |||
| 08/08/1998 | 4 | ||
| Vehicle will not start, and sometimes when driving vehicle stops or loses speed without warning. the vehicle has been towed to the dealership four times for this condition. the problem still continues. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 12/02/1998 | 2 | 12/07/1998 | |
| Engine died twice without warning at 25 miles per hour, dealer replaced sensor on transaxle the problem still exist. *yc | |||
| 5 | |||
| The engine has stalled 4 or 5 times while driving ,causing loss in steering ability. dealer has seen vehicle twice and can't find the problem. *ak | |||
| 07/07/1998 | 7 | 05/19/1998 | |
| Continuous problem with engine hesitating to accelerate from a stopped position, almost resulted in an accident. (qcaw) | |||
| 01/27/1998 | 1 | ||
| Engine failed causing stalling in traffic, not able to determine why incident occurred. | |||
| 12/12/1997 | 3 | ||
| While driving the vehicle at any speed the engine dies. the vehicle has been to the dealer 3 times for this prolbem. the manufacturer is aware of the problem, and a service bulletin has been issued. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 11/25/2008 | 66506 | 1 | |
| The belt tensioner is made of plastic which broke disabling the car which had to be towed. oil leak came from lower intake manifold gasket, gathered around bottom at oil pan, upper intake manifold gasket, also made of plastic leaked antifreeze into engine. tensioner was replaced with same plastic because it has not been re-designed,same with the intake manifold gasket, therefore, it will give the same problem in the future. a lot of other people are having the same problem and gm refuses to do anything about the problem. *tr | |||
| 1 | |||
| The consumer attempted to start car when the engine backfired, the manifold exploded and the engine caught fire. *mr *ts *nlm | |||
| 1 | 02/01/1998 | ||
| The vehicles intake manifold failed when the vehicle was started and resulted in a fire under the hood. *mr *ts *nlm | |||
| 08/16/1999 | 1 | 03/14/1998 | |
| Consumer stated the exhaust system was misaligned.*jb | |||
| 11/01/1998 | |||
| Electrical system malfunctioned, causing the dome light to come on after vehicle was turned off for about 15 minutes. also, had heavy gas fumes entering vehicle caused stomach aches and headaches to the occupant. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 12/17/1998 | 3 | ||
| While driving would notice odor inside of vehicle. had taken to dealer & vehicle kept overnight. mechanic had noticed strong odor of gasoline, next day. was informed gasoline odor could have started fire around ignition source. also, dome light kept coming on/off by itself when vehicle was parked. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 08/19/2003 | 23400 | 7 | 11/06/1998 |
| Vehicle had been losing coolant since 1998. vehicle had been to dealer for repairs at least seven times. the gas recirculation valve (egr) port was made of plastic, and when it melted, coolant seeped into the engine. *ak consumer received reimbursement of $479.99 from mc clellon buick after contacting the original owner. *ph | |||
| 7 | |||
| Vehicle had been losing coolant since 1998. vehicle had been to dealer for repairs at least seven times. the gas recirculation valve (egr) port was made of plastic, and when it melted, coolant seeped into the engine. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 78000 | 2 | 10/19/1998 |
| Car backfired and engine caught on fire | |||
| 1 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 07/28/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2098 | |
| Gm made their intake manifolds out of a plastic resin on the buick 3800 v6 engine. they routed the egr valve through it which causes a heat build up that wraps the intake manifold allowing coolant to go into the engine. my repair bill was $803.76 plus one starter $189.00 that broke when the engine siezed. from reading on the internet this is a common problem with the engines with the plastic manifold. the dealer that fixed my car aid yes it was a design problem and that he had another car of the same make and model as mine in the same morning as mine. same problem and that he had one the week before. in my case the engine did not lock up as i as going down the highway but this could be a dangerous problem for someone going down the highway and thier engine locks up. *ak | |||
| While driving egr valve light illuminated on dashboard, causing vehicle to stall. dealer was notified, mechanic stated sensors were not functioning correctly.*ak | |||
| After having t egr valve serviced, miles later without warning, intake manifold began to leak coolant onto engine, causing engine to shutdown and lock up. mechanic stated intake manifold needed to be replaced when valve was serviced.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 1998 buick lesabre with cracked intake manifold. consumer states that the manufacturer has no intention of sending out a recall for this problem or reimbursing the customers. *kb the consumer stated the manifold was made out of plastic, which caused anti-freeze to mix with the oil. *jb | |||
| 12/03/2007 | 1 | ||
| My 1998 buick lesabre ltd, 73,943 mi,started to require water to be added to the overflow tank. the car was taken to a gm garage and it was determined that the upper and lower intake manifolds were leaking, causing coolant to enter engine and oil. this repair cost$1200. to correct. further investigation showed that this is a common problem and gm has turned it's head to the issue. the internet is full of this specific problem. *tr | |||
| 03/30/2006 | 75000 | 1 | 07/01/1998 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60mph, the vehicle stalled and the heat indicator gauge dropped to zero. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop for inspection. the mechanic determined the plastic intake manifold needed to be replaced. | |||
| 12/02/2005 | 63 | 1 | 11/06/2003 |
| Defective manifold gasket. coolant degrades gasket causing coolant to leak into engine, catalytic converter and exhaust system. *jb | |||
| 11/14/2005 | 58000 | 1 | 06/17/1998 |
| Dt: the contact stated the antifreeze was low . he took the vehicle to shop the to have it checked. they found the intake manifold was leaking antifreeze into the engine. this, in turn could have caused the engine to blow up. the intake manifold was replaced. *ak updated 02/06/06. *jb | |||
| 04/15/2005 | 54150 | 1 | 11/15/1997 |
| Dt: when started vehicle and there was a backfire with a lot o smoke. care would not start. took vehicle to buick garage, and they said it was the intake manifold, and they repaired it. *ak *sb *nm | |||
| 11/10/2004 | 80000 | 1 | |
| While driving at approximately 50 mph the plastic manifold burst without warning, causing the engine to lock up. owner contacted the dealer and the manufacturer, and was told that there was nothing else they could do. *ak | |||
| 04/23/2002 | 23000 | 4 | |
| While driving engine light illuminated on the dashboard constantly. then, engine completely failed. the gaskets had been changed several times. anti-freeze and oil leaked. consumer found that it was the intake manifold. *ak | |||
| 09/03/2004 | 57000 | 1 | |
| The vehicle failed to start after re-fueling. the engine cranked but wouldn't turn over. the dealership without inspecting the vehicle identified the intake plenum ( manifold) as the problem. there was a small hole which caused the oil to mix in with the water/ anti freeze. this part has been upgraded in the 2002 and later models. the plenum part #fh10095 manifold was replaced. *jb....*ak | |||
| 11/17/2004 | 1 | ||
| While placing the vehicle in reverse a loud popping noise was heard coming from the rear. then, vehicle stalled. consumer was unable to restart vehicle, and had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the intake exhaust manifold system, and a head gasket needed to be replaced. *ak. also, exhaust manifold cover blew off.*ak | |||
| 07/11/2002 | 88103 | 0 | 07/14/1998 |
| July 11, 2002: we had to have 5 injectors replaced by jordan oldsmobile-buick, hot springs, arkansas. cost: $709.42. mileage was 82,260. october 31, 2002: we had to take our car to orr pontiac, cadillac, toyota, hot springs, arkansas, because the car misfired (or backfired) on us. the work order states: customer states that oil light and temp light came on; car was low on coolant and had to add water, said a lot of white smoke came out of tail pipes and had very bad sulfur smell. intake leaking, flooding cyl with coolant. replaced : two manifolds, coolant, oil, etc. cost: $1398.66. mileage: 88,103. november 15, 2002: oil gauge goes to red and engine has knock. diagnosis was internal engine damagei was told that parts of the engine had been made of plastic and this plastic had melted. complete new engine. cost: $4174.94. mileage: 88,821. | |||
| 01/06/2003 | 11140 | 1 | |
| While attempting to start the vehicle the consumer heard a load pop then smoke began to fill the cabin of the vehicle. shortly after the vehicle caught on fire. *nm the consumer requested reimbursement. the problem was due to a leaking manifold. *sc | |||
| 10/07/2004 | 3 | ||
| While driving,in inclement weather windshield wipers come on and off intermittently. the consumer was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the windshield wiper motor needed replacement. this vehicle was not on a recall and the warranty expired. *ak the plastic intake manifold leaked water without unknowingly and would blow out and ingest all of the water from the radiator and also the overflow into the motor. *sc | |||
| 09/19/2004 | 76787 | 1 | |
| 1998 buick lesabre- check engine light went on, stopped at gas station,car would not start after stopping, intake manifold had failed, causing engine coolant to get iinto the engine, because the engine was locked up the starter also broke when trying to restart the car, was stranded 60 miles from home, to get towed and get car fixed cost over 2000.00 dollars. it seems the intake manifold has a defect. *ak | |||
| 01/23/2004 | 77522 | 2 | 03/01/1999 |
| On january 2004 an independent repair shop replaced the intake manifold at consumer's expense of $1, 1000, five months later, the consumer received nhtsa recall #04v090000 which stated that vehicles equipped with 3800 v6 (l36) engines and certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, the regulators have a much higher than usual rate of fuel leaks. a leak can allow fuel to enter the intake manifold through a vacuum line. the manufacturer indicated to the consumer the recall was the fuel pressure no the intake manifold. however, the mechanic determined that a defective fuel pressure broke the intake manifold. *ak the was attempting to stall while in motion, when the vehicle reached home the vehicle died. the engine turned but did not start. the intake was leaking coolant into cylinders. *sc | |||
| 08/24/2004 | 1 | ||
| Consumer was concerned about reimbursement from the manufacturer. consumer received recall notice 96v116000 concerning intake manifold failure. consumer had recall repairs done. however, recall repairs failed. consumer informed the mechanic that this problem occurred more than once, and had not been resolved. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving vehicle started to lose power. *mr the vehicle gradually lost more power and quit. the consumer was informed that the upper intake manifold was cracked in one of the passages, which required a total replacement of the engine. *sc | |||
| 04/12/2004 | 63468 | 1 | 06/15/2000 |
| Our 1998 buick lesabre limited, april 2004 our upper & lower intake manifold's & gasket were replaced due to a leak and the car only had 62,000 miles on it. this cost us over 2000.00 the web has hundreds of similar complaints from other gm owners. *ak upper intake manifold leaked, causing loss of coolant. vehicle taken to independent repair shop. oil and oil filter had to be changed, spark plugs were replaced and cylinder's [engine flushed] had to be cleaned out. also broken starter replaced. my car had to be towed over 110 miles back home at a cost of $ 236.50 [my wife was visiting her mom and had 2 grandchildren with her when car broke down in a remote area ,lucky for us she had her cell phone with her and some nice folks at a near by ranch took care of them] my mechanic advised intake manifold leaked, and starter was bad [housing broke] starter housing broke due to trying to start hydro-locked engine. question: why is buick allowed to use a plastic intake manifold? as this is an area that gets very hot. it's obvious, buick made a big mistake by producing engines with plastic man- ifolds. the intake manifold on the engine is made out of plastic and has the egr tube running through it, causing the plastic to heat up and allow antifreeze to run into the engine. when my mechanic called the local dealership to order parts, the sales clerk told him, yes we have those parts on hand it happens a lot also that the upper & lower intakes had been re-designed and that both manifolds need to be replaced as a unit. .(contributed by mike & della rico) ps. also, transmission is now acting up [shudders on take-off at times] i understand that these problems [manifold & transmission] are mainly going on with cars having k in the vin. do you have any information on this? thank you | |||
| 05/22/2004 | 116000 | 1 | |
| While pulling out from a stop light the vehicle began to accelerate and suddenly the engine locked and stalled. the vehicle was towed to the consumer's house and it was found that the upper intake manifold was corroded. this problem caused water and anti-freeze to enter the engine, which caused the vehicle to over heat. please provide any additional information. *nm | |||
| 02/19/2004 | 59627 | 1 | |
| Vehicle failed to start when the key was turned in the ignition. vehicle was towed to a mechanic. mechanic indicated that the intake manifold degraded around the erg distribution nipple and the fuel pressure regulator diaphram ruptured leaking fuel into the engine through the vacuum hose. this was the same defect as described in the fuel pressure regulator recall 03v473000, but this vehicle's model was not included in the recall although it had the same type of engine. *ak *nm | |||
| 04/27/2004 | 56700 | 06/02/2003 | |
| My 1998 buick lesabre started to smell of anti-freeze earlier in the day on 4/27/04. the car was parked for most of the day, quick trips to the store at most. when i got home that night, the car was shacking and pouring exhaust vapors out of the exhaust pipe. in the morning on april 28t,. it started just fine. so, i drove it to my mechanic. the car ran smoothly for about 200 yards, then it progressively got worse, until i was practicly coasting when i reached my mechanics. after they looked into the issue, they concluded that the intake manifold was cracked and had spewed water into my engine. this left water in my oil and no coolant. my mechanic flushed my oil, flushed my coolant, replace the manifold with the factory part, and replaced the gasket with the factory part. my mechanic told me that this was a common issue and that all of the 3.8l gm engines had plastic intake manifolds. i then began to research on line this issue, and apparently many people have had the same problem. i called buick 3 times trying to plead my case. each time i was told there is no recall for this car, but the model 2 years prior had the same issue and the part was recalled. i have found a notice that nhtsa is trying to have the replacing the delphi fuel pressure regulators replace, which can cause the intake manifold to crack. nhtsa recall campaign number: 04v090000 | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 48000 | 2 | 06/25/1998 |
| My 1998 buick lesabre had a ruptured manifold in june 2003, causing engine to cease and smoke and minor fire. the smoke made myself and my infant son very ill. this was reported to buick but they refused to reimburse for repair since vehicle was just out of warranty. they told me that the following recall was not in effect: nhtsa recall no. 03v473/gm recall no. 03054 and that my vehicle had no recall. a few months later the engine ceased to start again and it was determined at the buick dealership that it was a faulty fuel pressue regulator which was replaced. buick again refused reimbursement although i brought their attention to the current recall on my vehicle. i called again today as the recall for 98 buick lesabres with v6 engines was again posted but buick told me that their system has no such recall and they refused to reimburse me for over $1000 of repairs for the faulty fuel pressue regulator and manifold. nhtsa recall no. 04v090/gm recall no. 03054b.*ak *la | |||
| 04/17/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving 35 mph vehicle stalled. the driver was able to drift to the side of the road. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealership for inspection, and mechanic determined that intake manifold failed. consumer had the mechanic replace the intake manifold. *ak | |||
| 04/20/2004 | 10 | 1 | 10/06/2003 |
| Plastic upper intake manifold melted causing the engine coolant to flood into the crankcase. engine subsequently locked up and had to be towed to a dealer. $1500 in damages on a car with 50,000 miles on it. *ak | |||
| 07/09/2003 | 95000 | 1 | 06/03/2003 |
| 1998 buick lasabre...with plastic intake developed a crack and allow all coolant to pass thru engine and out exhaust...was stranded 100 miles from home...to get towed and replace this design flaw cost me over 600.00 dollars. *ak | |||
| 02/06/2004 | 1 | 05/18/2001 | |
| I am upset that the gm recall # 03054b does not include the 1998 buick lesabre, only the park avenue, according to the customer service dept. for buick. *ak my lesabre did the same thing as described on the recall results for the office of defects investigation found on the internet. however, your office did list it using nhtsa campaign id number: 04v090000. please e-mail me @ johnbillips@hotmail.com or leave a message for me @ 850-482-8156, if my vehicle (1998 buick lesabre, custom) can be added to this recall. after looking at the reviews for this vehicle it seems there are a few complaints. thanks | |||
| 02/14/2004 | 52000 | 1 | 05/01/1999 |
| While driving engine check light came on. prior to this, there was an anti freeze odor within the cabin of the vehicle. upon inspection of the vehicle by the dealership they noticed that the upper and the lower intake manifold melted. *ak consumer believed this defect could cause the engine to stall, creating a dangerous situation. *ph | |||
| 02/18/2004 | 65000 | 1 | |
| While driving white smoke came from the rear . vehicle was taken to a repair shop, where the mechanic determined that intake manifold leaked coolant onto the engine, and engine needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 95000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle made a grinding noise when in motion. the vehicles vacuum hose, power steering pressure and intake manifold failed. *nm | |||
| 11/07/2002 | 1 | ||
| The consumer took the vehicle to be inspected. the mechanic noticed that the plastic intake manifold was cracked and leaking fluid onto the engine. *nm | |||
| 11/18/2003 | 58000 | 2 | 04/08/2002 |
| Vehicle was leaking antifreeze. intake manifold was replaced to stop the leak as well as the transmission was replaced. dealer, on a previous occasions, repaired a hole in the radiator. *ak *mr | |||
| 12/11/2003 | 91000 | 1 | |
| While driving reached high temperatures due to intake manifold failure. coolant leaked inside the engine. dealer notified. sorry no recall, and would cost $ 1,400 to fix it. consumer took vehicle to an independent shop, and would cost $ 700 for consumer to fix it. *ak | |||
| 10/28/2003 | 112529 | 1 | |
| 1998 buick lesabre - engine backfire upon starting - blew off vacume hose at intake manifold, cracked plastic intake manifold. engine hydrolocked, sucking coolant into all 6 cylinders. fuel pressure regulator replaced along with a new plastic intake manifold. *ak | |||
| 10/23/2003 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Consumer took vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic noticed that the plastic intake manifold cracked, causing fluid to leak onto the engine. *ak | |||
| 11/06/2003 | 2 | ||
| The check engine indicator light illuminated. while driving the vehicle engine stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and they replaced the plastic intake manifold at owner's expense of $985.00. *ak | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 2 | ||
| Consumer had manifold system repairs done on 98 buick lesabre. the manifold system was replaced twice. after the second repair, consumer became aware of the recalls for the same make and model with 3.8 v6 engine. general motors were contacted but the consumer didn't receive a response. *ph | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 97925 | 1 | 12/23/2001 |
| Intake manifold melting. loss of coolant. replace plastic intake, plugs, starter, oil and filter, pcv valve, coolant. plus towing bill and shop labor. gm defect. gm knows it, gm should reimburse for repair cost. *la | |||
| 63000 | 1 | ||
| Water was leaking from the intake manifold into the engine. this could cause the engine to blow out. intake manifold was deteriorating due to the leakage. *ak | |||
| 09/03/2003 | 60820 | 1 | 09/30/2000 |
| Engine coolant leak, into the engine manifold,of my vehicle, resulted from defective upper intake manifold composite material degrading around the egr stove pipe. buick motor division of general motors corporation has issued a service bulletin, #01-06-01-007a-(07/18/2001), document id#812024, pertaining to this exact type of engine manifold defect in 1998 buick lesabre automobiles. on september 3, 2003, the egr stove pipe failed in my 1998 buick lesabre, allowing engine coolant to enter the engine manfold. i formally request that your agency immediately begin an investigation into this defect, in order to proceed toward ordering a recall of this vehicle. | |||
| 04/04/2003 | 77290 | 1 | 12/22/1998 |
| 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 | |||
| 07/03/2003 | 73439 | 1 | 06/20/1998 |
| 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 | |||
| 07/28/2003 | 69017 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 106200 | |||
| Vehicle's plenium intake valve (part no. 506cgm4) cracked causing coolant to leak into engine resulting in engine failure. | |||
| 05/19/2003 | 176887 | 1 | 03/11/1998 |
| 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 | |||
| 58297 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 08/26/2002 | 70000 | 08/01/2001 | |
| 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. | |||
| 12/07/2002 | 71000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/28/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving and without warning intake manifold blewout, making it hard to start vehicle. dealer notified. ts. *ak | |||
| 02/10/2002 | 1 | ||
| While stopped for gas, the vehicle smelled hot. the mechanic checked under the hood, and informed consumer that all the water and antifreeze was gone. this happened without any warning. the check engine light did not illuminate. teh mechanic checked the pressure and filled the radiator and resevoir. an hour later the car would not start and all the water was gone. consumer had vehicle towed and the owner of the garage showed consumer a plastic manifold on top of the engine with an emission control tube carrying exhaust back into the valve area. the tube had gotten so hot it melted a hole into the plastic allowing the radiator water to run into the valves. consumer took vehicle back to the dealer where purchased. the service manager knew of the problem but says there is no recall for it. consumer feels buick should be responsible for the repairs made to the vehicle. *jg | |||
| 04/23/2002 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle completely stalls while driving without warning. dealer stated engine manifold that is made of plastic is cracked and sending fluid through engine, damaging parts in engine. *ak the plastic intake was replaced and the consumer is seeking reimbursement of repair expense. *yh | |||