Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 709 | 09/01/2005 | 10018126 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. gm tech link. *tt | 12/15/2005 | |
| 3313 | 10017212 | Engine vibration at idle in gear. *tt | 10/28/2005 | ||
| 03034 | 07/01/2003 | 10003430 | Engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket, or at the upper intake manifold to lower intake manifold to lower intake manifold gasket. this condition may result in a low engine coolant level and higher engine | 10/20/2003 | |
| 990603009A | 02/01/2004 | 040861001 | 10001285 | Floor pan corrosion perforation in battery compartment. *tt update *eh | 04/25/2003 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 03019 | 07/18/2003 | 10006144 | Engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket, or at the upper intake manifold to lower intake manifold to lower intake manifold gasket. this condition may result in a low engine coolant level and higher engine | 04/22/2004 | |
| 082203 | 08/22/2003 | 10003828 | Coolant leaks at the upper radiator hose to thermostat housing. *tt | 11/04/2003 | |
| 030601016 | 05/01/2003 | 10002372 | Loss of coolant, milky colored oil. *tt | 08/26/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 3157A | 10017172 | Engine whine or buzz noise sounds like a generator type noise on 3.1l or 3.8l engines. *tt | 10/26/2005 | ||
| 0804 | 08/01/2004 | 10014346 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. *nm | 04/29/2005 | |
| 040601021 | 06/01/2004 | 10012148 | New rear main seal and special tool for installation. *tt | 02/15/2005 | |
| 3007 | 01/01/2004 | 10008786 | 3.8l engine oil consumption. *tt | 08/23/2004 | |
| 01353 | 01/01/2004 | 01353A | 10007937 | Engine misfire due to injector fretting corrosion. *tt | 07/16/2004 |
| 00939C | 01/01/2003 | 10004406 | Engine vibration at idle in gear. service vme. *tt | 12/05/2003 | |
| 00939B | 11/18/2003 | 10004119 | Engine vibration at idle in gear. service vme. *tt | 11/19/2003 | |
| 01347 | 11/18/2003 | 10004130 | 3.8l l37 l67 engine recommended sae viscosity grade engine oils. *tt | 11/19/2003 | |
| 030604030 | 03/01/2007 | 030604030C | 10002166 | Multiple driveability symptoms of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire due to clogged fuel injectors. *tt | 08/14/2003 |
| 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 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 12/26/2007 | 46333 | 2 | 12/30/2002 |
| 2003 buick lesabre. consumer states problem with intake manifold gasket failure *tgw the consumer stated the intake gasket developed a leak, which allowed coolant to get into the oil. the consumer had to replace the upper intake manifold gasket at 46,333 miles and the lower intake manifold gasket at 71,193 miles. the cause of the problem was alleged to be an incompatibility between the gm dex-cool coolant which was introduced in 1995 and the intake manifold gasket material which could cause the engine to overheat and/or seize while driving on the highway. *jb | |||
| 01/02/2007 | 56500 | 1 | 04/04/2003 |
| Occasionally smelled anti-freeze after careful inspection could not determine where leak was. had to add anti-freeze on two occasions. took car to gm dealership for oil change and was told of the problem. he showed me the leak and advised i should get it repaired asap. estimated repair cost at this point is in excess of $1,000. it was also advised that if not repaired this could result in antifreeze in the oil which would ruin the motor. this problem is related to the gasket they used, which is plastic and has since been changed. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 03/26/2007 | 50400 | 2 | 03/15/2003 |
| Upper intake manifold leaking externally at 50,400 miles on 2003 buick lesabre. same occurred on my 1997 buick lesabre at 85,000 miles. replaced upper intake manifold and gasket with after market assembly on 1997 now at 103,000 miles. 2003 buick currently at dealers for repair pending. *jb | |||
| 02/07/2006 | 2 | 01/01/2006 | |
| I helped my 78 year old mother purchase a 2003 buick lesabre in early jan. 2006. when i test drove car i noticed coolant was low and mentioned to salesperson. dealer replaced leaking plenum gasket but did not report to me. less than 300 miles later the car was severely losing coolant again. dealer said upper intake manifold (plenum) was warped and needed replacement. problem is that the only plenum gm makes for this engine is defective and will likely warp again, possibly destroying engine. this has happened to many owners of gm vehicles that have this engine. all repairs on my mother's car have so far been under warranty but warranty will soon run out. warranty is supposed to cover any defects in manufacturing. plenum is defective and the only gm authorized repair is with another defective plenum. this is just a temporary fix. i spoke with a former gm mechanic who told me that he sees this problem all the time and that gm knows about it. plastic is not a suitable material for the plenum, as it warps due to engine heat. a recall is only way to remedy this problem. this engine is used in many vehicles (buicks and other models) that are popular with the elderly. it is unconsciousness that gm knowingly allows the elderly to drive cars that will likely leave them stranded. *jb | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle engine coolant leak. *mr the problem had been corrected. *sc *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 03/26/2007 | 50400 | 2 | 03/15/2003 |
| Upper intake manifold leaking externally at 50,400 miles on 2003 buick lesabre. same occurred on my 1997 buick lesabre at 85,000 miles. replaced upper intake manifold and gasket with after market assembly on 1997 now at 103,000 miles. 2003 buick currently at dealers for repair pending. *jb | |||
| 12/15/2005 | 63000 | 1 | 09/01/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated antifreeze was leaking under the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and the manifold gasket was replaced. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle's intake manifold failed.*mr consumer received a recall notice for problems with intake manifold failure on 2003 buick lesabre. consumer stated this failure occurred with his 1998 buick lesabre also. *ph *jb | |||