Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
010601007A07/01/2001010601007620835Experiencing excessive engine coolant consumption, or an engine coolant leak near or under the throttle body area of the upper intake manifold. *tt08/31/2001
01060100709/01/2007010601007C619176Engine coolant consumption or coolant leak (inspect for material degradation/replace intake manifolds) *tt updated 11/02/07 *nj05/17/2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
04060102106/01/200410012148New rear main seal and special tool for installation. *tt02/15/2005
010601008A05/01/2002010601008634813Some owners may comment on a repeat engine oil pan leak. *tt10/09/2002
01060100802/01/2001619177Some owners may comment on a repeat engine oil pan leak. *tt05/17/2001
77611006/01/199752573Engine oil level indicates over full (replace oil level indicator tube assembly). *tw08/21/1997
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
99060500510/01/19996088811Some vehicles may exhibit a popping type noise heard in the passenger compartment. *tt01/08/2000
9709016116A09/01/199754327Comments of an engine oil leak that appears to originate toward the driver's side of the vehicle; rear of engine. *yc03/30/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
04060101706/01/200410008471New upper intake manifold and gasket kits. *tt08/02/2004

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
PE02050GENERAL MOTORS CORP.06/13/200210/22/2002ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
 Alleged engine compartment fire during startup.loud pops or backfires before the fire started

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
09/01/20081400001
 My vehicle is a 1997 buick park ave with 140,000 miles. i'm the second owner. my in-laws were the original owners. i got the vehicle from them in 1999 with approximately 9000 miles on the vehicle. therefore, i know the complete car care history of this vehicle. yesterday, september 1, 2008 my granddaughter was driving this car and she lost control of the vehicle due to lost of steering capabilities. no one was injured nor body damage due to her low speed when this incident occurred. the tow truck operator indicated that the engine cradle split into pieces due to rust and this caused the steering to fail since the steering rack is mounted to this engine cradle. the rust through of this the engine cradle (or engine frame) was confirmed by the repair shop today, september 2, 2008. the repair shop indicated that the 1997 buick park ave's had a steel engine cradle and that the moisture and salt gets caught within this box frame due to it's position directly behind the wheel wells. the repair shop indicated that 1998 park ave's( and after) have aluminum engine cradles but that the 1998 part will not fit the 1997 buick park ave. the only repair is to find another used engine cradle from a 1997 buick park ave which costs approximately $400 to $500 just for the used part. the other alternative is to buy a new engine cradle from a gm dealership for approximately $1200 to $1400. it seems to me that this engine cradle is a very critical part of the frame of the car and should not rust through within 10 years. all of the steering controls are mounted to this part and when this engine cradle fails all steering capabilities are lost. please review this web site for the same part failure by other 1997 buick park ave owners (http://www.allworldauto.com/comments/1997_buick_park_avenue_comments_and_complaints_c42-256-1997-312-1.html. *tr
07/18/200528501208/01/1997
 Dt: contact states in hot weather 75 degrees or above and within one mile the car will die. can wait it 10-15 minutes and the car will restart. had this problem for the last 3 summers. it usually happened in slow traffic, but consumer did not get out on the interstate very much; but was concerned that if he did. the car would die in heavy traffic. took it to the dealer, and they said they could not find anything wrong with it. they suggested that it may be the fuel pump or the sensor in the crank case. the service engine light sometimes cam eon. . the car has less than 30,000 miles on it. he has not talked to the manufacturer. *ak *tt
02/01/200560456108/15/1997
 Pushrod malfunctioned in the engine, caused car accident.*ak
02/01/200487425603/01/2002
 Vehichle stalled while turning at an intersection and was not driveable; vehicle had to be towed. upon diagnosis, the vehicle hydrolocked due to dexcool leaking into the engine chamber from a melted upper intake manifold. the upper intake manifold, water pump, thermostat crank sensor and map sensor required replacement. it was then further determined due to an intolerably loud engine knock that the dexcool had corroded the engine compartment bearings; the engine was not repairable and required replacement. *ak
02/15/200384000
 My number one problem with this car is the plastic intake manifold failed under normal use. this allowed coolant to mix with the oil while i was driving on the highway in heavy traffic. the result was that the main bearings were destroyed and i had to buy a new engine. (i have the original plastic intake manifold in my possession.) the problem is that the plastic intake manifold can not withstand the heat generated by the egr valve and eventually suffers from thermal fatigue at the egr and stress relaxation around the flange of the manifold. i notified gm of the problem in writing and they offered me $800 compensation for my $5,000.00 problem. they told me that my engine was probably on its last legs. i told them that the car has been babied and offered up results of the mandatory emissions test that the car underwent not 3 weeks prior to failure as proof that the car was in good running order. (in toronto, all vehicle owners must submit their cars for emissions testing every 2 years. the car is measured for hydro carbon output, nox output, co, and co2. if the engine had been malfunctioning, it would have been qualified.) this problem would not have occurred if gm didn't switch from aluminum to plastic. other problems with the car include a rear window defogger that caught on fire, - 3'rd alternator, 2nd battery , a security system that sounds while driving down the street, water in the trunk (several attempt to repair, ended up drilling a hole in the trunk), failed ac compressor, failed heated seat, several instrument control light bulbs have burned out and can not be replaced, you have to replace the entire instrument. the rear brake rotors that warp every 35,000 km. - fuel gauge that doesn't work below a quarter tank. if you would like copies of correspondence sent to gm, let me know. regards doug webb 13 brumell avenue toronto, ontario m6s 4g3 doug.webb@sympatico.ca 905-238-0007 ex. 2624 (daytime)
07/15/200347464
 Heater/air conditioning leaks onto floor on the passenger side of vehicle. started about a year after purchase (new) and we complained. dealership replaced water pump. still leaked. became much worse in july 2003 (required a roll of paper towels to keep the front floor board semi dry on trips). we took it to fitzpatrick in concord, ca and they stated that all gm vehicles did that and there was no repair needed. this was when the car was still under warranty and now, no longer is.
11/15/20030
 The a/c will turn on again after i turn it off. the radio will shift to cassette and back while displaying e33. drivers window will come down unevenly and get wedged. the alternater went out and the bottom bolt stripped during removal. there is a lurch sometimes during shifting.
51616209/01/2000
 Vehicle overheated twice within a 2 month period. coolant elbow broke when vehicle overheated the first time. the second time the vehicle overheated, the upper intake manifold broke. *la *jb
09/01/2003129657109/01/2003
 The plastic intake manifold developed a hole and leaked anti freeze onto the cylinder. this resulted in engine locking up and the crank shaft bearing going bad. *ak the rod bearings also failed due to water entering the oil pan. *nlm
05/19/200347300111/01/1998
 The dealer replaced the plastic intake manifold, water pump, gaskets and serpentine belt. the vehicle only had 47000 miles on it. *nlm the vehicle had required many repairs while under warranty. the coolant tank kept going low and the upper and lower gasket along with all components. the water pump was replaced. *scc *jb
04/01/1997
 Symptom of battery failure-triple a jump started car -checked battery & engine with computer which detected no problem-drove car @ 50 miles on highway-no problem- after sitting over nite started normally but after driving about 2 miles lost all power- tripe a could not start so towed car to their shop & found engine froze up- caused by defective air intake manifold which developed a leak allowing coolant fluid to get into engine mixing with oil. i know of 5 other incidents of this nature, 3 of which resulted in engine failure.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
01/08/2011140096
 After 20 miles of smooth driving with no indication of anything going wrong and while pulling into the parking lot of my office my check engine light came on, i always immediately shutoff my vehicle any time such thing happens to prevent any damage to the vehicle, i proceeded to walk into the parts store next to my office to get power steering fluid due to the low fluid level i had, however when i tried to turn over the motor the motor would not turn. my mechanic told me it was hydrolocked and that there is a coolant passage which is commonly known to leak into cylinder 6 and locking the motor requiring the intake and gaskets to be replaced. this happened less than 30days after my vehicle passed inspection at a dealership. also noting that the dealer was told i was losing about a gallon of coolant weekly. a coolant elbow was repaired, then two days later is when the motor locked.
09/30/200479850107/12/2004
 No engine failure yet....i am consuming almost as much antifreeze as i am gasoline. just kidding, but in less than 1000 miles i have used 11/2 gallons of dexcool antifreeze. i can find no leakage on my garage floor, but it sure is going somewhere. am i in eminent danger of engine failure?????*ak
09/15/2001
 Engine burned out because there was no coolant in system. also talked to mechanics, and mechanics stated plenium which was part of coolant system, cracked causing coolant escape and burned engine out. there be no coolant in engine.*ak
01/05/19991
 Water pump failed. nlm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE
02/03/19981
 Hose clamp failed resulting in leakage. nlm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
12/08/200795000109/30/1997
 I drove my car out to a restaurant and parked it. when i tried to start it to go home a couple hours later, it would not turn over. i tried it again the next morning and then had it towed to my mechanic where he discovered that it was 'liquid locked because antifreeze had leaked into a cylinder and would not allow the piston to move up. i am looking at 2500 dollars for repairs and a week to get the parts and do it. there are tsb's out on this problem and it is a common problem. i feel i should have been notified of the problem and gm should shoulder the costs for the repair because it was caused by a defective gasket. *tr
09/01/2004107/01/1997
 1997 park avenue has difficulties with the electrical system. vehicle's engine blew up at 89,000 miles because the intake manifold leaked engine coolant into the engine and caused it to seize. *ts in seven years the consumer had to replace the vehicle's battery five times. ***nar***
12/12/2004140000109/16/2003
 After starting the vehicle, the vehicle back fire and then caught fire in the engine compartment. the local fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. the cause of the fire has not been determined. *nm
01/06/20051150003
 While driving at any speed the engine stall without warning. as a result the automatic power door locked trapping the driver inside. the cause has yet to be determined. *nm *nm
08/07/2002112/01/1997
 While driving engine mount bolts cracked, causing engine to fall on one side. contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak *yh
09/02/2001209/01/1997
 While driving on the interstate engine check light began flashing, and chimming. pulled over to side of road stopped and raise the hood. the engine was running rough. stopped the engine saw that it was not overheated. attempted to start. it wouldn't. wrecker tooto brian harris dealer. dealer repaced both intake manifolds because they were pitted and allowed coolant to enter into cylinders and lock the engine. dealer said both manifolds had to be replaced.
07/01/20001
 Consumer noticed a small oil leak. took vehicle to dealer. they repaired it. dealer said that a gmc bullentin about oil pans on buicks stated that pan was wavy and could cause an oil leak. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
06/16/2002
 Vehicle will stall out while consumer is driving at any speed. contacted dealer, and the dealer cannot find cause of problem. *ak
01/05/20021
 Insured was starting the vehicle when he heard a big boom and then smoke came from engine and caught on fire, claim 25-5607-676. *jg
10/19/20011
 When vehicle was started, there was an explosion and vehicle was on fire, claim 53-c849-836. *jg
09/06/20011
 Insured believes the engine fire was caused by a loose wire in the starter, claim 25-5562-917. *jg
02/28/20011
 Insured attempted to start vehicle. after hearing what sounded like back firing, a fire started under the hood of vehicle, claim 52-2467-692. *jg
1
 Fuse box relay box suspected for cause of fire, claim 42-1331-250. *jg
11/18/20011
 Consumer tried to crank vehicle when it immediately popped and caught on fire, claim 24-5198-330. *slc
10/19/20011
 When vehicle was started, there was an explosion and vehicle was on fire, claim 53-c849-836. *slc
02/28/20011
 Consumer attempted to start vehicle and heard what he thought was a back fire, a fire started under the hood, claim 52-2467-692. *slc
05/01/20021
 At 70 mph vehicle began to slow down a lot, then stalled. towed to dealer, antifreeze flooded engine, causing the engine to seize.*ak. consumer was forced off the road by an 18 wheeler because vehicle had started slowing and consumer could not get vehicle to respond. loss of steering accompanied the sudden decelleration. *jg
09/06/20011
 Insured believes the engine fire was caused by a loose wire in the starter, claim 25-5562-917. *jg
10/19/20011
 When vehicle was started, there was an explosion and vehicle was on fire, claim 53-c849-836. *jg
02/28/20011
 Insured attempted to start vehicle. after hearing what sounded like back firing, a fire started under the hood of vehicle, claim 52-2467-692. *jg
1
 Fuse box relay box suspected for cause of fire, claim 42-1331-250. *jg
01/05/20021
 Insured was starting the vehicle when he heard a big boom and then smoke came from engine and caught on fire, claim 25-5607-676. *jg
11/18/20011
 Consumer tried to crank vehicle when it immediately popped and caught on fire, claim 24-5198-330. *slc
10/19/20011
 When vehicle was started, there was an explosion and vehicle was on fire, claim 53-c849-836. *slc
02/28/20011
 Consumer attempted to start vehicle and heard what he thought was a back fire, a fire started under the hood, claim 52-2467-692. *slc
09/15/2001
 Engine burned out because there was no coolant in system. also talked to mechanics, and mechanics stated plenium which was part of coolant system, cracked causing coolant escape and burned engine out. there be no coolant in engine.*ak
10/12/199809/29/1998
 Odometer found to be broken
01/01/19971
 Engine belt broken. nlm
04/26/1999
 After vehicle had been parked about 5 to 10 minutes engine caught on fire, totalling the vehicle. the manufacturer has been notified. *ak
1
 Grinding sound in the front.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
10/13/1999205/01/1999
 Serpentine belt separated from vehicle twice. dealer and manufacturer were notified. *ak
01/01/19971
 Engine belt broken. nlm
05/02/199704/25/1997
 Serpentine belt came off on a crowded interstate at 70 mph, cutting an a/c hose so that engine fluid leaked out, resultging in engine overheating. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
03/07/2003120000109/07/1999
 The plastic air plennom on the top of the 3800 engine of the newer gen motors cars that they are now using will not hold up under the heat. the egr tube which extends up into the plastic air intake burns a hold into the cooling system surrounding the egr tube, causing coolant to drian into the the motor intake chamber. in turn, the coolant then mixes with the oil and ruins the motor rod bearings. i have already replaced one motor and am now experiencing similar trouble with the second motor for the same problem. they need to go back to the metal air intakes!*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
07/30/200494000106/15/2003
 While driving 30 mph consumer noticed white smoke coming from the vehicle. it was towed to the repair shop and then to the dealer for repairs. consumer was concerned that the intake manifold gasket was made of plastic. *ak