Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||||||||||||
| 08V118000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 05/01/2000 to 06/30/2001 | V (Vehicle) | 207542 | 04/28/2008 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 03/12/2008 | 03/12/2008 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Gm is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 buick regal and pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. these vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Certain underhood fires may be caused by drops of engine oil, from seepage or spillage, being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. if the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and, in some instances, the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install a new front (left) rocker cover gasket with an improved design from the original gasket and replace the spark plug wire channel with new retainers. due to parts availability, owner notification letters will be mailed in two phases. the customer letters for the 1997-2000 model year vehicles will be mailed on april 28, 2008. gm will advise as to when the owner letters for the 2001-2003 model year vehicles will be mailed. until sufficient parts become available, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com . | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm recall no. 07035. customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
| 09V116000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | V (Vehicle) | 1497516 | 04/09/2009 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/08/2009 | 04/08/2009 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will remove the spark plug wire retention channel at the front of engine and install two new spark plug wire retainers free of charge. the recall is expected to begin during may 2009. owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm recall no. 09047.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
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 | |
| 040604024 | 04/01/2004 | 10012634 | Powertrain control module will not properly communicate on board diagnostic freeze frame information to nontech2 service or test equipment. *eh | 03/09/2005 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 070803 | 07/08/2003 | 10003814 | The vme message is to provide information about a new product field action regarding a customer satisfaction program for an engine coolant leak. the engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket or at the upper | 11/03/2003 | |
| 030601016 | 05/01/2003 | 10002372 | Loss of coolant, milky colored oil. *tt | 08/26/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 08-06-04-019 | 04/01/2008 | 080604019A | 10024787 | L67 engine oil smell or odor, leak at left or front valve cover (replace valve cover gasket, gromments and spark plug wire retainers for cylinders 1-3-5). *nj updated 7/25/2008 *pe | 05/20/2008 |
| 3157A | 10017172 | Engine whine or buzz noise sounds like a generator type noise on 3.1l or 3.8l engines. *tt | 10/26/2005 | ||
| 05551 | 09/01/2005 | 10017076 | Special policy adjustment-catalytic converter. the vehicle may experience a condition where the vehicle's exhaust catalytic converter was replaced due to the complaints of lack of power or illumination of the malfunction indicator lamp. * | 10/21/2005 | |
| 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 | |
| 040602007 | 08/01/2004 | 10011207 | Low engine coolant level indicator always on. *tt | 01/10/2005 | |
| 3180 | 3180A | 10010868 | Dealers may comment on a chuggle, surge, misfire condition. *tt | 12/15/2004 | |
| 3007 | 01/01/2004 | 10008786 | 3.8l engine oil consumption. *tt | 08/23/2004 | |
| 040604037 | 06/01/2004 | 10008472 | Check engine light on, diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0410 set, water in air pump. *tt | 08/02/2004 | |
| 01353 | 01/01/2004 | 01353A | 10007937 | Engine misfire due to injector fretting corrosion. *tt | 07/16/2004 |
| 01584 | 01/01/2004 | 10005424 | Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0650 set after powertrain control module (pcm) replacement. sit bulletin 1413730. *tt | 02/25/2004 | |
| 000604049B | 12/01/2003 | 000604049A | 10005145 | Some vehicles built prior to vin breakpoint 1f136536 may exhibit intermittent malfunction indicator lamp / service engine soon indicator illumination; anti-lock brake system warning light illumination; stall / no start condition; various el | 02/09/2004 |
| 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 |
| 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 | |||||
| 020604014 | 03/01/2002 | 632322 | Subject regarding the elimination of the service bay test procedure. *tt | 07/12/2002 | |
| 000605049A | 03/01/2002 | 000604049 | 631274 | Subject regarding various driveability symptoms, malfunction indicator lamp illuminates intermittently, diagnostic trouble codes seat, engine will not start. *slc | 05/21/2002 |
| 311001 | 10/31/2001 | 628072 | Some vehicles with the supercharged 3800 engine may experience a hard start or extended crank. *tt | 03/05/2002 | |
| 250901 | 09/25/2001 | 626398 | Vehicles may experience intermittent engine stalling or diagnostic trouble code p0141. *slc | 12/14/2001 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 011001 | 10/01/2001 | 627863 | Information regarding water intrusion into the oxygen sensor wiring harness. *yh | 02/25/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||||
| 040605008 | 07/01/2004 | 10012115 | Availability of exhaust muffler for service. *tt | 02/14/2005 | |
| 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 | ||||||
| EA07008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/12/2007 | 05/01/2008 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE | 09V116000 | |
| By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by nhtsa recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume. | ||||||
| EA07008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/12/2007 | 05/01/2008 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE | 08V118000 | |
| By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by nhtsa recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 12/11/2012 | 120000 | 1 | |
| After returning home from shopping, roughly 20 mile drive, i parked the car in our attached 3 car garage. i went inside, visited briefly with my husband, fixed a salad and was eating when i heard a noise. as i opened the door from the kitchen to the garage, i found the garage was full of smoke and called 911. i estimate the time from shutting off the car until we called 911 to be 10 to 15 minutes. as far as i know, the vehicle is not under recall based on the gm web site listing recalls by vin; however, our experience sure sounds very similar to the investigations that resulted in significant recalls of similar make, model and year vehicles. this vehicle did have a service notice that paid for replacement of the catalytic converter roughly 2 yrs ago. the car was running rough 6 mos prior to the fire. repairs were made at the gm dealership where we purchased the car. repairs seemed to correct the problem. the fire destroyed the buick and the car parked next to it. there was significant damage to the 3rd car. all garage contents were lost. we are out of our house and will be living in an apt for 6 months. there was significant damage to our home, $100k plus. our insurance company sent a fire investigator. gm sent a fire investigator. we have not seen either report. *tr | |||
| 12/11/2012 | 120000 | ||
| After returning home from shopping, roughly 20 mile drive, i parked the car in our attached 3 car garage. i went inside, visited briefly with my husband, fixed a salad and was eating when i heard a noise. as i opened the door from the kitchen to the garage, i found the garage was full of smoke and called 911. i estimate the time from shutting off the car until we called 911 to be 10 to 15 minutes. as far as i know, the vehicle is not under recall based on the gm web site listing recalls by vin; however, our experience sure sounds very similar to the investigations that resulted in significant recalls of similar make, model and year vehicles. this vehicle did have a service notice that paid for replacement of the catalytic converter roughly 2 yrs ago. the car was running rough 6 mos prior to the fire. repairs were made at the gm dealership where we purchased the car. repairs seemed to correct the problem. the fire destroyed the buick and the car parked next to it. there was significant damage to the 3rd car. all garage contents were lost. we are out of our house and will be living in an apt for 6 months. there was significant damage to our home, $100k plus. our insurance company sent a fire investigator. gm sent a fire investigator. we have not seen either report | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 12/19/2011 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa recall campaign id number: 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling) to prevent the rocker cover gasket from leaking oil. the contact stated that shortly after receiving the recall repairs, the vehicle caught on fire from the engine. the contact believed that the recall repair was the cause of the fire. the contact had not encountered a failure prior to the recall repairs. the failure and the current mileages were unknown. kmj | |||
| 12/19/2011 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. the contact stated the vehicle had nhtsa recall campaign id number: 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling) that dealt with the rocker cover gasket leaking oil. the contact stated that the vehicle had an engine fire after the repair was made. the contact feels the recall repair was not adequate. the failure mileage and current mileages were unknown.rl | |||
| 08/21/2011 | |||
| I filed a complaint with the attorney general who in turn referred me to you (nhtsa). however, i filed a complaint with nhtsa two weeks before i filed with the attorney general. here is a copy of the complaint: my 2001 buick regal caught on fire in august 2011 after a short drive to the gas station. in april 2009, buick issued a safety recall on my car stating there have been engine compartment fires. i was told i was entitled to a free and effective remedy for my car. i took my car to john l. sullivan to have the fix completed on january 14, 2010. the repair was obviously not effective as my car still caught on fire just as described in the recall. i called buick and filed a claim which was denied without anyone coming to look at my car or anything. the claims department stated that they were denying my claim because the california breach of warranty statute was up and they only had to fix the car if it was within the first four years from the date the car was originally purchased. this makes no sense as the safety recall was issued eight years after the car was originally purchased. furthermore, federal law states that if a safety issue is discovered within ten years of the car being purchased the owner is entitled to a free and effective remedy. again, the remedy for my car was obviously not effective! i then asked buick what if i had been in the car with my kids when it caught on fire or what if it had been parked in my garage and my house caught on fire? their response was, well, that didn't happen so i'm not going to discuss it. so basically, i'm left to assume that i would had to have been burned in that car before buick would accept responsibility for their ill manufactured car? that hardly seemsright. i still owe $400 on a car i can't drive. this is wrong on so many levels. please, please help me. thank you so much for your time. | |||
| 08/21/2011 | |||
| I went to the gas station and then went to my parents house where i parked my car. this was all of about 6 miles. i went into my parents house and was watching tv when my dad came in and said come here quick... your car's on fire. i couldn't believe it. it was working fine when i went to the store and then it caught on fire out of the blue. there was a recall in april 2009 on my car due to engine compartment fires. i took it to john l. sullivan in january 2010 to have the recall work done at no charge. yet, my car caught on fire anyway. i filed a complain with gm motors who denied my claim stating the breach of warranty statute of limitations had expired per california state law. however, federal law states i am entitled to a free and effective remedy for this situation. obviously, the remedy was not effective. i want gm to fix my car immediately!!!!!! federal law should override any state law. i am very lucky i was not in the car when the flames erupted. i am also very lucky it was not parked in my garage or something where my house could have caught fire. there were absolutely no indications that anything was wrong with my car. | |||
| 07/18/2010 | 115027 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. the contact stated while driving 70mph the vehicle lost power and the engine caught on fire. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who performed a diagnosed that located the failure at the engine wiring harness. nhtsa campaign id number 09v116000 component engine and engine cooling was received after the failure occurred. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and the current miles was 115,027. li | |||
| 11/12/2009 | 1 | 09/15/2001 | |
| 2001 buick regal. consumer states vehicle was deemed a total loss due to an engine fire resulting from an engine leak onto the exhaust manifold *tgw the consumer stated he officially gave the vehicle to his son on december 15, 2007. a recall was issued on april 14, 2009, but, neither him or his son received a recall letter. november 12, 2009, the vehicle caught on fire and was destroyed. the consumer then received a notice in november 2010 stating the recall had not been performed and to contact the dealer as soon as possible. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 58500 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. the contact noticed oil was leaking form under the vehicle while it was parked. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told the front rocker gasket was leaking. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was told the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 08v118000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 58,500 and the current mileage was 64,000. sm. | |||
| 05/06/2010 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. the contact stated that when starting the vehicle it won't start. she has to turn hazard lights on the get it started. also the dashboard lighting flickers constantly. the vehicle also will not come out of gear and the gas gauge is broken. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage is unknown because the mileage indicator is also broken. rd | |||
| 01/12/2010 | 99584 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. the contact started the engine on a cold start and a shaking motion occurred. additionally, whenever the vehicle was in operation the engine power failed to allow the vehicle to exceed over 25 mph. also, the transmission was leaking transmission fluid. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for inspection. the failure was contributed to the power train, transmission and engine. the vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunctions. the failure mileage was 99,500. the current mileage was 99,584. updated 05/13/10. *lj | |||
| 03/11/2010 | 111000 | 1 | |
| My 2011 regal had to have the lower and upper intake gasket replaced as well as the valve cover gaskets.. a week after that the service engine soon light came on and the mechanic said it was the throttle body gasket. i then got it replaced and then a week after that the service engine soon light came on again. it was pulling up a code for a vacuum leak. wtf! my boyfriend turned the light off and it hasn't come on since, so i don't know if it was a glitch. *tr | |||
| 01/07/2009 | 100000 | 1 | |
| In dec.2008, i had my oil changed and i noticed several week later that oil was leaking on my garage floor. i then took my car to have it checked for the oil leak. my mechanic informed me that it was a problem with the intake manifold which had a bad design and it was also causing coolant to leak into the oil. i immediately checked to see if there were any recalls on my vehicle, and there were. however, when i called the buick home office i was told that there were no recalls on my vehicle. the information which i collected stated that letters were mailed out for 1997-2000 models on april 28,2008. it also stated that gm will advise when letters for the 2001-2003 models will be mailed. the problem is getting worse and i am afraid that this problem may cause my car to catch fire. *tr | |||
| 04/16/2008 | 65870 | 1 | 01/10/2008 |
| Driving the car to the shopping mall there was nothing out of the ordinary, no smell, no noise. about 15 minutes later i remembered i forgot something in the car and went out to retrieve it when i saw fire trucks. there were flames shooting out 10 feet high of a car, thinking poor fool, then realizing that fool was me! it was my 2001 regal. the car was torched to the inside dash board. witnesses stated sparks were coming from under the front left, when it burst into flames. needless to say the car is toast. never, ever any warning, no dash lights indicating a problem, and it only had 65k miles on it. my son has a 92 toyota with over 200k, bet that won't ever catch fire! *tr | |||
| 03/04/2008 | 118357 | 1 | |
| My wife went out to start the vehicle after it had been sitting for 2-3 days in 0-20 degree temperatures. upon turning the ignition switch she heard a loud explosion sound, saw the hood bulge, and saw smoke billow out from the sides. she immediately removed key, exited the vehicle, and asked me to come out to the vehicle. upon opening the hood we found pieces of the heat shield, and plastic intake manifold scattered through the engine compartment, along with the oil fill cap, which had been blown off. *tr | |||
| 04/16/2007 | 2 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. the contact stated that the engine failed when activating the turn signals and slowing down to make a turn. the vehicle will restart after a few minutes have passed. the failure began in april 2007 , and was now occurring more frequently. the current and failure mileages were unknown. *ak | |||
| 01/26/2007 | 84000 | 1 | 10/25/2001 |
| At about 80,000 miles grinding noise in right front wheel developed, replaced brakes and rotors found the right front wheel bearing was bad and had to have it replaced . at about 84,000 miles the lifters were making a ticking noise that sounded like a helicopter, replaced the lifters at a cost of $1600 this was just one month after the final payment of the 5 year loan one month after the lifters were replaced the engine seized up needed to be towed and i'm told that the main bearing has gone bad and the engine needs to be replaced or rebuilt. *nm | |||
| 09/03/2005 | 43000 | 1 | 09/29/2001 |
| I returned home from a short trip to the store on 9/3/05, turned off the car, and parked my 2001 buick regal gs in the driveway. about 5-10 minutes later, my husband said he smelled something burning. he looked out the front door, and smoke and flames were coming from under the hood of the car. i called 911, and my husband attempted to contain the flames until the fire department arrived. the engine tried to start, on its own, while it was burning. the car radio came on. the engine was engulfed in flames when the fire department arrived. the car appears to be a total loss. in addition, the heat from the flames melted the vinyl siding on my house, inasmuch as the car was parked in front of the garage next to the house. *nm | |||
| 05/01/2005 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| 2001 buick regal experienced stalling . *mr the vehicle also experienced sudden acceleration. the service dealer was unable to find the problem. *sc *jb | |||
| 09/29/2004 | 81331 | 1 | |
| After starting the vehicle, a fire started underneath the hood. the consumer put the out the fire and had the vehicle towed. please provide more information. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 07/15/2010 | 102000 | ||
| Transmission failure,radiator failure | |||
| 09/16/2004 | 39699 | 2 | 01/02/2004 |
| I own a 2001 buick regal les. the car was purchased from a dealer as a used car in january 2004. i notice the car was hard to start. i took it to a car repair place and they could not find the problem but called a buick dealership and was told there was a recall on the car for throttle body bolts. i took the car to the buick dealership to have the recall done on the car and they did the recall and replaced a fuel pressure regulator which had failed. i had to pay $197.00 to have that work completed. after picking up the car, i then noticed that my car was leaking antifreeze and the car was shifting hard between 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd gears (automatic transmission). i got my husband to look at the car and he spotted where it was coming from but we took it back to the privately owned car mechanic shop and was told the the plastic intake manifold was cracked. i paid that mechanic over $400.00 to have that fixed. i also had them look at the shifting problem and they could not find what was wrong. i have twice taken the car to the transmission service center and they changed the fluid and replaced the gasket but cannot find anything wrong with the automatic transmission. i am very disappointed with buick. i contacted them by e-mail and by phone and was told my car was not a part of the recall involving the fuel pressure regulator and plastic manifold. can anyone help me in regards to these car problems? the transmission is still shifting hard. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 12/27/2007 | 32000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. minutes later after the contact parked the vehicle, it caught fire. the fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. there were no injuries and the vehicle was destroyed. the contact was advised to file a complaint with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 32,000. | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 29000 | 1 | 10/01/2003 |
| Vehicle's plastic intake manifold warped from heat of the engine.*mr *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 10/30/2007 | 225000 | 1 | 05/31/2001 |
| Vehicle has a 3.8 liter super charged engine. parked car after driving approximately 70 miles with no noticeable problem. about fifteen minutes later, i saw smoke coming from under the hood. the engine compartment was engulfed. the vehicle is a total loss. the car was not running and their was no indication of smoke/fire when i turned it off. *cn | |||
| 09/16/2005 | 76000 | 1 | |
| 2001 buick regal ls. i lost all vacuum to brakes and steering. engine died. took it to c_speck motors in sunnyside, wa for investigation. they found that the intake cover, which is either plastic or fiberglass had a hole about 1 1/2 inch in diameter burnt through just behind the air intake hose. on top of the hole is a wiring harness that has the flex burnt through and the wiring harness tape is burnt through. wires appear to be ok. it could have caused an accident and or caught fire.*jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/31/2010 | 150000 | ||
| I have a 2001 buick regal that has a 3.8 litre supercharged engine. this vehicle was recalled for starting on fire from oil dripping onto the exhaust. i had the recall done over a year ago. i drove the car every day. recently i left the car parked for two days. when i started driving the car toward work i noticed that it was shuttering slightly and after about four miles i turned around to head back home. on the way back i noticed a burning smell and smoke started coming out from the floor near the shifter. i quickly pulled into a parking lot and got out. the car burst into flames and was completely destroyed. i was not hurt but the car was a total loss. i called buick to tell them what happened. i got their claim department. i told them what happened. they asked me if i wanted to file a claim. i told them i was concerned that i had the recall done and the car burst into flames anyway and that i wanted someone to look at it to determine if the recall was done correctly or possibly the recall doesn't work. they told me someone would call me within 10 days. no one called and i got a letter in the mail saying they were not liable after two years after the purchase of the car. my concern is that the recall does not work, that no one ever came to look at the car and the dismissed me without taking me seriously at all. the car was in perfect driving shape and had no previous problems. i told buick that i was concerned that if the recall doesnt work people could be killed (i was less than 100 feet from the car when it burst into flames). the entire car was burnt down to bare metal except the engine which looked new. the owner of the tow yard said he had never seen a car burn that way unless the owner tried to burn it or the exhaust set the bottom of the car on fire. buick excepts no resposibility for this and they did not care enough to look at the car the ensure the recall worked or that other people do not get hurt if it fails | |||
| 06/19/2008 | 30000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 buick regal. the contact received buick recall notice number 07035 or nhtsa campaign id number 08v118000 regarding the gasket on his vehicle. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they repaired the first gasket. the contact stated that the second gasket is experiencing the same failure; however, the dealer does not want to make the repair. he called gm to file a complaint and they referred him to nhtsa. currently, the gasket is leaking and dripping down onto the exhaust manifold. the failure mileage was 30,000. | |||
| 02/27/2001 | 3 | ||
| All incidents were of the same nature. vehicle would not decelerate without excessive braking. engine would never idle at less than 1800 to 2600 rpm's. with foot removed from the brake the car traveled between 35 to 60 plus mph, depending on terrain. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 03/27/2008 | 78892 | 2 | 02/28/2001 |
| Dealer says lower intake manifold leaking. repaired at 61,549 mi. dealer says lower intake coolant bypass is leaking, as is, the valve cover gaskets. claims there have been engine fires and that gm has a recall ,but not a remedy for the problem, as of yet. repaired gaskets at 78,892 mi., total cost for both 1,600.00. 1. one would think after building cars for 50 yrs. that a head gasket could last 200,000 mi. 2. my gasket lasted 17,000 miles between repairs. the leaking gaskets are a direct cause of the engine fires. the oil leaks down on top of the exhaust manifold and bingo, fire. they say they have to come up with a better heat shield duh. i bought the car based on consumer reports. i've had other problems too. i just wonder if gm will step up and reimburse me. *tr | |||