1999 Buick Century

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BUICK CENTURY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCREASED AND THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING ANTIFREEZE. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE INTAKE GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 54,310.

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT ON--MEANS AIRBAG WILL NOT/MAY NOT DEPLOY IF IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT. DEALER SHARPE BUICK REPLACED MODULE APPROX 3 TIMES BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I WAS TOLD THAT AIRBAG LIGHT HAD TO STAY ON CONSTANT BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING, LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT RESOLVED. ALSO ANTIFREEZE LEAKING DUE TO LEAKING LOWER INTAKE GASKET WHICH HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR YEARS ALSO TAKEN TO SHARPE BUICK SEVERAL TIMES THEY DIDN'T SEE A PROBLEM EVEN WHEN THERE WAS A SMELL AT THE DEALERSHIP. ALSO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER WAS REPLACED IT STARTING DIMMING AND FINALLY WENT BLACK. I HAVE RECENTLY PAID FOR THESE REPAIRS. CAR CAME WITH MANUFACTURER WARRANTY WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR AND I ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENSION ON THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY FROM THE CAR DEALER SIEF CHEVY/BUICK IN HASTINGS MI WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. *TR

SECOND FAILURE OF INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON 1999 BUICK CENTURY 3.1 M ENGINE. CAUSES ANTI FREEZE TO LEAK FROM MANIFOLD WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE (AS STATED IN OWNERS MANUAL, WARNING NOT TO SPILL ANTI-FREEZE ON A HOT ENGINE WHEN FILLING RADIATOR AS IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE). FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED AT 72,000 MILES. SECOND FAILURE AT 115,000 MILES. *JB

NOTICE COOLANT IS LEAKING AROUND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AREA ON 3.1L V6 ENGINE OF MY 1999 BUICK CENTURY. LOCAL MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. DEALER IS ASKING APPROXIMATELY $900.00 TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS ENGINE IF THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. A GOOD ENGINE SHOULD NOT FAILED LIKE THIS IN MY OPINION. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF THE ENGINE, BUT POOR ENGINEERING OF THE ENGINE. DEALER SHOULD PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM. *JB

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1999 BUICK CENTURY WITH 78,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED AND HAVE NO CURRENT WARRANTY. RECENTLY, THE LOW COOLANT DASH LIGHT BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE, WHICH PROMPTED ME TO CHECK THEE COOLANT LEVEL AND SEARCH THE UNDERNEATH OF MY VEHICLE. THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS NOT LOW; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF COOLANT ON THE GROUND. I DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND IDENTIFIED THAT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF GM VEHICLE OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEMS IN THEIR GM VEHICLES. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. GM CLAIMS THAT THE DEX COOL COOLANT, WHICH IS REQUIRED IN THEIR VEHICLES, LASTS FOR 150,000 MILES OF VEHICLE USE WITHOUT NEEDING TO BE CHANGED. HOWEVER, MY INTERNET RESEARCH OF OTHERS'' COMPLAINTS, AND THE SERVICE REPAIRMAN AT MY LOCAL GARAGE, CONFIRMED THAT THE DEX COOL COOLANT THROUGH THE LOWER GASKET AT APPROXIMATELY 70-80,000 MILES, REQUIRING A NEW LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND A COOLANT FLUSH, AS WELL AS A NECESSARY OIL CHANGE BECAUSE THE COOLANT LEAKS INTO THE OIL DUE TO THE FAULTY GASKETS (AND IN TURN CAUSES DECREASED LUBRICATION IN THE ENGINE AND RUINS THE BEARINGS WHICH IS ALSO A COSTLY PROBLEM.) AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE REPAIRED FOR $900, I AM TOLD BY MY SERVICE REPAIRMAN THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR AGAIN IN ANOTHER 70-80,000 MILES, SHOULD I OWN THE VEHICLE FOR THAT LONG. THERE ARE SEVERAL PETITIONS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS FAULTY EQUIPMENT, ADVOCATING FOR A GM RECALL. GM, HOWEVER, HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST INCURRED FOR THE REPLACEMENT ON THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON AFFECTED GM VEHICLES, AS THEY CLAIM THE SYSTEM IS GOOD FOR 150,000 MILES WITH THE DEX COOL COOLANT, WHICH IS CLEARLY A FALSE CLAIM. *JB