2005 Buick Lacrosse

2005 BUICK LACROSSE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 81,000 MILES- TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP BEFORE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED WITH THE HARD SHIFTING PROBLEM BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT THEY STATED IT WASN'T THE TRANSMISSION- TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT AT MY COST $2,500. PER GOOGLE SEARCH THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR HAVE HAD. *TR

ON A COLD MORNING IN FEBRUARY, OUTSIDE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF DURING NORMAL OPENING FUNCTION. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ENTIRE HANDLE IS MERELY CHROME-PLATED PLASTIC, WITH PEM NUTS INSERTED INTO THE REAR SIDE OF THE HANDLE. THE ENTIRE TENSILE LOAD OF THE HANDLE IS CARRIED ON THESE TWO POINTS, AND THIS IS WHERE THE PLASTIC FRACTURED. HAVING NO LUCK FINDING REPLACEMENT PARTS, AND NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT PUTTING A SIMILARLY-DESIGNED HANDLE WOULD PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM RECURRING, I REPAIRED THE HANDLE BY DRILLING THROUGH THE HANDLE AND PUTTING 2 BOLTS AND 2 NUTS THROUGH THE BODY OF THE HANDLE TO SECURE IT TO THE DOOR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, A LOW POWER RESPONSE OCCURRED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES WERE NOT PERFORMING PROPERLY AND THE STOPPING DISTANCE INCREASED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS IN USE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR IDENTICAL FAILURES AND THE TIE ROD AND WHEEL HUB WERE REPLACED, AND THE BRAKE DRUMS WERE RESURFACED. HOWEVER, THE FAILURES STILL PERSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000. THE VIN AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. IT WAS MADE KNOWN TO THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO CHILD LOCKS ON THE DOORS IN HIS VEHICLE. THROUGH RESEARCH, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE 2004, 2006, AND 2007 LACROSSE MODELS WERE EQUIPPED WITH CHILD RESTRAINT LOCKS. HE FELT THAT IT WAS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT HIS YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MANUFACTURER TO REACH A RESOLUTION. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH SOMEONE FROM THE SAFETY DIVISION OF THE MANUFACTURER, WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH HIM. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000. UPDATED 4/23/09 *CN UPDATED 04/27/09.*JB

I OWN A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE WITH 27,000 MILES. ANOTHER OWNER WITH SAME CAR WARNED ME TO WATCH OUT FOR STEERING PROBLEMS. I PAID LITTLE ATTENTION AND WITHIN ONE MONTH MY CAR'S STEERING WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY QUICKLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECT IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY STATED THERE WAS A TSA BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE WITH THE BUICK LACROSSE. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE CASUALLY DISCUSSING THIS WITH A NEIGHBOR SHE DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEM IN HER BUICK LACROSSE REPAIRED BY LOCAL BUICK DEALER. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, HEARING OF THIS PROBLEM FROM THREE SOURCES IN ONE MONTH I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS PERVASIVE AND HAS YET TO RESULT IN A TRAGEDY BECAUSE THE OWNERS TOOK PREVENTIVE MEASURES. I COULD FIND NOTHING ABOUT THIS INTERMEDIATE SHAFT DEFECT IN BUICKS 2005 OR NEWER IN MY RESEARCH, NO ACCIDENT REPORTS NOR RECALLS. THERE IS HOWEVER A DANGER HERE THAT IS NOT BEING DISCLOSED AND IS QUITE EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *TR

I OWN A 2005 BUICK CXL WITH ABOUT 38200 MILES. STARTING BACK IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH 2007, THE MESSAGE FROM THE DASH INDICATED THAT MY OIL LEVER WAS LOW. I ADDED 1 QUARTS OF OIL AND THOUGHT THAT MY LAST OIL CHANGE WASN?T COMPLETE. AFTER DRIVING MANY MORE MILES, THE OIL INDICATOR CAME ON AGAIN. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS ON APRIL 4, 2007 WITH 19,488. OIL DYE WAS ADDED TO TRACE A POSSIBLE LEAK. NO LEAK WAS VISIBLE WHEN I RETURNED AGAIN ON JUNE 13TH (21,126 MILES) WHEN THE OIL INDICATOR WENT ON AGAIN. THE DEALER FOUND MINOR SEEPAGE DUE TO THE LEFT REAR OF THE OIL PAN. THE BOLTS WERE TIGHTENED, CHANGED THE OIL AND THEY SENT ME ON MY WAY. ON JULY 23RD (23,102 MILES) THE OIL LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME THE DEALER SUGGESTED A CONSUMPTION TEST AND THAT I SHOULDN?T ADD ANY OIL. ON AUGUST 29TH (24,275 MILES) OIL WAS DOWN AGAIN. THEY ADDED 1 QUART OF OIL AND TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK AGAIN FOR A VALVE DETERMINATION. ON SEPTEMBER 4TH (24,637 MILES), THE DEALER NOTATED THAT THERE WAS OIL LOST AND FOUND BULLETIN FOR VALVE STEM SEALS. THEY WERE REPLACED. FINALLY, ON JANUARY 11, 2008 AND STILL LOOSING OIL, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT A BULLETIN SAYS THAT IT IS COMMON TO LOOSE 1 QUART OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. I TOLD THEM THAT ANSWER WASN'T ACCEPTABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A TSB REGARDING A CLUNKING NOISE (SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 4105, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10020049 (STEERING:COLUMN)). THE FAILURE OCCURS WHENEVER THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. THE TSB STATED THAT THE FAILURE CAN BE RESOLVED BY GREASING THE WHEEL AND WAS DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION OF THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THE FAILURE BEGAN AT 41,000 MILES IN 2007 WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE TSB; HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR AGAIN. CURRENTLY, AT 66,000 MILES, THE FAILURE IS RECURRING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CORRECTED THE FIRST TIME AND THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AGAIN SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONTACT BELIEVES A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED SINCE IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,000. UPDATED 01/08/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT HAS INADEQUATE LUBRICATION, WHICH CAUSE A CLUNKING NOISE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE NOISE HAS RETURNED. UPDATED 01/09/09. *JB