2008 Buick Lacrosse

SOMETIMES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE CAR DOES NOT COME TO A SMOOTH STOP, BUT RATHER JERKS AHEAD AND TAKES A VERY LONG DISTANCE TO STOP. THIS OCCURS OFTEN ON SNOW COVERED ROADS BUT ALSO OCCURS ON DRY ROADS. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A SMALL ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT STOP IN TIME. THE MESSAGE TO CHECK THE ABS OFTEN SHOWS. I HAVE JUST HAD A NEW BRAKE JOB WITH NEW ROUTERS BUT STILL GET THE MESSAGE TO CHECK AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND IT SEEMS THAT NOTHING WILL FIX IT. EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS A 2008, IT ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 80,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED BOTH ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. (SINCE THE PROBLEM IS ON-GOING, SOME OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS DO NOT APPLY. HOWEVER SINCE THE FIELDS ARE REQUIRED, I WILL HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING DOWN.)

THE BRAKES LOCKED UP IN TWO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS WHERE I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. I HAD THE CAR'S BRAKING SYSTEM CHECKED AFTER THE FIRST TIME. I WAS TOLD THE BRAKING SYSTEM LOOKED FINE. THE FIRST INCIDENT I WAS ON THE FREEWAY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. THE SECOND TIME I WAS ON A BRIDGE OVER A HIGHWAY MAKING A LEFT TURN AND WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 10 MPH. BOTH TIMES TRAFFIC STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND ALL FOUR WHEELS LOCKED UP AND I SLID INTO THE CARS IN FRONT OF MINE. I HAD NO ABS LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD AND NO INDICATION MY BRAKES WERE IN DISTRESS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE POLE, GAS METER, AND TREE; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV. THE CONTACT HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE DRIVER RECEIVED FACIAL AND HAND INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED STOMACH INJURIES. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED FOR THE PASSENGER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,696.

THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED YESTERDAY MORNING. THE BRAKE JAMMED WHEN I TRIED TO STOP AT THE RED LIGHT. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE SECOND TIME, IT WAS STILL JAMMED SO I CRASHED MY CAR TO THE CAR IN FRONT. LUCKILY, NOBODY WAS HURT. IT WAS RAINING BUT THE CAR WAS JUST SERVICED BY A BUICK DEALER LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO. THIS HAPPENED A YEAR AGO AND FORTUNATELY, THE CAR STOPPED JUST IN TIME THAT TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG, ABS, AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO TURN ON UNLESS THE KEYS WERE JIGGLE IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE DRIVER ENGAGED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL EMITTED A LOUD METAL NOISE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE BRAKE PADS, BRAKE DRUMS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

THIS CAR IS A LACROSSE SUPER WITH A 5.3 LITER SUPER CHARGED ENGINE. IN THE PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL PRODUCED FOR THE CAR IT INDICATES THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH LARGER BRAKES BECAUSE OF THE POWER OF THE CAR. IN 2013 I WENT TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES ON THE CAR AND PURCHASED THE PADS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.3 SUPER CHARGED ENGINE. WHEN I WENT TO INSTALL THEM THEY WERE TO LARGE FOR THE CALIPERS AND NOTICEABLY LARGER THAN THE ONES ON THE CAR. UPON RETURNING THE PARTS STORE AND LENGTHY SEARCHING IT WAS DETERMINED THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE CAR IS THAT OF THE 2008 LUCERNE WITH 275-HP 4.6-LITER V-8. THE LACROSSE WITH A 5.3-LITER, 300-HP SUPER CHARGED V8. GM TO DATE HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE WHICH UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD BE A DANGER. *TR

I TURNED RIGHT ONTO A VERY STEEPLY GRADED RURAL ROAD. THE ROAD HAS 3 SERVICE RAMPS TO A MAJOR HIGHWAY, RT 28N. IT ALSO HAS 1 ROAD THAT ALLOWS A R/L ACCESS TO BURTON AND A CROSS TRAFFIC ACCESS TO 28N. I HAD JUST STARTED THE DESCENT DOWN BURTON WHEN I NOTICED THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I APPLIED THE BRAKE TWICE TO REDUCE SPEED; IT WAS NON-RESPONSIVE. THE CAR CONTINUE TO SPEED DOWN THE HILL FOR APPROXIMATELY 3/4 MILE. THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN ABOUT 1/2 MILE BEYOND THE ACCESS ROAD TO 28 N. WHEN I TRIED TO PULL OVER TO A GRAVEL/WEED "SHOULDER" I FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS ALSO OUT. I COULD NOT PULL COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD, THUS CREATING A DANGER TO ANY CAR ON BURTON ROAD. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE CAR WAS TOTALLY INOPERABLE. IT HAD TO BE TOWED 20 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP LATE AT NIGHT. THE CAR HAD JUST PASSED THE 50K MILE BUICK INSPECTION. ON THREE PRIOR OCCASIONS, THOUGH, THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH A WINDOW MALFUNCTION, AND TWO DOORS LATCHES ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE SERVICE REPORT STATES THAT THE ENTIRE IGNITION COIL AND MODULE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE IGNITION MODULE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SAME ASSEMBLY DESIGN WAS USED IN THE BUICK LESABRE, THE CHEVY IMPALA, AND ONE OTHER BUICK MODEL. BUICK APOLOGIZED FOR THE FAILURE OF THESE COMPONENTS AND FOR PUTTING ME AND MY PASSENGERS INTO WHAT WAS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF BAIERL CHEVROLET (A QUALITY DEALERSHIP AND SERVICE ORGANIZATION) THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH OTHER OWNERS, BUT NONE HAD BEEN IN THE SITUATION I WAS IN. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS BECAUSE I FOUND NO INDICATIONS ON THE BUICK WEBSITE THAT SUCH FAILURES WERE POSSIBLE. HAVING LOST TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR AND ITS DESIGN, THAT I TRADED IT IN FOR ANOTHER CAR AND TOOK ON EXPENSES THAT I HAD NOT BUDGETED FOR. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD FRICTION SOUND AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE FRONT BRAKE HUB SPEED SENSOR, THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WIRING CONNECTOR TERMINAL WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED A BLINDING SPOT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,500. UPDATED 11/9/2012 *JS