1997 Buick Lesabre

WHILE ACCELERATING UP TO SPEED FROM A STOP, ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE THUMP, THE STEERING WAS ERRATIC, THE CAR VIBRATED AND SHOOK. THE POWER STEERING WAS INOPERABLE. WE SLOWLY DROVE THE CAR HOME (2 MILES) AND UPON EXAMINATION, WE DISCOVERED THE ENGINE CRADLE FRAME WAS HANGING DOWN, ONLY A FEW INCHES FROM THE GROUND. THE ENGINE CRADLE MOUNTING WASHERS (2 ON EACH SIDE) HAD RUSTED THRU, ALLOWING THE REAR OF THE CRADLE TO DROP. I ALSO NOTICED THE RIGHT SIDE SWAY BAR WAS BROKEN OFF AT THE MOUNT ON THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. THE ENTIRE FRONT SUSPENSION AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES ARE FASTENED TO THIS CRADLE, SO THAT'S WHY THE STEERING BECAME ERRATIC - THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY SOLID ATTACHMENT TO THE CAR. AFTER CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE ATTACHMENT POINTS, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY AND STRUCTURAL DESIGN FLAW. THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC. WE WERE LUCKY THAT WE WERE ON A STRAIGHT ROAD AT A SLOW SPEED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I NOTICED THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE OF THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE. *TR

MY BOYFRIEND WAS DRIVING MY CAR. I WAS IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. WE HAD JUST PULLED AWAY FROM THE CURB AND WERE GOING ABOUT 20 MPH. FOR NO REASON, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. WE DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING, AND NOTHING HIT US. WE PULLED OVER AND GOT OUT. THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. I HAD PAIN IN MY ABDOMEN AND COULDN'T HEAR OUT OF MY RIGHT EAR. THE WINDSHIELD ON MY SIDE OF THE CAR(PASSENGER'S SIDE) WAS BROKEN FROM THE IMPACT. HE TOOK ME TO THE LOCAL ER TO BE CHECKED OUT AND I WAS EXAMINED AND RELEASED WITH CONTUSIONS OF RIGHT KNEE, ABDOMEN AND RIGHT EAR. IT WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE AND SCARED US BOTH VERY MUCH. I REPORTED THIS TO MY INSURANCE CARRIER THE NEXT MORNING. MY BOYFRIEND WAS NOT INJURED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LASABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED CAUSING THE OIL TO LEAK INTO THE RADIATOR. THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND BACKFIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED THERE WAS A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 96V116000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE IN A CONTINUOUS JERKING MOTION. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE RETAINER WASHER AND THE BODY MOUNT WAS DISENGAGED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, CAUSING THE ENGINE CRADLE TO COLLAPSE ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,000.

I HAVE NOT SEEN A FIRE YET BUT IT HAS BEEN SMOKING IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR SINCE 2010 WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR USED FOR 2800.00 AT JIMS TOWING SERVICE IN ELIZABETH NEW JERSEY AND EVERY TIME THE CAR BROKE DOWN WHETHER IT WAS ELECTRICAL OR WHAT HE HAD GOTTEN MAD AT ME FOR NOT BRINGING IT TO HIM AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE KEPT ON COMING ON AND COME TO FIND OUT LAST MONTH AND THE CAR COST ME 2000.00 DOLLARS TO FIX AND THE MONTH BEFORE THAT THE GARAGE I WENT TO NAVARRO'S HAD FIXED THE HORN BECAUSE THAT WAS GOING ON AND OFF AGAIN AND SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS FLICKER AND OTHER THINGS AND NOW THE SECURITY ALARM DOES NOT WORK AND YESTERDAY WHILE SHOPPING I ASKED MY DAUGHTER WHAT THAT SOUND WAS IT WAS MY HORN AGAIN SHORTING AND DISCONNECTED IT AGAIN IT HAS DONE THAT TOO MANY TIMES AND I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW CAR WITH 6 PEOPLE LIVING IN MY HOUSE AND IAM THE ONLY ONE WORKING RIGHT NOW AND DOES ANY MECHANIC KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING ANYMORE AND I NEED THE CAR TO GET BACK AND FORTH I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE AND WHEN I SAID THAT THE CAR COST ME 2000.00 TO FIX THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE BLOCK OF THE ENGINE AND FOR AWHILE NOW I HAVE MANUALLY DO THE LOCKS ON MY DOORS AND CANNOT REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE ELECTRIC SWITCH BECAUSE NO ONE HAS IT ANYMORE HELP DON'T NEED CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE AND IT HAS BEEN SMOKING ALOT LATELY WITH THE HORN CONNECTED IT IS NOT CONNECTED NOW. WHEN THE NEW INCIDENT HAPPENED IT WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT AND SECURITY OFFICER CAME. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LASABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, HE BEGAN TO TURN TO THE RIGHT, AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WASHERS, WHICH WERE BOLTED TO THE FRAME, WERE SEVERELY CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED TO COVER A PORTION OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED, BECAUSE THE CONTACT THOUGHT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD COVER ALL COSTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000. UPDATED 08/31/2011 *LN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY BACKFIRED AND WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND REFERENCED RECALL 96V116000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM) BUT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 146,874.

SEPTEMBER 15TH DRIVING MY 1997 BUICK LESABRE HEARD AND FELT A LOUD BANGING NOISE. LOST ALL STEERING. CAR TAKEN TO GARAGE WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR REAR SUBFRAME CRADLE MOUNT RETAINERS HAD FAILED. ENTIRE ENGINE AND CRADLE FELL DISENGAGING THE STEERING COMPLETELY. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF LESABRE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME THING OCCUR. GM DID A RECALL ON THE REGALS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. WAS THERE EVER A RECALL ON THE LESABRES AND IF NOT...WHY NOT. THIS IS AN OBVIOUSLY VERY SERIOUS DESIGN FAILURE WHICH IS POTENTIALLY FATAL. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED IN MY CASE OR THE LAWYERS WOULD BE HARD AT WORK. MY BUICK IS WELL CARED FOR...SERVICED AND INSPECTED REGULARLY AND THIS STILL OCCURRED. HAS ONLY 87,700 MILES ON IT. IT COST ME OVER $1000 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AND MAKE THE CAR SAFE TO DRIVE AGAIN. IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN GET GM TO STEP UP AND ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS? CAN NHTSA HELP? *TR