1998 Buick Lesabre

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAS A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD AND AFTER ABOUT 80,000 MILES IT FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE TO LOCK UP. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEN CALLED GENERAL MOTORS TO BE REIMBURSED BUT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR THE WORK DONE. CONSUMER NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN HE TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT STAR. SMELLED ANTIFREEZE. THEN, CONSUMER'S SON EXAMINED VEHICLE AND FOUND OUT IT WAS INTAKE MANIFOLD. *AK

MY WIFE DRIVES A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. SHE HAS A DISABILITY AND IS PACEMAKER-DEPENDENT. ON 5-17-2005 SHE WAS ENROUTE ON THE HIGHWAY TOWARD OUR TOWN IN THE BUICK WHEN IT STARTED RUNNING HOT. FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO OUR TOWN, WHERE SHE THEN PULLED OVER IN A WAL-MART PARKING LOT. HOWEVER, SHE BECAME VERY STRESSED OVER THE SITUATION BECAUSE THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE HAD GONE WELL INTO THE RED BUT SHE WAS AFRAID TO PULL OVER FOR FEAR OF BECOMING STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY. AS IT TURNS OUT, THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM IS A FAILED PLENUM, AN ISSUE WHICH OCCURS FREQUENTLY WITH THE GM 3800 ENGINE. I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WELL-KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER, THE NHTSA, AND MANY MECHANICS AND REPAIR SHOPS. THE SAFETY PROBLEM COMES FROM THE FACT THAT (AS FAR AS I AM AWARE) THERE HAVE BEEN NO WARNINGS ISSUED TO CONSUMERS WHO OWN A VEHICLE WITH THE GM 3800 SERIES II ENGINE. THE POTENTIAL FOR SITUATIONS TO OCCUR MUCH WORSE THAN OURS IS NOT ONLY LIKELY, BUT IT IS A GUARANTEED EVENT. MY ONLY RECOURSE AT THIS POINT IS TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA, A COMPLAINT WHICH I FEEL SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A SAFETY ISSUE. THESE ENGINE FAILURES ARE NOT JUST MERELY A 'CONSUMER MISFORTUNE', BUT WILL BECOME THE UNDERLYING CAUSE FOR INUMERABLE ROAD HAZARDS FOR THE CAR'S OWNERS AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS. THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO AN ENGINEERING DESIGN FLAW (MATERIALS USED) AND FUTURE SAFETY PROBLEMS (INCLUDING LOSS OF LIFE) CAN BE AVOIDED. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA.

VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER PULLED OVER. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CHEVROLET DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT WATER GOT INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND LOCKED IT UP. THEY REMOVED AND REPLACED THE(MANIFOLD) PLENUM WITH ALL NEW GASKETS, NEW OIL, ANTI FREEZE AND NEW SPARK PLUGS. *BF *NM

THE 3.8L GM ENGINES USED '95 - '98 FOR THE BUICK: RIVERA, LESABRE, PARK AVENUE, REGAL, CHEVY: LUMINA, MONTE CARLO, OLDSMOBILE: 98,88,INTRIGUE, PONTIAC: BONNEVILLE, GRAND PRIX HAVE A KNOWN DEFECT. SERVICE BULLETIN 01-06-01-007A COOLANT LEAK. IN DECEMBER 2004, MY PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED AND ALLOWED THE ENGINE COOLANT TO FILL THE CYLINDERS OF THE ENGINE WITH COOLANT. GM RESOLVED THE DEFECT WITH A DESIGN CHANGE IN 99. I FEEL THAT GM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. SECOND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AT 55 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT WARRANTS A RECALL. I CONTACTED GM; SERVICE RECORD NUMBER 1-293342957 THEY NEVER CALLED ME BACK AFTER A NUMBER OF MESSAGES (7) THEN DENIED THE CLAIM. *NM

1998 BUICK LESABRE. PLENUM GASKET ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILS AND ALLOWS COOLANT TO GET INTO ENGINE. THEN ENGINE DIES IN THE ROAD CAUSING PEOPLE TO SLAM ON BREAKS. NO WRECKS. THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM WITH LESABRE'S BUT BUICK HAS FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO PAY $1200 TO FIX CAR AND IT NOW PROBABLY HAS ENGINE DAMAGE. I WOULD LIKE BUICK TO COME FORWARD WITH THIS AND LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT. THIS HAS TO STOP! *NM

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 1998 BUICK LESABRE AND I PULLED OVER TO DISCOVER THAT THERE WAS LOW LEVELS OF COOLANT. IT HAD JUST BEEN CHECKED 2 MONTHS EARLIER AT AN OIL CHANGE AND THE WEEK BRFORE WHEN I GOT GAS. I ADDED COOLANT AND GOT BACK ON THE ROAD. AFTER 5 MILES THE CAR QUIT RUNNING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAD IT TOWED TO A BUICK DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED PLENUM THAT ALLOWED COOLANT TO FOUL THE PLUGS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PLENUM, FOULED PLUGS, COOLANT, AND OIL FOR $800.00 DOLLARS. *AK