1998 Buick Lesabre

I WAS DRIVING INTO DRIVE WAY AND HEARD A LOUD THUD THEN NOTICED MY STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTER. I PUT THE CAR UP ON RAMPS AND ALL FOUR REAR SUB FRAME BUSHINGS WHERE MISSING. THIS COMPONENT HOLDS THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND STEERING TO THE CAR.!!!! BEING A TECHNICIAN ,I LOOKED ON LINE TO SEE IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND FOUND IT IS VERY COMMON . IF I HAD CONTINUED TO DRIVE I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. THANKFULLY I WAS DOING 10 MPH MANY ON LINE COMPLAINTS TALK ABOUT PEOPLE LOOSING CONTROL. OR THE FRONT END DROPPING FENDERS ON TO TIRES. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY. ISSUE AND I HAVE FOUND IT SPANS 1992 TO 1999. GM MODELS. THIS IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS THE IGNITION PROBLEM POSSIBLY WORSE SINCE THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE IT HAPPENS. IF YOU CHECK ONLY AT WWW.CARGURUS.COM THEY HAVE A SECTION TITLED { CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE 92-99 BUICK } PLEASE LOOK AND DO SOMETHING BEFORE. SOMEONE IS HURT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CROSSARM AND FOUR CRADLE BOLTS AND BUSHINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED YET THEY DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO A ROW OF HEDGES. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES. IN JUNE 2010, THE CONTACT NOTICED ABNORMAL FRONT END NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STABILIZER BAR BUSHINGS HAD FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE BUSHINGS UNDER THE CRADLE WERE EXTREMELY RUSTED. THE BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED IN BOTH AREAS. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 119,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

DT: THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET AND THE REAR BALL JOINTS BROKE IN HALF. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A ROLL BACK AND TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BALL JOINT ON THE REAR LEFT BACK. THERE WAS NO FORE-WARNING AND NO NOISE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. ALSO THE POWER STEERING BOLTS BROKE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO DROP OFF THE ENGINE BLOCK AND FALL DOWN ONTO THE FRAME MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. *AK (11/10/05) THE POWER STEERING BOLTS BROKE ON TWO OCCASIONS ALLOWING THE PUMP TO FALL DOWN ON THE FRAME. THE SHAFT OF THE BALL JOINT SNAPPED ALLOWING THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TO SHIFT REARWARD. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM DROPPED DOWN ALLOWING THE FREE END TO LOCK THE WHEEL. *SC

WAS RETURNING FROM CHARLESTON, SC TO COLUMBIA, SC SUNDAY 7/28/02 ABOUT 7:00 PM AFTER A HOT DAY ON INTERSTATE 26. AFTER ABOUT AN HOURS TRAVELLING TIME, IN WHICH THE CAR FELT OUT OF ALIGNMENT OR TIRES OUT OF BALANCE DUE TO BAD ROADS IN CHARLESTON, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, THE CAR PULLED OR FISHTAILED IN HEAVY BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. I COMPENSATED STEERING AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. THE OTHER VEHICLES SURROUNDING ME MOVED AND/OR SLOWED TO GIVE A WIDE BERTH. I HAD THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS AN AXLE OR CV JOINT HAD BROKEN, BUT UPON WALKING AND LOOKING AROUND THE CAR I FOUND ALL TIRES FULLY INFLATED, BUT THEN NOTICED THAT THE REAR TIRE BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAD ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF IT'S TREAD LAYER MISSING AND BARE STEEL WIRES WERE EXPOSED. I WENT ONLINE AND LOOKED UP GENERAL TIRES, READ ABOUT STRESS CRACKS APPEARING WHERE THE TREADS MET THE SIDEWALLS, THEN INSPECT THE ONLY OTHER GENERAL TIRE LEFT ON THE VEHICLE- IT HAD CONTINUOUS SMALL CRACKS THERE. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO WOULD ONLY PARTICIPATE PARTICALLY IN THE TIRE REPLACEMENT COST IF I USED THEIR TIRES AGAIN- I REFUSED THEIR BRANDS AND BOUGHT GOODYEARS INSTEAD. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE LIVED THROUGH THE TREAD COMING OFF, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT ANYONE ELSE THAT MAY HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR WOULD HAVE!*AK