1998 Buick Lesabre

THIS IS A ENGINE PROBLEM WITH WHAT I BELIEVE WAS A BAD PART DESIGN. THE PART IS FAILURE OF INTAKE PLENUM. THE EGR PIPE FROM THE ENGINE COMES THROUGH THE PLASTIC INTAKE. THERE IS A LOT OF HEAT GENERATED AT THIS POINT. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME A HOLE IS BURNED THROUGH THE INTAKE. THIS FLOODS THE ENGINE WITH COOLANT. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW. THE FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURED AT 59,000 MILES. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1100.00. I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS. THE REPONSE WAS . YES WE KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE K ENGINE BUT THE FACTORY HAS NOT CALLED FOR A RECALL. AT 113,577 MILES THE PROBLEM OCCURED AGAIN. I AGAIN HAD THE ENGINE REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1140.93. AGAIN I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS. I WAS TOLD THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS SENT OUT IN 1996. THIS STATED THAT IF A OWNER COMPLAINED OF A COOLENT LEAK AROUND THE INTAKE. NOT ONLY SHOULD THE PLASTIC INTAKE PLENUM BE REPLACE BUT ALSO THE ALUMINUM INTAKE SHOULD BE REPALCED BECAUSED THE FACTORY HAD REPLACED THE EGR PIPE WITH A SMALLER PIPE. THIS WOULD KEEP THE HEAT FROM BURNING A HOLE IN THE PLASTIC PLENUM. THE COST OF THIS REPAIR IS TO BE PAID BY THE OWNER. I CHECKED OUT THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND FOUND THE PROBLEM COVERED ALL GM 3800 SERIES ENGINES FORM 1995 - 1998 MY ENGINE VIN # IS 1G4HR52K3WH51080. I WAS TOLD BY THE GM SERVICE TECH. THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURED SO OFTEN THAT ANY OWNER OF A 3800 SERIES ENGINE AND THE NEW DESIGN INTAKE HAS NOT BEEN INSTALLED YOU ARE GUARANTEED THE ENGINE WILL FAIL. AGAIN I FEEL THIS WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM.

MY 1998 BUICK LESABRE STARTED TO SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE EARLIER IN THE DAY ON 4/27/04. THE CAR WAS PARKED FOR MOST OF THE DAY, QUICK TRIPS TO THE STORE AT MOST. WHEN I GOT HOME THAT NIGHT, THE CAR WAS SHACKING AND POURING EXHAUST VAPORS OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. IN THE MORNING ON APRIL 28T,. IT STARTED JUST FINE. SO, I DROVE IT TO MY MECHANIC. THE CAR RAN SMOOTHLY FOR ABOUT 200 YARDS, THEN IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE, UNTIL I WAS PRACTICLY COASTING WHEN I REACHED MY MECHANICS. AFTER THEY LOOKED INTO THE ISSUE, THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND HAD SPEWED WATER INTO MY ENGINE. THIS LEFT WATER IN MY OIL AND NO COOLANT. MY MECHANIC FLUSHED MY OIL, FLUSHED MY COOLANT, REPLACE THE MANIFOLD WITH THE FACTORY PART, AND REPLACED THE GASKET WITH THE FACTORY PART. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE AND THAT ALL OF THE 3.8L GM ENGINES HAD PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS. I THEN BEGAN TO RESEARCH ON LINE THIS ISSUE, AND APPARENTLY MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED BUICK 3 TIMES TRYING TO PLEAD MY CASE. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS CAR, BUT THE MODEL 2 YEARS PRIOR HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND THE PART WAS RECALLED. I HAVE FOUND A NOTICE THAT NHTSA IS TRYING TO HAVE THE REPLACING THE "DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS" REPLACE, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO CRACK. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V090000

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. PRIOR TO THIS, THERE WAS AN ANTI FREEZE ODOR WITHIN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE BY THE DEALERSHIP THEY NOTICED THAT THE UPPER AND THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED. *AK CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS DEFECT COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *PH

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. *AK THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT. THE KEY WAS TURNED TO START THE ENGINE WHEN THE BACKFIRE OCCURRED. THE SERVICE DEALER USED THE OLD PARTS THAT WERE DAMAGED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE FROM THE FIRE. (THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED INTO THE CYLINDER AND CAUSED IT TO LEAK) RECALL#04V090000 THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC *JB

WHILE PARKING, THE CONSUMER NOTICED COOLANT LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE INPUT MANIFOLD CRACKED/SPLIT AND THE ENGINE COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE. THE COOLANT RESERVOIR KEPT ON GOING DOWN BUT THE CONSUMER NEVER SAW ANY COOLANT ON THE DRIVEWAY OR IN THE OIL. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT GM COVER THE COST OF REPAIR. *SC *JB