1998 Buick Lesabre

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

DT: THE CONTACT TOOK H CAR TO DEALER FOR A RECALL 04V090000 REPAIRS ALMOST ONE YEAR AGO IN AUGUST, 2004. HE RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE IN JUNE, 2004, AND THE CAR WAS REPAIRED ON 9-28-04. THEY DAMAGED THE CAR ON THE OUTSIDE AND ALSO UNDER THE HOOD. THE REAR TAIL LIGHT WAS BROKEN AND THERE WAS A SCRATCH UNDER THE FRONT LEFT HEADLIGHT. THEY PUT RED TAPE OVER THE HEADLIGHT. THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AND THE CAR STALLED. THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED THE RECALL REPAIRS WITHIN ONE DAY. THE DEALER DENIED ANYTHING WRONG WAS DONE. THE RECALL WAS IN REGARD TO A FUEL REGULATOR. AS SOON AS THE CAR RETURNED TO THE CONTACT IT SHUT OFF. RECENTLY, THE ACCELERATOR STUCK, AND THE CONTACT SMELLED A FUEL/EXHAUST ODOR THAT WAS VERY STRONG. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON N. . HE TALKED TO GM ON 11-12-04, AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THEY HAD NOTIFIED THE DEALER ABOUT THE DAMAGE, AND FOR HIM TO TAKE THE CAR TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. WHEN HE TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER THE DEALER WAS MAD AND REFUSED TO FIX THE CAR. *AK

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

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THAT FUEL SUPPLY LINE RUSTED AND GASOLINE WAS LEAKING . THE CONTACT SMELLED GASOLINE FOR AT LEAST THREE WEEKS, BUT SHE PUT DOWN A PIECE OF CARDBOARD UNDER THE CAR AND SHE PICKED IT UP AND SMELLED IT. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE FUEL SERVER AND THAT THE WIRES WERE RUSTED. THE PART TO FIX THE VEHICLE WAS THE FUEL SERVER LOCATED INSIDE THE GASOLINE TANK.*AK

DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 60-75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THERE WERE NO POTHOLES OR BUMPS IN THE ROAD THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIR BAGS TO ENGAGE. AFTER THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH BROWN SMOKE AND FIRE WAS COMING OUT OF BOTH AIR BAGS. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED THE DRIVER PUT OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG FLAME. THE DRIVER SIDE FLAME WENT OUT BY ITSELF. THERE WERE ONLY ONE INJURY. THE PASSENGER SUFFERED BRUISING TO THE LOWER PART OF THE STOMACH AND THE THIGHS. THERE WERE NO MARKS LEFT ON THE VEHICLE. DRIVER PUT THE AIR BAG BACK IN THE DRIVER AIR BAG COMPARTMENT AND DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE ONLY THING BURNT WAS THE AIR BAGS AND THAT WAS THE ONLY DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. MANUFACTURER SENT OUT AN INSPECTOR TO CHECK OUT THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND TAKE PICTURES. THE MANUFACTURER THEN REFERRED THE CONSUMER TO INSURANCE CARRIER. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT GM SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE AIR BAGS. CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW WHY THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE BURNING. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT FILED. CONSUMER HAS NO MAILING ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER FOR THE DEALERSHIP.*AK

DT: THE CONSUMER SMELLED GAS IN VEHICLE FOR QUITE SOME TIME BUT ALWAYS DISREGARDED AS ANOTHER PASSING VEHICLE OR SOMETHING ELSE. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THERE WAS GASOLINE NEAR THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ALONG THE RIGHT REAR TIRE AND MUFFLER. THE CONSUMER DROVE HOME AND CHECKED TO SEE IF IT WAS LEAKING AGAIN, THERE WAS NO LEAK AT FIRST. LATER, WITHIN 20 MINUTES, 2 PUDDLES FORMED FROM THE GAS LEAK. TOOK NAPKIN AND WIPED, UNDERNEATH NEAR FUEL LINES BUT DID NOT FIND ANY MOISTURE. WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE AS TO WHERE THE LEAK ORIGINATED FROM. CALLED A LOCAL DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM, WHO SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET IT IN THE SHOP RIGHT AWAY, BUT DID SAY IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH LEAK. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER, WHO CHECKED VEHICLE, AND REPLACED A FUEL SENDING UNIT, FUEL TANK, AND FUEL LINE. NO LEAKS SINCE THE REPAIRS. THEY INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE GAS LINES RUSTED AND CAUSED THE LEAK. *AK

ON SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2005 I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF GAS UNDER THE REAR-RIGHT SIDE OF MY 1998 BUICK LESABRE. ON MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2005 I TOOK THE CAR TO THE VYLETEL BUICK DEALER IN STERLING HEIGHTS. THEY EXAMINED THE CAR AND INFORMED ME THAT THE LEAK(S) WERE COMING FROM CRACKS IN THE FLEXIBLE FUEL LINES AND THESE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY EXPLANATION FOR WHAT CAUSED THE CRACKS IN THESE LINES. THE DEALER ALSO INDICATED THAT THE SENDING UNIT IN THE TANK WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED SINCE IT'S HARD LINES WERE EXCESSIVELY RUSTED AND CORRODED AND THE NEW FLEXIBLE LINES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SECURED. THEY ALSO SAID THAT SINCE THIS IS ALL BEING DONE, THE FUEL PUMP SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD, AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN ONLY 75, 600 MILES UNDER "NORMAL" CITY DRIVING CONDITIONS - NO INCIDENTS OF ANY DAMAGE ANYWHERE ON THE CAR -INCLUDING THE UNDERCARRIAGE. SO, IT IS COMPLETLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR THIS CAR TO HAVE CRACKED FUEL LINES - AND ALL OF THE OTHER RELATED PROBLEMS. THIS IS A SAFTY ISSUE! THE FUEL LEAK WAS EXCESSIVE AND HAD I NOT NOTICED IT, THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF A FIRE/EXPLOSION OCCURING. I SPOKE WITH A BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE CAR AT THEIR COST SINCE THE CAR WAS BEYOND WARRANTLY AND THIS WAS NOT A RECALL ISSUE. I RELUCTANTLY AUTHORIZED TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE SO THAT I COULD HAVE MY CAR BACK. THE TOTAL COST TO ME WAS $892.34. SINCE THE SAME TYPE OF PARTS (FLEXIBLE FULE LINES, SENDING UNIT, FUEL PUMP) HAVE BEEN USED, I DO NOT FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING THIS SITUATION.