1999 Buick Lesabre

MY SPOUSE WAS DRIVING HER 1999 BUICK LESABRE EAST ON INTERSTATE I-10 FROM SLIDELL, LA TO GULFPORT, MS WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE LOST IT'S TREAD. THIS CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHICH VEERED LEFT INTO THE CENTRAL MEDIAN; MADE TWO 360 DEGREE SPINS ON THE GRASS; AND MOVED OFF THE MEDIAN AND BACK ACROSS TWO LANES OF THE HIGHWAY TO STOP ON THE RIGHT SIDE BANK OF THE ROAD. ALTHOUGH THE TIRE WAS PARTIALLY INFLATED, THE ENTIRE TREAD WAS GONE. THE DAMAGE TO THE AUTO INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING; TORN REAR BUMPER, METAL DAMAGE TO INNER WHEEL WELL; WHEEL WELL LINING TORN OUT; WELL ARCH STEEL TRIM PIECE RIPPED OFF; AND PAINT REMOVED FROM REAR FENDER AND READ DOOR PANELS. MY SPOUSE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO SHOULDER AND BACK MUSCLES. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MILES PER HOUR, THE CONTACT'S CHECK ENGINE AND OIL WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON, AT WHICH POINT, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE CONTACT'S CURRENT MILEAGE IS 37,000 MILES. PER THE CONTACT THE NHTSA WEBSITE SITED THE INCIDENT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. PER THE MECHANIC, THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FLOODING THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL COMPONENTS WERE DAMAGED INCLUDING THE STARTER, SPARK PLUGS, AND A GASKET. THE CONTACT CALLED GENERAL MOTORS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED IN 2004. *NM

THE CAR WOULD OCCASIONALLY SMELL LIKE GAS DURING ACCELERATION. IT ALSO SKIPPED FREQUENTLY WHEN GOING UP HILL. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN THE CAR STALLED. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ERUPTED IN FLAMES. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE FIRE THAT WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL SYSTEM RECALL IN SEPT. 2004. I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A GM DEALER IN OCT. 2004 AND NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE NOR WAS I MADE AWARE THAT THERE WAS SUCH A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON AND THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD THUD. THE HOOD WAS LIFTED AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS OFF. A PASSERBY DETERMINED THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD SHEERED OFF, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO FALL OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE; IT HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 4/19/2006 - *NM

1998 LESABRE STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *TS THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD AND DAMAGED PLENUM. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE MECHANIC FORGOT TO RECONNECT THE ALTERNATOR. THE DEALER STATED ANOTHER REASON WHY THE VEHICLE STALLED ON ONE OF SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WAS BECAUSE A CRANKSHAFT SENSOR HAD FAILED, BUT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS PROBLEMS, HOWEVER LATER THAT DAY THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE SERPENTINE BELT FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE POWER STEERING. *JB

I HAVE A 1999 BUICK THAT SINCE I PERCHACED IT A FILM HAS BEEN BUILDING UP ON THE INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHTS. I WHENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS. THEN I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER GM PRODUCTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS FILM HAS EFFECTED THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE HEADLIGHTS. *NM

1999 BUICK LESABRE V6 3.8L ENGINE, 82,000 MI. HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING SOME SURGING, NO OTHER SYMPTOMS. 8/05 DROVE HOME, PARKED CAR, WENT OUT NEXT MORNING AND AUTO WOULD NOT START. TOWED TO DEALER SERVICE DEPT. WHO FOUND "WATER IN CYLINDERS". USED "STOP LEAK" AS TEMPORARY REPAIR. 11/05 ENGINE AGAIN LOCKED, UNABLE TO START. WATER IN CYLINDERS, WATER IN OIL. CONTACTED BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO SUGGESTED ENGINE REPLACEMENT OR PURCHASE OF NEW VEHICLE. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED ME OF "CLASS ACTION" SUIT DUE TO FAULTY MANIFOLD INTAKE AND OTHER ENGINE DEFECTS. HAVE CONTACTED ATTORNEY HANDLING THE SUIT. SUIT INVOLVES "K" SERIES 3.8L ENGINES, VARIOUS MODELS AND YEARS. FOR NOW, I NEED A NEW ENGINE. AS REALTOR AND MORTGAGE LENDER, I WORK THROUGH MY CAR! *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL IT HESITATED. ALSO, REAR SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN. THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WILL NOT GO ALL THE WAY UP AND IT WILL NOT SEAL. ALSO ,THE HEADLIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE DEALERSHIP REPROGRAMMED THE LIGHT AND IT CAME BACK ON. THE MANIFOLD INTAKE BLEW OUT, COSTING THE CONTACT $150 TO REPLACE THE INTAKE GASKETS. THE BRAKES WERE NOISY ALL THE TIME. WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN THE FLAP WILL RUB THE TIRE, AND IT CAUSED THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT .*AK

DT: CONSUMER OWNS A 1999 BUICK LESABRE AND WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE LINES SUDDENLY CRACKED. THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AFTERWARDS. WHEN TRYING TO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND THE BRAKES WERE BARELY RESPONDING JUST ENOUGH TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONSUMER HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND LOW GEAR TO STOP. CONSUMER WOULD TRY TO PUMP BRAKES AND THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO GO TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER STOPPED, INSPECTED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, AND DISCOVERED THE BRAKE FLUID WAS VERY LOW. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS LEAKS FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. THE LEAK FROM THE BRAKE LINES WAS LATER DISCOVERED AT HOME UPON FURTHER INSPECTION. CONSUMER INSPECTED THE BRAKE LINES AND NOTED THERE WAS RUST AT THE AREA OF THE ABS UNIT AND ALONG THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR AS WELL. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR MADE ANY REPAIRS AT THIS TIME. *AK