2003 Buick Lesabre

2003 BUICK LESABRE. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE INTAKE GASKET DEVELOPED A LEAK, WHICH ALLOWED COOLANT TO GET INTO THE OIL. THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT 46,333 MILES AND THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT 71,193 MILES. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS ALLEGED TO BE AN INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE GM DEX-COOL COOLANT WHICH WAS INTRODUCED IN 1995 AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET MATERIAL WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND/OR SEIZE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING AT LEAST 60 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND A LOCAL INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT NO FAILURE CODES WOULD GENERATE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE IGNITION KEY BUT IT DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERNS THAT THE VEHICLE STALLING IN TRAFFIC COULD CAUSE A MAJOR CRASH AND DID NOT FEEL SAFE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

OCCASIONALLY SMELLED ANTI-FREEZE AFTER CAREFUL INSPECTION COULD NOT DETERMINE WHERE LEAK WAS. HAD TO ADD ANTI-FREEZE ON TWO OCCASIONS. TOOK CAR TO GM DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD OF THE PROBLEM. HE SHOWED ME THE LEAK AND ADVISED I SHOULD GET IT REPAIRED ASAP. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST AT THIS POINT IS IN EXCESS OF $1,000. IT WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT IF NOT REPAIRED THIS COULD RESULT IN ANTIFREEZE IN THE OIL WHICH WOULD RUIN THE MOTOR. THIS PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE GASKET THEY USED, WHICH IS PLASTIC AND HAS SINCE BEEN CHANGED. *JB

I HELPED MY 78 YEAR OLD MOTHER PURCHASE A 2003 BUICK LESABRE IN EARLY JAN. 2006. WHEN I TEST DROVE CAR I NOTICED COOLANT WAS LOW AND MENTIONED TO SALESPERSON. DEALER REPLACED LEAKING PLENUM GASKET BUT DID NOT REPORT TO ME. LESS THAN 300 MILES LATER THE CAR WAS SEVERELY LOSING COOLANT AGAIN. DEALER SAID UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD (PLENUM) WAS WARPED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PROBLEM IS THAT THE ONLY PLENUM GM MAKES FOR THIS ENGINE IS DEFECTIVE AND WILL LIKELY WARP AGAIN, POSSIBLY DESTROYING ENGINE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OWNERS OF GM VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS ENGINE. ALL REPAIRS ON MY MOTHER'S CAR HAVE SO FAR BEEN UNDER WARRANTY BUT WARRANTY WILL SOON RUN OUT. WARRANTY IS SUPPOSED TO COVER ANY DEFECTS IN MANUFACTURING. PLENUM IS DEFECTIVE AND THE ONLY GM AUTHORIZED REPAIR IS WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PLENUM. THIS IS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX. I SPOKE WITH A FORMER GM MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THAT HE SEES THIS PROBLEM ALL THE TIME AND THAT GM KNOWS ABOUT IT. PLASTIC IS NOT A SUITABLE MATERIAL FOR THE PLENUM, AS IT WARPS DUE TO ENGINE HEAT. A RECALL IS ONLY WAY TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. THIS ENGINE IS USED IN MANY VEHICLES (BUICKS AND OTHER MODELS) THAT ARE POPULAR WITH THE ELDERLY. IT IS UNCONSCIOUSNESS THAT GM KNOWINGLY ALLOWS THE ELDERLY TO DRIVE CARS THAT WILL LIKELY LEAVE THEM STRANDED. *JB