2011 Buick Lucerne

Fuel pump relay is overheating to dangerously high temperatures. At least 211 F degrees. Causes the fuel pump fuse to melt leaving me stranded. Immediate replacement of the 20 AMP fuse is necessary to get the car running again. The fuel pump relay gets really hot even if the AC is not on. Waited for hour and a half in near 100 F degree heat for a tow truck to it home. I’m lucky the car did not catch on fire. I know quite a few of the Buick Lucerne’s have had recalls regarding this item. Picture of the actual car is included. No police report was necessary as this was a breakdown situation. This has utterly disrupted my life because I do not have access to a car with good air conditioning until this problem is repaired.

THE CAR WOULD NOT START WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START IT TO GO TO WORK AND HAD TO BE TOWED IN FOR REPAIRS. THE FUEL PUMP WAS FOUND TO NEED TO BE REPLACED. ONE WEEK LATER THE CAR AGAIN WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED FOR REPAIRS. THE PROBLEM THIS TIME WAS THE REAR FUSE BOX THAT WAS SHORTED OUT DUE TO THE BRACKET RUBBING AGAINST IT, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL. A RECALL SEEMS TO BE INDICATED BECAUSE OF THIS.

ON MARCH 28TH, 2018 MY VEHICLE A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE WITH 162,554 MILES ON IT, WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER MAKING A TWENTY-MILE TRIP TO TAKE MY GRANDCHILDREN TO SCHOOL. I PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN FRONT OF MY MOTHER'S HOUSE TO VISIT, AND UPON MY ATTEMPT TO LEAVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS, STRANGE NOISES, OR SMELLS THAT WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THE FUSE BOX FAILURE, LEADING TO THE BOX MELTING. WHEN A BATTERY GOES BAD, IT SMELLS LIKE SPOILED EGGS, HOWEVER IN THE CASE OF MY VEHICLES FUSE BOX MELTING THERE WAS NO TOXIC SMELL(S), THAT IS A GOOD THING SINCE NO PASSENGERS SUFFERED FROM MELTING PLASTIC FUMES, I GUESS. I TOOK MY 2011 BUICK LUCERNE TO THE DEALER'S SHIP BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. UPON THE TECH DIAGNOSES THE FUSE RELAY HAD MELTED, AND THIS WAS ONE REASON THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT RECEIVING POWER TO SEND FUEL TO THE ENGINE. MY NEXT CONCERN IS THE PLACEMENT OF THESE COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE, THEY ARE LOCATED UNDER THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS. IF THE VOLTAGE, FUSE BOX MELTS AGAIN SOON, THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INTERNAL FIRE IS HIGHLY POSSIBLE AND THUS THE LOSS OF LIVES IS LIKELY. AFTER CONDUCTING MY OWN ONLINE SEARCH, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED IN THE PAST OR MINIMIZED IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE FOR THE CONSUMERS SAFETY CONCERNS REPORTED AT VARIOUS DEALERSHIPS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP RELAY HAD OVERHEATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.