1995 Buick Park Avenue

MAKE: BUICK MODEL: PARK AVENUE YEAR: 1995 AT START UP, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. IF THIS CAR WAS PARKED NEXT TO A HOME OR IN A GARAGE THIS WOULD HAVE DRASTIC CONSEQUENCES. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS IMMEDIATELY CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE, WHICH GOT PRETTY LARGE. HOME DID SUSTAIN EXTERIOR SMOKE DAMAGE. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, IN A HARD RAIN, ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE DRIVER SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS SAFELY MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT WAS TREATED FOR MINOR ABRASIONS TO THE FACE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAS FAILED TO START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND WHEN THE IGNITION WAS ENGAGED. WHILE SLOWING TO A STOP, WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH POWER TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THERE WERE OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE HEADLIGHTS TURNING THEMSELVES ON WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A SHADED OR DARK AREA. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED GOING ON AND OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. INSPECTIONS WERE MADE BY THE SERVICE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, RESULTING IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FOLLOWING PARTS: BATTERY (2 TIMES), BATTERY CABLES, SERPENTINE BELT, FUEL PUMP AND THE WATER PUMP.

AUG4,2004: :15AM ON MY WAY TO WORK FOR AN EARLY START I WAS 2 MINUTES INTO MY DRIVE. I NOTICED A SLIGHT LOSS OF ASSIST FROM THE POWER STEERING. THE SYMTOMS WERE TYPICAL OF A SLIPPING BELT OR LOW POWER STEERING FLUID. FROM THE STOP AT THE CORNER OF HILLSIDE AND HWY60 I PROCEEDED TO TURN RIGHT, BUT AS I STRAIGHTENED THE WHEEL ENTERING THE RIGHT LANE THE STEERING WENT TIGHT WITH A CLUNK AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS FREEWHEELING. BEFORE I COULD STOP I FOUND MYSELF IN THE LEFT LANE STARING DOWN A SEMI COMING DOWN THE HILL. FORTUNATELY HE WAS ALERT AND HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO STOP. I TALKED TO THE DRIVER AND SUGGESTED BACKING MY CAR UP TO THE SHOULDER ON THE RIGHT SIDE (NORTH) OF THE ROAD. THE ANGLE OF THE TIRES IF THEY HELD CURRENT POSITION WOULD PLACE ME ON THE SHOULDER JUST EAST OF HILLSIDE. THE SEMI BLOCKED ALL TRAFFIC FROM THE WEST AND WHEN THE EAST TRAFFIC CLEARED I PROCEEDED. I WENT ABOUT TEN FEET AND THEN THE TIRES TURNED AND I WAS SITTING 90DEGREE TO THE ROAD BLOCKING THE LEFT LANE. AT THIS POINT ALL I COULD DO WAS DIRECT TRAFFIC AROUND MY CAR. WITH THE HELP OF TWO GOOD GENTLEMEN WE DIRECTED TRAFFIC UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. IN THE PAST I HAVE HAD VEHICLES WITH WORN PARTS. TIE ROD ENDS, UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS, OR IDLER ARM. FAILURE IS INCREMENTAL OVER DAYS OR WEEKS. SYMPTOMS OF SHUTTERING OR PULLING INDICATE THE CAR NEEDS SERVICING SOON. NEVER HAS ANY COMPONENT JUST FAILED WITH A LOSS STEERING. THIS TIME WAS DIFFERENT; THE FAILURE WAS CATASTROPHIC. AN INSTANT LOSS OF STEERING AS THE WHOLE CRADLE DROPPED. FURTHERMORE THIS PROBLEM IS NOT NEW OR UNHEARD OF. THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE INDICATES A RECALL TO CARS OF SIMILAR DESIGN AS FAR BACK AS 1988. C:\WINNT2\PROFILES\GFENSKE\DESKTOP\ITS NOT HOT IN DEATH VALLEY AND IT DOESNT SNOW HARD IN BUFFALO.HTM RECALL # 00V-189,NUMBER CARS RECALLED 713,435 FRONT ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS PULL THROUGH CORRODED RETAINERS & STEERING SHAFT SEPARATES.*AK

I'M FILING THIS REPORT AFTER READING NHTSA ACTION # EA02030, RECALL CAMPAIGN # 03V473000. I HAD A 1995 BUICK PARK AVENUE WITH THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. ON MARCH 9TH 2004 THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED AROUND THE EGR VALVE. THIS CAUSED COOLANT TO BE SUCKED DOWN INTO THE ENGINE REULTING IN IRREVERSABLE ENGINE DAMAGE. I HAD JUST HAD $1000.00 OF WORK DONE TO THE CAR LESS THAN A MONTH EARLIER. I HAD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED AND THE ENGINE FLUSHED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS MIGHT NOT WORK 2 WEEKS AFTER THAT THE ENGINE BEARING SPUN. DUE TO THE AGE, MILAGE AND NEED OF A DEPENDABLE CAR ( I COMMUTE IN EXCESS OF 100 MILES PER DAY ) I ENDED UP SELLING IT FOR PARTS. *AK