1997 Buick Park Avenue

MY VEHICLE IS A 1997 BUICK PARK AVE WITH 140,000 MILES. I'M THE SECOND OWNER. MY IN-LAWS WERE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS. I GOT THE VEHICLE FROM THEM IN 1999 WITH APPROXIMATELY 9000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THEREFORE, I KNOW THE COMPLETE CAR CARE HISTORY OF THIS VEHICLE. YESTERDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2008 MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS CAR AND SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO LOST OF STEERING CAPABILITIES. NO ONE WAS INJURED NOR BODY DAMAGE DUE TO HER LOW SPEED WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE SPLIT INTO PIECES DUE TO RUST AND THIS CAUSED THE STEERING TO FAIL SINCE THE STEERING RACK IS MOUNTED TO THIS ENGINE CRADLE. THE RUST THROUGH OF THIS THE ENGINE CRADLE (OR ENGINE FRAME) WAS CONFIRMED BY THE REPAIR SHOP TODAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2008. THE REPAIR SHOP INDICATED THAT THE 1997 BUICK PARK AVE'S HAD A STEEL ENGINE CRADLE AND THAT THE MOISTURE AND SALT GETS CAUGHT WITHIN THIS BOX FRAME DUE TO IT'S POSITION DIRECTLY BEHIND THE WHEEL WELLS. THE REPAIR SHOP INDICATED THAT 1998 PARK AVE'S( AND AFTER) HAVE ALUMINUM ENGINE CRADLES BUT THAT THE 1998 PART WILL NOT FIT THE 1997 BUICK PARK AVE. THE ONLY REPAIR IS TO FIND ANOTHER USED ENGINE CRADLE FROM A 1997 BUICK PARK AVE WHICH COSTS APPROXIMATELY $400 TO $500 JUST FOR THE USED PART. THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS TO BUY A NEW ENGINE CRADLE FROM A GM DEALERSHIP FOR APPROXIMATELY $1200 TO $1400. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS ENGINE CRADLE IS A VERY CRITICAL PART OF THE FRAME OF THE CAR AND SHOULD NOT RUST THROUGH WITHIN 10 YEARS. ALL OF THE STEERING CONTROLS ARE MOUNTED TO THIS PART AND WHEN THIS ENGINE CRADLE FAILS ALL STEERING CAPABILITIES ARE LOST. PLEASE REVIEW THIS WEB SITE FOR THE SAME PART FAILURE BY OTHER 1997 BUICK PARK AVE OWNERS (HTTP://WWW.ALLWORLDAUTO.COM/COMMENTS/1997_BUICK_PARK_AVENUE_COMMENTS_AND_COMPLAINTS_C42-256-1997-312-1.HTML. *TR

I DROVE MY CAR OUT TO A RESTAURANT AND PARKED IT. WHEN I TRIED TO START IT TO GO HOME A COUPLE HOURS LATER, IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. I TRIED IT AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING AND THEN HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHERE HE DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS 'LIQUID LOCKED BECAUSE ANTIFREEZE HAD LEAKED INTO A CYLINDER AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PISTON TO MOVE UP. I AM LOOKING AT 2500 DOLLARS FOR REPAIRS AND A WEEK TO GET THE PARTS AND DO IT. THERE ARE TSB'S OUT ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND GM SHOULD SHOULDER THE COSTS FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE IT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE GASKET. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE ULTRA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE BLAZE AND PROVIDED A FIRE REPORT. THE POLICE ARRIVED, HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,998 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,998.

SEVERAL YEARS AGO THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT CEASED WORKING ON MY 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE. SINCE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, I PAID FOR A NEW SEATBELT ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLATION. THEN, ON AUGUST 6TH (TWO WEEKS AGO) 2007, THE DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT BECAME INOPERABLE(THE SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT), THEREFORE MAKING IT USELESS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ANOTHER VEHICLE UNTIL I CAN GET THIS REPAIR DONE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE. WHILE DRIVING 1 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD. HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE USING THE BRAKE PEDAL. HE NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER AND MECHANIC HAVE NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DUE TO CORROSION OF THE DRIVER SIDE REAR BRAKE LINE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 45,000.

1. !997 BUICK PK. AVE. FRAME RUST OUT WITH FAILURE OF RIGHT FRONT STEERING. LIFE THREATENING DEFECT IN ENGINE CRADLE. 2. ALL 4 ALERO COIL SPRINGS FRACTURED PUNCTURING L FRONT TIRE RISKING LIFE.3. FLOODED PASS. SIDE DUE TO DEFECTIVE FIREWALL BAFFLE ON INTRIGUE.4. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET DEFECTIVE 2 3.8 L. ENGINES REPAIRED PK. AVE. AND INTRIGUE. ALL DEFECTIVE PARTS - NO ADMISSION OR OFFER OF ASSISTANCE THRU GM COMPLAINT MECHANISM EVEN WITH BBB HELP. ALL KNOWN DEFECTS REPORTED ON LINE BY OTHERS. FRAME RUST OUT PUT UNUSUAL BUT CLEARLY DEFECTIVE RISKING MY LIFE - GM REFUSED TO VIEW PARTS. PUBLIC SAFETY AT RISK . PROFITS OVER SAFETY. NUMEROUS OTHER SMALL DEFECTS INSIDE AND OUT PK. AVE. FULLY DOCUMENTED. *JB

REPEATABLE, WHILE DRIVING MY 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE, THE ABS AND TRACTION-OFF WARNING-LIGHTS SUDDENLY COME ON TOGETHER AND STAY ON INDICATING LOSS OF ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON RESETS THE FUNCTIONS, BUT THEY WILL BECOME DISABLED AGAIN SOMETIME LATER WHILE DRIVING. THIS COULD HAPPEN, POSSIBLY FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR SOMEONE, IN AN EMERGENCY JUST BEFORE ONE OF THESE FUNCTIONS IS CALLED UPON TO AVOID A SEVERE ACCIDENT. THE FAILURE OCCURS ON SMOOTH ROADS WITHOUT REGARD TO SPEED. I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED. THE CAR MAY RUN FOR 200 MILES WITHOUT A PROBLEM, AND THEN AGAIN THE PROBLEM MAY OCCUR WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FEET FROM STARTING OUT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED AND THE ABS BRAKES CYCLED FOR NO REASON CAUSING A GRINDING SOUND TO APPEAR FROM THE TRANSMISSION. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING DETERMINING THERE WAS A DEFECT PERTAINING TO THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE AND TRACT CONTROL MODULE. INFORMATION WAS ALSO FOUND ONLINE REGARDING RECALLS THAT MATCHED VEHICLE'S SYMPTOMS. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE ALERTED WHO DETERMINED THAT THE VIN DID NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.