1997 Buick Park Avenue

THE "CRADLE" OF THE FRAME OF OUR 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE FAILED BY RUSTING THROUGH. I'VE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND IT HAS BEEN WALLOWING ALL OVER THE ROAD, HOPPING SIDEWAYS WHEN I HIT BUMPS, PULLING TO THE LEFT WHEN I BRAKED AND ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES STARTED SQUEALING WHEN I WENT AROUND A CORNER. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONVINCE MY HUSBAND THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS WITH IT AND PERHAPS IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. HE FINALLY DROVE IT YESTERDAY, REALIZED THERE WAS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG, AND DISCOVERED THE PART OF THE FRAME WHERE THE ENGINE RESTS, AND WHERE THE WHEELS ARE ATTACHED, WAS RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH AT A SPOT WELD NEAR WHERE THE TIE ROD IS BOLTED ON. IT'S ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT IT DIDN'T COMPLETELY FAIL AND RESULT IN A INJURIOUS ACCIDENT, OR PERHAPS EVEN DEATH. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED WHEN I PLAY BACK IN MY HEAD, DRIVING ON I-696 IN THE RAIN, IN DETROIT, AT NIGHT, WITH MY FRIENDS COMING HOME FROM A NIGHT AT THE FOX THEATRE, OR WHEN MY SONS AND I WENT OUT FOR MY BIRTHDAY. WOULD I BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR IF THE FRONT WHEEL FELL OFF AT 70 MPH? MY BROTHER WORKS FOR JEFFERY BUICK-NISSAN IN ROSEVILLE, MI. I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT IT THIS MORNING. HE SAYS THE FRAME SHOULD NOT HAVE RUSTED THROUGH IN A NINE YEAR OLD CAR. IN FACT, HE SAID THERE WAS ANOTHER 1997 BPA IN HIS SHOP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT A CAR FRAME RUSTING THROUGH, EVER. IN ANY CAR. IT STANDS TO REASON THAT IF THERE ARE TWO 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE. I REALIZE THE CAR IS NINE YEARS OLD, BUT SURELY, SOMETHING AS FUNDAMENTAL AS A CAR FRAME CAN BE EXPECTED TO LAST LONGER THAN NINE YEARS. I BELIEVE IT WAS A MANUFACTURING FLAW AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPAIR IT. SINCE THIS JUST HAPPENED YESTERDAY, I'VE MADE NO ATTEMPT TO REPAIR IT YET. MY BROTHER WILL LOOK AT IT FIRST AND DIRECT ME. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE. I'M STRANDED. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL 00V117000 CONCERNING THE SEAT BELTS. THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED BY THE DEALER IN 2002. BUT THE DEALER ONLY CORRECTED ONE OF THE FRONT SEAT BELTS. THE DEALER FAILED TO INFORM THE CONSUMER THAT ONLY ONE OF SEAT BELTS WAS REPAIRED. IN OCTOBER 2005 BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS FAILED. THE DRIVER SEAT BELT BEGAN TO RETRACT INTERMITTENTLY AND THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHO REFUSED TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIRS UNDER THE RECALL. *JB UPDATED

FRONT SUB FRAME OF 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE ROTTED AND COLLAPSED. FORTUNATELY IT HAPPENED WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. AXEL ASSEMBLY PULLED OUT OF SOCKET. PICTURES WERE TAKEN AT THE SEEN AND PICTURES AND VIDEO AT THE DEALER NEXT DAY. REAR SUB FRAME APPEARS TO BE FINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE MAIN FRAME OF A $40,000 PLUS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT FAIL IN LESS THAN 10 YEARS? 100,000 MILES. PICTURES SHOW MUCH DETAIL OF ROT. GM 'S BEST OFFER WAS TO REPLACE SUBFRAME PART ONLY. NO LABOR OR OTHER DAMAGE TO BE PAID FOR. PHOTOS AVAILABLE. PLEASE HELP. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT S SMELLED GAS AND IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE. A FEW DAYS LATER SHE NOTICED A WET SPOT ON THE GROUND. SHE HAD A HARD TIME STARTING THE VEHICLE, BUT IT DID START. SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED A BIGGER SPOT ON THE GROUND. SHE THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ,AND TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM. THEY SUGGESTED TOWING THE VEHICLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND ALL OF THE FUEL LINES WERE CORRODED. THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THIS WAS COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THE NORTHEAST. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED; THE FUEL LINES ARE BEING REPLACED.*AK

DT: THE PROBLEM STARTED SOMETIME AROUND THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER 2005. THE BRAKES WERE NOT HOLDING. THE CONTACT HAD THE REAR BRAKE PADS REPLACED TWO WEEKS AGO BECAUSE THE ABS AND TRACTION LIGHT WERE COMING ON. THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES, ABS LIGHT, TRACTION LIGHT, AND A NOISE WERE STILL OCCURRING. NHTSA RECALL 97V064,000 CONCERNING ABS WAS ISSUED. WHEN CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THAT HIS VEHICLE'S YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. WHEN THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING THAT CAME OUT OF IT YET. *AK

DT: 1997 PARK AVENUE BUICK THE SUB FRAME THAT HOLDS THE ENGINE/ ENGINE DRIVE ,AND STEERING WHEELS CORRODED. THERE WAS FAULTY MATERIAL ON THIS SUB FRAME BECAUSE IT ROTTED, ENABLING THE DRIVER'S FRONT WHEEL TO BREAK AWAY FROM ITS MOUNTING, AND LEAVING THE VEHICLE IN A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED, WHICH WAS UNUSUAL TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. MENTIONED HE HAD NEVER SEEN A PARK AVENUE OF THAT YEAR WHERE THE FRAME ROTTED. IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $725.00 WITH LABOR AND USED FRAME. *AK

DT: CONTACT STATES IN HOT WEATHER 75 DEGREES OR ABOVE AND WITHIN ONE MILE THE CAR WILL DIE. CAN WAIT IT 10-15 MINUTES AND THE CAR WILL RESTART. HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR THE LAST 3 SUMMERS. IT USUALLY HAPPENED IN SLOW TRAFFIC, BUT CONSUMER DID NOT GET OUT ON THE INTERSTATE VERY MUCH; BUT WAS CONCERNED THAT IF HE DID. THE CAR WOULD DIE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY SUGGESTED THAT IT MAY BE THE FUEL PUMP OR THE SENSOR IN THE CRANK CASE. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT SOMETIMES CAM EON. . THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON IT. HE HAS NOT TALKED TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK *TT

DT: THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD, AND WOULD NOT GO BACK DOWN. THE FUSE WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WILL CHARGE THE CONSUMER TO LOOK THE PROBLEM. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED SOMETIMES. THE DEFECT WAS THOUGHT TO BE IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CIRCUIT BOARD. *AK BUICK WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE FACT THAT A RECALL WAS SET FOR THE 2001 MAKE/MODEL. *SC *JB