1998 Buick Park Avenue

WHILE ENROUTE HOME FROM VACATION LOW COOLANT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. WITHIN A FEW MILES THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP BACK A MILE OR SO TO A CHEVROLET DEALER I HAD PASSED. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAD FAILED, COSTING $593 TO REPLACE ALONG WITH THE SPARK PLUGS, OIL AND FILTER. HOWEVER, UPON RETURNING HOME, I OPENED THE OIL FILLER CAP TO FIND A GLOB OF WATER CONTAMINATED OIL INSIDE. NOW EVEN SHORT TRIPS RESULT IN WATER DROPLETS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE OIL FILLER CAP. ALSO, THE ENGINE IDLE IS DOWN ABOUT 100 RPM, IT DOESN'T SOUND OR RUN AS SMOOTHLY AS BEORE AND THERE'S A SLIGHTLY DETECTABLE METALLIC KNOCK FROM THE ENGINE. I BELIEVE THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS ALSO FAILED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD AND GASKET DESIGN, A $34,000 VEHICLE HAS A SICK ENGINE AT ONLY 64,000 MILES. THE MECHANIC THAT REPLACED THE GASKET SAID HE HAD ONLY WORKED AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THREE WEEKS, BUT REPLACING THESE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS HAD BEEN A CONTINUOUS JOB. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID I WAS LUCKY, BECAUSE ANOTHER CUSTOMER HAD SEIZED THE STARTER AND BROKEN THE FLYWHEEL TRYING TO JUMP START HER CAR FULL OF COOLANT FROM A FAILED INTAKE GASKET.*AK THIS PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND GASKET DESIGN IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY GM AND NOT BORNE BY THE CUSTOMER. I'VE ALSO EXPERIENCED MOST OF THE OTHER CHARACTERISTIC FAILURES WITH THIS CAR SUCH AS, WARPED BRAKE ROTORS, FAILED IGNITION CONTROL MODULE, FAILED SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR, BROKEN ASH TRAY DOOR LATCH, SHUDDER IN STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEED, SUSPENSION VIBRATION DUE TO DEFECTIVE BUSHINGS, ETC. AFTER 26 YEARS OF GM OWNERSHIP LOYALTY, I'M CALLING IT QUITS.

FAILURE OF PLASTIC UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD ON 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO ENGINE CYLINDERS. THE REPAIR BILL COST $990. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OTHER MANUFACTURER BESIDES GENERAL MOTORS CONSTRUCT THEIR INTAKE MANIFOLDS OUT OF PLASTIC. THE SERVICING DEALERSHIP NOTED THAT THEY ARE REPLACING AN AVERAGE OF 3 PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS EACH WEEK DUE TO PLASTIC FAILURE AND ANTIFREEZE LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE CYLINDERS. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AS THIS ENGINE (3.8 LITER) AND PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE USED IN MULTIPLE GM VEHICLES FROM AT LEAST 1996 THROUGH THE PRESENT. *JB

THE PLASTIC UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED AN INTERNAL CRACK, WHICH LEAKED COOLANT INTO THE COMBUSTION CYLINDERS. THE 3.8L V6 ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND THEN HYDROLOCKED. IT WAS REPAIRED BY A CERTIFIED BUICK DEALER. THE DAY THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED, WITHIN 20 MILES OF DRIVING, THE REAR MAIN BEARING SEAL FAILED. THE DEALER FELT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE COOLANT MIXING WITH THE OIL. AFTER THIS REPAIR, THE ENGINE RAN APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES AND SPUN A MAIN BEARING, DUE TO THE COOLANT/OIL MIXTURE. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO BUICK. THEY FEEL IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM.

AFTER BUYING MY '98 PARK AVENUE, I NOTICED THAT AFTER WASHING IT ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS THAT THE PAINT HAD BEGAN TO CHIP. I TOOK IT TO A COUPLE OF PAINT SHOPS AND EVERYONE SAID THAT THIS CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE PAINT PEELING AND IT WAS A DEFECT BECAUSE THEY COULD SEE THE FACTORY PRIMER. MY ENGINE DIED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE TEPERATURE GAUGE DIDN'T SHOW THAT IT WAS OVERHEATED AND NO SMOKE OR STEAM CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RIGHT BEFORE THE CAR STOPPED THE DIC SHOWED : CHECK COOLANT LEVELS AND EVEN THEN IT DIDN'T BEEP AS IT SHOULD HAVE. I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY SEAT BELTS SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE. THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY TANGLED AND TWISTED WHEN THEY CROSS THE BODY. MOREOVER, MY OWNER'S MANUAL HAS AN ILLUSTRATION THAT STATES THAT MY SEATBELT USAGE IS INCORRECT.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING I HEARD A POP & THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON I WENT ANOTHER BLOCK AND THE CAR LOST POWER & WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF EXHAUST. I TURNED ENGINE OFF & TRIED TO RESTART WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I CONTACTED BUICK DEALER BECAUSE AFTER TALKING TO A FEW PEOPLE I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM AUTOS. CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME TO GO TO DEALER & THEY WOULD WORK WITH ME ON THE COST OF THE REPAIR. AFTER A WEEK OF WASTED TIME I WENT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE AUTO AT A COST OF $1,049. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF PARTS THE MANUFACTURER USES DURIN G PRODUCTION. I AM RELIEVED THAT NOBODY WAS INJURED DURING THIS INCIDENT BUT IF THIS HAD OCCURED ON A HIGHWAY AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET OFF TO A SHOULDER THE SITUATION MIGHT HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT OUTCOME. THIS AUTO AT THE TIME HAD 68,000 MILES AND 1 WEEK AFTER THE TIME FRAME OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 60,000 MILES.THIS IS A $33,000 VEHICLE AND I WOULD HOPE THAT AN ENGINE WOULD LAST LONGER THAN 70,000 MILES. I OWN TWO OTHER VEHICLES (TOYOTA'S) AND THEY HAVE A COMBINED MILEAGE OF OVER 300,000 MILES AND BOTH PURCHASED NEW COST LESS THAN THIS VEHICLE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *AK