Buick Park Avenue Complaints (1998)

246 consumer complaints on file.

#10054323January 16, 2004
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR: THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WENT OUT ON MY 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE 3800 V6 AND I HAD IT REPLACED ON 8-19-03 AT A COST OF $142.79. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT BUICK HAS NOW ISSUED A RECALL ON THE BUICK PARK AVENUE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN #03V473000) FOR FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS AND BUICK HAS INFORMED ME THAT MY PARK AVENUE IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL. I BELIEVE THAT MY CAR IS INVOLVED WITH THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT BUICK IS NOW INVOLVED IN. I BELIEVE THAT IF MY CAR IS INVOLVED THAT BUICK SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR MY REPAIR AND THE COST THAT I HAVE INCURRED. I HAVE DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT THE FACT THAT THE PART WAS REPLACED AND I PAID FOR THE REPAIR. *CB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10070944January 15, 2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10069305January 15, 2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
3.8L ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED, CAUSING ENGINE COOLANT TO FOUL SPARK PLUGS DISABLING THE VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10069509January 15, 2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
3.8L ENGINE SEIZED IN MID-DRIVE ON HIGHWAY. TOWED AND DIAGNOSED BY BUICK DEALER AS CORRODED MANIFOLDS FROM DEX COOL. REPLACED BOTH MANIFOLDS. REPLACED ALL GASKETS ON PANS ETC. REPLACED FLUIDS, OIL AND COOLANT, AS WELL AS PLUGS AND CLEANED ALL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10068946January 15, 2004
SEAT BELTS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10053114January 13, 2004
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
THERE IS A CHATTER, NOISE, VIBRATION WHEN I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO EITHER THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10052619January 7, 2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10052066December 29, 2003
SEAT BELTS
CONSUMER STATED THAT ON 11/06/03 VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION IN WHICH HE SUSTAINED INJURIES. WHEN CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT HEAD ON CONSUMER HIT THE POST OF THE WINDSHIELD, BOUNCED BACK AND WAS THROWN FORWARD. HE HIT HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE SEAT BELT NEVER HELD HIM. CONSUMER SUSTAINED SEAT BELT BURNS ACROSS THE COLLAR BONE. ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO SHOULDER BELTS WERE REPAIRED DUE TO A RECALL. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10049169December 4, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH WARNING LIGHT FOR COOLANT CAME ON. CONSUMER PULLED OFF HIGHWAY AND STOPPED. CAR STALLED AND WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER FOUND UPPER MANIFOLD PLENTIUM, WHICH WAS MADE OF PLASTIC, HAD ALLOWED ANTIFREEZE TO FLOOD ENGINE. *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10047713November 28, 2003
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
DEFECTIVE BRAKES ON MY 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. INCORRECT INFORMATION FROM G.M. AND THE DEALER HAS CAUSED A DANGEROUS SITUATION!*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10048211November 19, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
CONSUMER REPORTED TO THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR, TOM SCHAEFER, THAT WHEN TRYING TO START VEHICLE AFTER SITTING ALL NIGHT HEARD A LOUD THUMP, AND THEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH WENT OUT. SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MR. SCHAEFER SAID THAT THE CONSUMER USED THE WORD THUMP NOT BANG TO DESCRIBE THE INITIAL INCIDENT. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10042238November 18, 2003
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT, SHOULDER HARNESS WOULD NOT EXTEND. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HARNESS WOULD NOT EXTEND EITHER. THERE WAS A RECALL ON SEAT BELT, BUT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10040427November 17, 2003
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING GEAR BROKE WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BIND WHILE DRIVING. THE CAUSE OF THE PART BREAKING WAS UNDETERMINED. *AK THERE WAS NOT A LOSS OF FLUID. THE FAILURE WAS AN INTERNAL PART OF THE STEERING GEAR. *SCC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10047989November 14, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION UNDER HOOD. THIS OCCURRED WHEN KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION TO START THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE INSPECTOR WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION BECAUSE THE UNDER HOOD COMPONENTS WERE MELTED TOGETHER.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10045196October 31, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
INITIATION OF PROBLEM STARTED 19 SEPT 2003 WHILE ON A ROUNDTRIP, TX TO CA. AFTER APPROXIMATELY $3,200 IN REPAIRS, CA & TX, THE CULPRIT IS IDENTIFIED AND THE PROBLEM IS CURRENTLY FIXED (30 OCT 2003). THE CULPRIT IS A WARPED UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, WHICH ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE CYLINDERS (FINALLY HYDRO-LOCKING THE ENGINE). THIS HARD-PLASTIC, DOMED ORIGINAL GM PART HAS ABOUT A 1-MM WARP ON THE END NEAREST CYLINDERS #1 & #2. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURER'S FLAW, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS MORE THAN 75,000 MILES. THE TX DEALER HAS SEEN OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. A GM/BUICK REPRESENTATIVE DOES NOT WANT TO CONSIDER SHARING SOME OF THE REPAIR COSTS. I HAVE A THOROUGH FILE ON THIS PROBLEM. I NOTE OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THIS INTEGRAL PART OF THE ENGINE. -- JACK SANDERS, DALLAS. *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10037707September 23, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH AND WITH NO WARNING, THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. CONSUMER MADE CONTACT WITH DEALER. *AK THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BOTH THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD PROBLEMS EARLY ON. *SCC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10037153September 3, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
LEAKY INTAKE GASKET ON 3.8K ENGINE, LEAKED COOLANT AND FOULDED PLUGS, ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER AT 81,000 MILES.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10033105August 19, 2003
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
DOORS WILL NO LONGER OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10034125August 18, 2003
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. DEALER STATES DOOR'S LATCH MECHANISM BROKE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10030849August 5, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, ENGINE LIGGHT CAME ON AND BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. SUSEQUENT FINDINGS WERE THAT THE COMPOSITE INTAKE PLENUM HAD SEVERAL PIN HOLE LEAKS WHICH RESULTED IN DUMPING OF COOLANT INTO ENGINE AND SEIZURE VERY SHORTLY AFTER LIGHT CAME ON. HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE. NEW ENGINE SEEMS TO HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS NOW WITH POWER AND SMOOTH OPERATION AND EXCESSIVE RATTLING.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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