NHTSA Complaint #10031089 — 2003 BUICK PARK AVENUE

I RECENTLY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM STATING THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH COOLANT LEAKS AROUND GASKETS AT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD OR AT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH MIGHT "CAUSE HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURES". THE LETTER SAYS IT IS A "VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM". THE SUGGESTED FIX IS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND HAVE THEM CHANGE SOME OF THE FASTENERS AND THEN "ADD COOLING SYSTEM SEALANT" TO THE RADIATOR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PUTTING COOLING SYSTEM SEALANT IN A BRAND NEW CAR (AND THUS REDUCING THE LIFE OF THE RADIATOR) IS AN UNACCEPTABLE FIX FOR A POSSIBLE GASKET PROBLEM. I WOULD THINK THAT THE COMPANY NEEDS TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS INSTEAD, IF THEY ARE THE FAULTY PART. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED THE NUMBER THAT GM SUPPLIED THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE GASKET AND THAT IF WE DID NOT HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AS STATED IN THEIR LETTER AND THE GASKET SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD WAS OVER, WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE FULL COST OF THE REPAIRS. IT APPEARS THAT THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT NHTSA NEEDS TO CHECK INTO AS A POTENTIAL RECALL FOR ALL OF THE CARS WITH THIS TYPE OF ENGINE SOLD THROUGH GM AND PROVIDE THE CUSTOMER WITH AN ACCEPTABLE FIX FOR THE PROBLEM WITHOUT GUMMING UP THE RADIATOR ON A CAR WITH LESS THAN 7,000 MILES ON IT. PLEASE ADVISE ME OF MY OPTIONS WITH THE ABOVE PROBLEM. I MADE MY BEST EFFORT TO SOLVE IT WITH THE COMPANY AND GOT A POOR OPTION AS A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE TO TALK WITH. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR LOOKING INTO THIS SITUATION.