NHTSA Complaint #10070675 — 1998 BUICK LESABRE

GENTLEMEN: I HAVE A 1998 BUICK LESABRE WITH 31,258 MILES ON IT. LAST WEEKEND, I TURNED THE KEY AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE STARTER MOTOR CASE HAD CRACKED. MY INDEPENDENT GARAGE PUT IN A NEW STARTER TO THE TUNE OF $526.00. WHEN THEY TRIED TO START THE CAR, THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO THE NEW STARTER. THE GARAGE THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE 3.8L V6 ENGINE WAS FROZEN DUE TO A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH ALLOWED COOLANT TO ENTER THE CYLINDERS. THEY SAID THE LEAK WAS CAUSED BY THE GM "5 YEAR" COOLANT ROTTING THE MANIFOLD AWAY. THEY ESTIMATED THE REPAIR AT $2,000.00, INCLUDING THE STARTER. I CALLED BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE; THEY ARE VAGUE ABOUT ANY PROBLEM OR LIABILITY. THEY DID ASK THAT I TAKE THE CAR TO A BUICK DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. I TOOK IT TO FIELDS BUICK. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND THE CAUSE. THEY WANT $2,300.00 TO FIX IT, EXCLUDING THE STARTER. GM REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING. I HAVE DISCOVERED A GM TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (01-06-01-007A) INDICATING THAT GM HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE AT LEAST JULY, 2001. THE PROBLEM AFFECTS SEVERAL MAKES AND MODELS. A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT 31,000 MILES IS ABSURD.