NHTSA Complaint #10072475 — 1998 BUICK LESABRE

THIS IS A ENGINE PROBLEM WITH WHAT I BELIEVE WAS A BAD PART DESIGN. THE PART IS FAILURE OF INTAKE PLENUM. THE EGR PIPE FROM THE ENGINE COMES THROUGH THE PLASTIC INTAKE. THERE IS A LOT OF HEAT GENERATED AT THIS POINT. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME A HOLE IS BURNED THROUGH THE INTAKE. THIS FLOODS THE ENGINE WITH COOLANT. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW. THE FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURED AT 59,000 MILES. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1100.00. I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS. THE REPONSE WAS . YES WE KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE K ENGINE BUT THE FACTORY HAS NOT CALLED FOR A RECALL. AT 113,577 MILES THE PROBLEM OCCURED AGAIN. I AGAIN HAD THE ENGINE REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1140.93. AGAIN I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS. I WAS TOLD THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS SENT OUT IN 1996. THIS STATED THAT IF A OWNER COMPLAINED OF A COOLENT LEAK AROUND THE INTAKE. NOT ONLY SHOULD THE PLASTIC INTAKE PLENUM BE REPLACE BUT ALSO THE ALUMINUM INTAKE SHOULD BE REPALCED BECAUSED THE FACTORY HAD REPLACED THE EGR PIPE WITH A SMALLER PIPE. THIS WOULD KEEP THE HEAT FROM BURNING A HOLE IN THE PLASTIC PLENUM. THE COST OF THIS REPAIR IS TO BE PAID BY THE OWNER. I CHECKED OUT THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND FOUND THE PROBLEM COVERED ALL GM 3800 SERIES ENGINES FORM 1995 - 1998 MY ENGINE VIN # IS 1G4HR52K3WH51080. I WAS TOLD BY THE GM SERVICE TECH. THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURED SO OFTEN THAT ANY OWNER OF A 3800 SERIES ENGINE AND THE NEW DESIGN INTAKE HAS NOT BEEN INSTALLED YOU ARE GUARANTEED THE ENGINE WILL FAIL. AGAIN I FEEL THIS WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM.