NHTSA Complaint #10100092 — 2002 BUICK CENTURY

I BROUGHT MY CAR TO MY BUICK DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE COOLANT HAD BECOME SLUDGY. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE DRAINED, CLEANED AND REFILLED AND WOULD COST ME $129.00. I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE THIS, AND THE REPRESENTATIVE COULDN'T TELL ME WHY, BUT THAT THEY CAUGHT IT EARLY AND WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM. I THEN TOOK A LOOK ON THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION ON THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AGAINST GM FOR THEIR DEXCOOL COOLANT PROBLEMS IN THEIR CARS, ESPECIALLY THE V6'S. I CALLED THE DEALER TO TELL THEM THAT I HAD A PROBLEM WITH HAVING TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR AND THAT I WAS ALSO CONCERNED WITH POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO MY SYSTEM, INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEMS AND THE EFFECT THAT WOULD HAVE IN THE FUTURE. THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD CALL ME BACK. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY AN OUTSIDE AGENCY BECAUSE GM IS NOT STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE TO HANDLE IT. WHILE NOT CAUSING AN IMMEDIATE PHYSICAL DANGER, IT DOES CERTAINLY CAUSE A SECONDARY DANGER TO MOTORISTS WHO BREAK DOWN ON THE ROAD AND THE OTHER MOTORISTS AROUND THEM. PLEASE STEP IN AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU.*AK