NHTSA Complaint #10152187 — 1999 BUICK CENTURY

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1999 BUICK CENTURY WITH 78,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED AND HAVE NO CURRENT WARRANTY. RECENTLY, THE LOW COOLANT DASH LIGHT BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE, WHICH PROMPTED ME TO CHECK THEE COOLANT LEVEL AND SEARCH THE UNDERNEATH OF MY VEHICLE. THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS NOT LOW; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF COOLANT ON THE GROUND. I DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND IDENTIFIED THAT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF GM VEHICLE OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEMS IN THEIR GM VEHICLES. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. GM CLAIMS THAT THE DEX COOL COOLANT, WHICH IS REQUIRED IN THEIR VEHICLES, LASTS FOR 150,000 MILES OF VEHICLE USE WITHOUT NEEDING TO BE CHANGED. HOWEVER, MY INTERNET RESEARCH OF OTHERS'' COMPLAINTS, AND THE SERVICE REPAIRMAN AT MY LOCAL GARAGE, CONFIRMED THAT THE DEX COOL COOLANT THROUGH THE LOWER GASKET AT APPROXIMATELY 70-80,000 MILES, REQUIRING A NEW LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND A COOLANT FLUSH, AS WELL AS A NECESSARY OIL CHANGE BECAUSE THE COOLANT LEAKS INTO THE OIL DUE TO THE FAULTY GASKETS (AND IN TURN CAUSES DECREASED LUBRICATION IN THE ENGINE AND RUINS THE BEARINGS WHICH IS ALSO A COSTLY PROBLEM.) AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE REPAIRED FOR $900, I AM TOLD BY MY SERVICE REPAIRMAN THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR AGAIN IN ANOTHER 70-80,000 MILES, SHOULD I OWN THE VEHICLE FOR THAT LONG. THERE ARE SEVERAL PETITIONS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS FAULTY EQUIPMENT, ADVOCATING FOR A GM RECALL. GM, HOWEVER, HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST INCURRED FOR THE REPLACEMENT ON THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON AFFECTED GM VEHICLES, AS THEY CLAIM THE SYSTEM IS GOOD FOR 150,000 MILES WITH THE DEX COOL COOLANT, WHICH IS CLEARLY A FALSE CLAIM. *JB