NHTSA Complaint #10176551 — 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE INTAKE GASKETS ON THE GENERAL MOTORS 3.4 LITER ENGINE. THE FAILURE MOST COMMON WITH 2002 AND 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. MY RENDEZVOUS HAD 40,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE GASKETS FAILED AND WAS OUT OF THE 36,00 MILE WARRANTY. THE FIRST INDICATION OF THE FAILURE WAS THAT MY HEATER WAS NOT BLOWING HOT AIR. I TOOK IT INTO A LOCAL SHOP AND THE MECHANIC SUSPECTED GASKET FAILURE BEFORE EVEN LOOKING AT THE CAR STATING THAT "THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND WE REPAIR 2 OR 3 A MONTH IN OUR SHOP. THE PROBLEM IS YOU THINK YOU ARE JUST LOOSING (DEXCOOL) ANTIFREEZE FROM EVAPORATION DURING THE SUMMER BUT IN THE WINTER WHEN YOU TRY TO USE YOUR HEATER IT DOES NOT HEAT PROPERLY. THE ENGINE DOES NOT LEAK ANTIFREEZE ON THE GROUND, IT GOES INTO YOUR ENGINE OIL AND CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE IF NOT CAUGHT QUICKLY ENOUGH." I CALLED MY LOCAL BUICK DEALER TO SEE IF GM COULD HELP ME OUT SINCE MY CAR WAS ONLY 4.000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY SAID BRING IT IN AND THEY WILL LOOK AT IT. THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID IT WAS THE INTAKE GASKETS THAT FAILED AND IT WOULD COST ME $900 TO REPAIR. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND AFTER A WEEK OF NEGOTIATIONS, I FINALLY GOT MY CAR REPAIRED AT A REDUCED PRICE($360). NOW I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO MY ENGINE AFTER HAVING ENGINE COOLANT CONTAMINATING MY ENGINE OIL. I WAS TOLD BY THE BUICK SERVICE TECH. THAT "NO COOLANT GOT INTO THE OIL. IT GOES OUTSIDE THE ENGINE." THAT IS VERY STRANGE, BECAUSE PART OF THE REPAIR IS TO CHANGE THE ENGINE OIL. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT AT NO TIME WAS THERE EVER ANY INDICATION OF ANY TYPE OF FLUID LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. IF YOU GOOGLE "GM ENGINE COOLANT LEAK" MORE THAN 100,000 ITEMS COME UP ON THIS. *NM