NHTSA Complaint #10193948 — 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

THE FIRST INDICATION OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE WHEN THE HEATER WAS TURNED ON, IT WOULD NOT GET WARM OR HOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED THAT IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, WHICH IS A $900 REPAIR. WHAT THEY DID NOT TELL ME WAS THAT, WHEN THIS GASKET LEAKS COOLANT, IT WILL MIX WITH THE ENGINE OIL AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO BLOW OR SEIZE. IN RESEARCHING ON-LINE, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM THAT BOTH GENERAL MOTORS AND BUICK ARE WELL AWARE OF. IN FACT, GM SENT OUT AN INTERNAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN JULY 2001 STATING THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT WHEN BROUGHT IN TO THE SERVICE DEPT., IT SHOULD BE FIXED. ONLY THEY WILL NOT RECALL THE DEFECTIVE PART OR PAY FOR OR REIMBURSE CONSUMERS FOR THE REPAIR. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! THERE ARE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE STATING THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM, YET GM REFUSES TO RECALL IT! THERE IS A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT IN CANADA FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM AND A PETITION FOR GM TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PART IN THE U.S. GM SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PART THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DECEIVING CONSUMERS ABOUT ALL ALONG. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR CONTINUING TO SELL VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM AND NOT SO MUCH AS DO A RECALL. I WANT TO GM TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AS WELL AS RECALL THE PART. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT OVER $700 IN REPAIRS TO THE CAR, INCLUDING WHEEL BEARING SENSORS, BRAKES, AND A GAS-LINE LEAK. THESE ARE ALSO WELL-KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE BUICK RENDEZVOUS.