NHTSA Complaint #10263051 — 1998 BUICK LESABRE

BOUGHT A USED (2 OWNER) BUICK LESABRE IN DEC '08 HAVING 37,428 . IN EARLY MARCH, '09, AFTER LESS THAN 4000 MILES, STARTED HEARING A BRIEF GURGLING WHEN ENGINE TURNED OFF. IN MID-MARCH, WHILE PULLING ONTO A HIGHWAY FROM A SLIGHT UPWARD GRADE THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND A DRIVE TRAIN VIBRATION TOOK PLACE FOR A FEW SECONDS....NEARLY CAUSING AN ONCOMING TRUCK TO COLLIDE WITH US.TOOK VEHICLE INTO A NATIONAL FRANCHISED TRANSMISSION DEALER FOR CHECKUP...TRANSMISSION CHECKED OK. HOWEVER, TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED RADIATOR FLUID IN MANIFOLD INTAKE AREA. SUSPECTING LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD SEAL AND/OR CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD COVER. NEED TO USE THE VEHICLE, BUT HAVE TO WAIT FOR REPAIR UNTIL MONEY CAN BE PUT TOGETHER. AM A DISABLED EX MARINE,VIETNAM VET.. SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY PREVALENT ONE ,BASED ON WHAT IS ON THE NET. REPLACEMENT PART IS ONLY 140.00 THROUGH A NATIONAL PARTS COMPANY. THE AUTO SHOPS ARE QUOTING OVER 800.00 TO FIX. C'MON, LET'S GET SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!!! HAVEN'T YOU NOTICED THE POWER FAILURES IN SOME OF THE REPORTS??I WOULD THINK GM WOULD DO A VOLUNTEER RECALL, RATHER THAN RISK REPUTATION, AND CONSUMER LIFE&LIMB. THE PROBLEM IS THAT GM WAS USING HAVELIN'S 'ORANGE' ANTIFREEZE (DEXTROL) AND IT WAS FAULTY. IT WAS CONGEALING IN THE ENGINE, DISRUPTING COOLANT FLOW, THEREBY CAUSING OVERHEATING ENOUGH TO BLOW INTAKE MANIFOLDS AND/OR GASKETS........SEEMS THE 8 AUTO TECH'S I'VE TALKED TO OVER THE PAST WEEK KNOW THIS. SO, WHY DON'T THE INDUSTRY AND GOV."EXPERTS"??? *TR