NHTSA Complaint #10399078 — 1998 BUICK LESABRE

1998 BUICK LESABRE CRASHED AT LOW SPEED CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE, ENGINE CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED. CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS, LEAVING ME WITH BILLS OF OVER $10,000 FOR LOST CAR, REPAIRS, INSURANCE. PROBLEM HAD ARISEN ON AND OFF SINCE ACQUIRING CAR AT 65,000 MILES..TWICE TAKEN IN TO GM DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM. COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. PROBLEM WOULD DISAPPEAR FOR MONTHS AND THEN REAPPEAR. NUMEROUS MECHANICS CHECKED AND COULD NOT FIND SOURCE OF PROBLEM. AFTER CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL, NEWS STORY RAN ABOUT TOYOTA CARS STALLING OUT DUE TO DEFECTIVE ENGINE CONTROL MODULES (NHTSA REPORT #PE09054). THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS MADE BY DELPHI..WHICH WAS OWNED BY GENERAL MOTORS..MAKERS OF THE BUICK LESABRE. I CONTACTED GM HEADQUARTERS TO ASK IF THE CONTROL MODULE IN MY PART WAS MADE BY GM/DELPHI. THEY REFUSED TO ANSWER ME, SAYING THAT AS NO RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED AND MY CAR WAS GONE,THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. MEANWHILE, IT TURNS OUT THAT GM DID OWN DELPHI IN 1998, DID MANUFACTURE THOSE MODULES, WHICH HAD TO HAVE BEEN IN THE BUICK LESABRES,AND WERE YEARS LATER CAUSING IDENTICAL ENGINE FAILURES IN TOYOTAS. THOSE PARTS ARE OUT THERE TODAY, WAITING FOR SOMETHING HORRIBLE TO HAPPEN. AMONG THE 12 SUMMARIES YOU HAVE ON YOUR SITE FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH BUICK LESABRES, ONE IS EVEN WORSE THAN MINE "REPORT #9001048 "COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH A TRAGEDY BARELY AVOIDED, TRANSMISSION FAILURE". WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR AT 65,000 MILES IT HAD A SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AS WELL, WHICH WAS FOUND AND FIXED. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM PERSISTED UNTIL THE ENGINE CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON, ON A BUSY LOCAL ROAD. WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED, THE BRAKES FAILED. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. QUICK THINKING PUT ME UP AGAINST A TELEPHONE POLE SO NO LIVES WERE LOST. MANY OF YOUR OTHER COMPLAINTS MENTION COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH THIS CAR. INVESTIGATION ANYONE? *TR