1999 BUICK CENTURY Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BUICK CENTURY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCREASED AND THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING ANTIFREEZE. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE INTAKE GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 54,310.

BOTH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE HEATER CORE FAILED ON MY CAR. *TR

NOTICE COOLANT IS LEAKING AROUND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AREA ON 3.1L V6 ENGINE OF MY 1999 BUICK CENTURY. LOCAL MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. DEALER IS ASKING APPROXIMATELY $900.00 TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS ENGINE IF THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. A GOOD ENGINE SHOULD NOT FAILED LIKE THIS IN MY OPINION. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF THE ENGINE, BUT POOR ENGINEERING OF THE ENGINE. DEALER SHOULD PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A ROUTINE BRAKE CHECK, IT WAS NOTICED THAT ANTIFREEZE HAD LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.

INTAKE GASKET FAILED ON 3.1 ENGINE IN A 1999 BUICK CENTURY. THIS ENGINE HAS LESS THAN 55,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. IT APPEARS AS IF THERE ARE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND THE MANUFACTURER DENIES THAT THERE WAS FAULTY WORKMANSHIP INVOLVED. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR $700.00 ALSO SAME CAR WITH LESS THAN 20,000 MILES THE BOLT HOLDING THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER FELL OFF WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY DAUGHTER DRIVING (DRIVERS PERMIT) AND LOCKED UP THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL DAMAGING THE RIM. COST OF REPAIR $350.00. *JB

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY CONSUMER.*AK THE ENGINE LOCKED UP DUE TO LOSS OF COOLANT. THE WATER PUMP STARTED LEAKING AT THE SHAFT SEAL WITH LESS THAN 43000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. A DIRTY, OILY SUBSTANCE WAS NOTICED IN THE RADIATOR NECK. *TC

1999 BUICK CENTURY DEVELOPED A ROUGH IDLE RIGHT AFTER START UP. THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. *BF NAR *JLS THE PROBLEM RESTRICTED THE FUEL INJECTORS. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WOULD FLASH AND AFTER SOME DRIVING, IT WOULD RESET ITSELF AND RUN OKAY UNTIL THE NEXT COLD START CYCLE REPEATS ITSELF. *SC

DRIVING DOWN ROAD ONE DAY WHEN CAR OVERHEATED. ONE MECHANIC REPLACED THERMOSTAT BUT CONTINUED TO DO SAME. TOOK TO ANOTHER FACILITY WHO RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE R & R INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. CAR IS A 1999 BUICK CENTURY WITH ONLY 46,191 MILES. HAVE BEEN TOLD THE COST TO FIX PROBLEM IS APPROX. $700. WITH ALL OF THE OTHER IDENTICAL PROBLEMS OF OTHER OWNERS WHY HASN'T SOMETHING BEEN DONE WITH THIS PROBLEM? CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL FOR GM'S DEFECTIVE PARTS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE DESIGN. HAD A BUICK REGAL BEFORE THIS AND IT IS STILL RUNNING WITH OVER 195,000 MILES. NO ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEM WITH IT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS A SQUEAKING NOISE WAS PRODUCED. *AK

LOOSING COOLANT. NO EXTERNAL LEAKS CAN BE FOUND. FROM THE INFORMATION I HAVE READ, WE PROBABLY HAVE AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET PROBLEM.

CONSUMER HAD DIFFICULITIES TRYING TO STOP VEHICLE. IN THE PROCESS SHE RAIN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. VEHICLE'S BRAKE EQUIPMENT DID NOT RESPOND WHEN DRIVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL.*MR

FAX FM WILLIAM A. ARANEO (NJ) REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS RELATED TO A RECALL OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON HIS BUICK AUTOMOBILE. *MR *SCC *JB

MY COMPLAINT IS ON MY 1999 BUICK CENTURY. DECEMBER OF 2002 I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING DEX-COOL COOLANT. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND IT WOULD COST AROUND $440.00. MY CAR ONLY HAD 59,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD. THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. VERY POOR JOB OF QUALITY IN THIS AREA BY GENERAL MOTORS/. *JB

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET (LOWER) FAILURE

CONSUMER STATES THAT COOLANT LEAKED AND SPEWED ALL OVER THE TOP OF ENGINE CAUSING MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. TS

CAR WOULD NOT START, ENGINE FROZE UP IN THE GARAGE, THE TEMPATURE IS NEVER 60, PUT DRY GAS IN TANK AND AFTER CAR WARMED UP IT CRANKED. ALSO THE HORN IS HARD TO LOCATE IN AN EMERGENCY EVENT.

WHILE AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON CONSUMER NOTICED FUMES INSIDE OF VEHICLE. TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES. AIR SCOOP TO COOL ENGINE SCRAPES GROUND, ALSO LETS FUMES AND HEAT FROM ENGINE IN CAR. *AK *ML