1998 BUICK LESABRE Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

I HAVE A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. THE CAR STOPPED WHEN IT WAS PULLED INTO THE GARAGE AND WHEN I TRIED TO START IT AGAIN, IT MADE A SCREECHING SOUND. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE STARTER "EXPLODED" BECAUSE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE PLENEUM INTO THE CYLINDERS AND STARTER. THE MECHANIC ADVISED IT WOULD COST OVER $800.00 TO REPAIR. *TR

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED, THE CAR STARTED CONSUMING DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE, BUT NONE WAS NOTICED LEAKING EXTERNAL TO THE ENGINE. THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD MADE OF PLASTIC APPARENTLY WARPED, AND/OR A HOLE BURNED IN NEAR THE EGR STOVE PIPE, THUS DUMPING ANTIFREEZE INTO THE ENGINE AND HYDROLOCKING THE ENGINE. MAJOR PROBLEM, COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WOULD NOT START OR RUN. THIS CAR HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED WITH BOTH REGULAR OIL AND COOLANT CHANGES, THE CAR HAS BEEN ADULT DRIVING . COST TO REPAIR $450.00 FOR JUST UPPER INTAKE, ADD ANOTHER $450 FOR THE LOWER INTAKE AS WELL. *TR

MY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS MADE OF PLASTIC AND MY ENGINE LOCKED UP, I WAS INFORMED FROM MY MECHANIC THAT GM WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND CAME OUT WITH A BETTER ONE MADE OF METAL. THIS A COSTLY MISTAKE LEADING TO 850 DOLLARS OF REPAIR, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF GM WOULD HAVE STEPPED UP WITH THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND BEEN FIXED WITH THE NEW GASKET INSTEAD OF CAUSING MORE DAMAGE THEN NEEDED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT NOTICED OIL IN THE ANTIFREEZE BUCKET IN THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE COOLING COILS HAD BURST IN THE RADIATOR. CURRENTLY, ANTIFREEZE HAS SETTLED ON THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TESTED FOR A PRESSURE LEAK AND THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND ONE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE GASKET FAILED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V090000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY) WAS REFERENCED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000. UPDATED 06/25/08. *LJ UPDATED 06/25/08

HAD ANTI-FREEZE IN THE OIL. PLASTIC INTAKE GASKET WAS BROKEN. I UNDERSTAND THIS OCCURS IN MANY 3.8 ENGINES. HAD TO HAVE NEW GASKET INSTALLED AT A COST OF ABOUT $700 DOLLARS. THE CAR IS A 1998 BUICK LASABRE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED OUT OF CONTROL AND STALLED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO AN OIL LEAK. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 82,000.

1998 LESABRE UPPER MANIFOLD PLENUM OVER HEATED, MELTED, CAUSING A HOLE WHICH ALLOWED ANTI-FREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE OIL. *TS *JB

INTAKE MANIFOLD BURNED AT EGR PASSAGE ADJACENT TO THROTTLE BODY COOLANT PASSAGE(ALL PLASTIC- ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS PROBABLY CAST ALUMINUM). SUBSEQUENT COOLANT LOSS INTO ENGINE AIR INTAKE CAUSES ERRATIC OPERATION AND PROBABLE ENGINE DAMAGE. REPLACED MANIFOLD WITH NEW ONE AT A COST OF $500 PARTS PLUS 5 HOUR. LABOR COMPLAINED TO GM BUT TO NO AVAIL. *JB

1998 BUICK LESABRE ENGINE SEIZED CAUSING CONSUMER TO COME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD WARPED CAUSING ANTI-FREEZE TO GO INTO THE MOTOR PER MECHANIC. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED****JB

RECALL CAMPAIGN RECEIVED CONCERNING FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. *BF THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A BACKFIRE WHICH RESULTED IN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MANIFOLD. THE PROBLEM RECURRED AND THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. *SC

THE 3.8L GM ENGINES USED '95 - '98 FOR THE BUICK: RIVERA, LESABRE, PARK AVENUE, REGAL, CHEVY: LUMINA, MONTE CARLO, OLDSMOBILE: 98,88,INTRIGUE, PONTIAC: BONNEVILLE, GRAND PRIX HAVE A KNOWN DEFECT. SERVICE BULLETIN 01-06-01-007A COOLANT LEAK. IN DECEMBER 2004, MY PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED AND ALLOWED THE ENGINE COOLANT TO FILL THE CYLINDERS OF THE ENGINE WITH COOLANT. GM RESOLVED THE DEFECT WITH A DESIGN CHANGE IN 99. I FEEL THAT GM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. SECOND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AT 55 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT WARRANTS A RECALL. I CONTACTED GM; SERVICE RECORD NUMBER 1-293342957 THEY NEVER CALLED ME BACK AFTER A NUMBER OF MESSAGES (7) THEN DENIED THE CLAIM. *NM

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT OIL PAN GASKET AND FRONT BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE VEHICLE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. *NM THE VEHICLE DIED WHILE THE CONSUMER BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, RESTARTED AND BACKFIRED ALONG WITH ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATION, AND LATER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, BUT HAD RAN ROUGH. SINCE 10/08/02, THE VEHICLE HAD RUN FINE. *SC

VEHICLE'S ENGINE MISFIRES AND LOSES POWER. *MR THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON ALONG WITH THE MISFIRES AND POWER LOSS. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE DUE TO THE ENGINE HYDRAULIC LOCK. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT GM WAS AWARE OF THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM. *SC

ENGINE BACKFIRING ON 1998 BUICK LESABRE. *MR RECALL# 04V090000. THE HEATER FAILED AND THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT A WATER PUMP WAS NEEDED. THE ENGINE ALSO DIED WITH LESS THAN 100K MILES. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC *JB

THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED. AFTER SENDING THE RECEIPTS TO THE MANUFACTURE, THEY ARE NOT REFUNDING THE ENTIRE AMOUNT. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

A RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. PROBLEM WAS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AFTER PICKING THE VEHICLE UP MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A $79.00 CHARGE , AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. *AK *NM

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE BEGAN RUNNING VERY HARD AND ROUGH. FINALLY, ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. CONSUMER STATES DUE RECALL 04V090000 VEHICLE ACTS IN THIS MANNER. *AK

IT WOULD BE HARD TO START THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WERE A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN FLAW. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE TUBING WAS TOO SMALL, CAUSING THE TUBING TO RUPTURE. *AK THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS WORN THROUGH. *SC *JB

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE ENGINE PRODUCED A LOUD BANG, THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. *AK

GENTLEMEN: I HAVE A 1998 BUICK LESABRE WITH 31,258 MILES ON IT. LAST WEEKEND, I TURNED THE KEY AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE STARTER MOTOR CASE HAD CRACKED. MY INDEPENDENT GARAGE PUT IN A NEW STARTER TO THE TUNE OF $526.00. WHEN THEY TRIED TO START THE CAR, THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO THE NEW STARTER. THE GARAGE THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE 3.8L V6 ENGINE WAS FROZEN DUE TO A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH ALLOWED COOLANT TO ENTER THE CYLINDERS. THEY SAID THE LEAK WAS CAUSED BY THE GM "5 YEAR" COOLANT ROTTING THE MANIFOLD AWAY. THEY ESTIMATED THE REPAIR AT $2,000.00, INCLUDING THE STARTER. I CALLED BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE; THEY ARE VAGUE ABOUT ANY PROBLEM OR LIABILITY. THEY DID ASK THAT I TAKE THE CAR TO A BUICK DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. I TOOK IT TO FIELDS BUICK. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND THE CAUSE. THEY...

VEHICLES STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *AK *JB

PURCHASED NEW, THIS WELL MAINTAINED, GARAGE KEPT VEHICLE FAILED WITH 44,500 MILES. I CHANGED THE OIL & FILTER AFTER THE FIRST 500 MILE BREAK-IN PERIOD & EVERY 1K MILES. ON 2/12/04, THERE WAS A ROUGH UNEXPECTED ENGINE KNOCK UPON STARTUP. PLACED IN REVERSE, THERE WAS A SHAKING SENSATION & THE CHECK ENGINE LAMP EVENTUALLY LIT. I DROVE TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIATOR COOLLANT LEAKED INTO THE OIL PORTION OF THE ENGINE. IT WAS AN UNPLEASANT SITUATION, HOWEVER, A DECISION HAD TO BE MADE & I OPTED TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE WITH A 2004 LESABRE. I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT THE SAME DAY AND TRIED TO PUT MY 1998 PROBLEM BEHIND ME. I HAVE OWNED LESABRES IN THE PAST, A PARK AVENUE & OTHER GM PRODUCTS WHERE I CLOCKED OVER 250,000 MILES EACH ON MOST OF THEM. TWO DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF MY 2004, THE...

STEERING RELATED PROBLEMS INVOLVING MAJOR PART REPLACEMENT. I ALREADY CONTACTED AN NHTSA REP ABOUT A DIFFERENT ISSUE, THE UBIQUITOUS UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM WHICH WE HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS ON. AND I DISCUSSED PROBLEMS WITH STALLING TOO. AFTER THAT, I SEARCHED THE INTERNET; I SEE THAT THE MANIFOLD PROBLEM IS MORE PREVALENT THAN I SUSPECTED. I ALSO STUMBLED ONTO DISCUSSIONS OF STALLING, STEERING, AND ENGINE FIRE PROBLEMS. WHEN I CALLED GM 2 YEARS AGO ABOUT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, THEY DENIED THE PROBLEM EXISTED EVEN THOUGH MY DEALER AND OTHER SHOPS TOLD ME EVERYBODY KNEW ABOUT IT. I CALLED GM AGAIN A FEW WEEKS AGO AFTER HAVING MORE GASKET PROBLEMS AND ALTHOUGH THEY FINALLY ADMITTED TO THE MANIFOLD AND GASKET PROBLEMS, THEY COULD NOT HELP ME WITH MY EXPENSES, THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT, AND THE REP WAS OBSESSED WITH HAVING ME SAY THAT I WAS SATISFIED WITH...

LTR FM ANDREW HUNT (NJ) CONCERNED CLASSIFICATION OF ENGINE COOLANT LEAKAGE AS SAFETY PROBLEM & DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEMS SUGGEST NHTSA RECALL ALL GM MODEL YRS 1995-1998. *MR THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING WHEN THE ENGINE WOULD STOP IF THE COOLANT LEAKS. THE CONSUMER WAS REIMBURSED THE COST OF THE REPAIR KIT, BUT NOT THE BALANCE OF THE REPAIRS. THE STARTER FAILED WHEN AAA ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS FULL OF COOLANT IN THE ENGINE. *SCC *JB

COOLANT LEAK INTO ENGINE THRU PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *AK

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT 30-MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND THEY FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE. *PH WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED, THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART IT, THE ENGINE WAS HYDROSTATIC LOCKED DUE TO THE COOLANT LEAKS. *SC *JB

THE KEY WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION WHEN A LOUD EXPLOSION OCCURRED ALONG WITH SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AREA. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. *MR *SCC

THE TYPE OF METAL USED IN THE ENGINE WAS FLIMSY, AND ANTI FREEZE ATE THROUGH IT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LEAK. *JB *TS

CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A NO START CONDITION, AND THE VEHICLE STALLS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE, THE SERPENTINE BELT, COOLANT RESERVOIR, AND CRANK SENSOR ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT