1999 BUICK LESABRE Electrical System Problems

1999 BUICK LESABRE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH- ANTI THEFT WIRING ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE ANTI-THEFT WIRES WAS BROKEN AND THE SECOND WIRE HAD THE PROTECTIVE INSULATION COATING CRACKED THROUGH TO THE COPPER WIRE. IT APPEARED THAT ROTATION OF THE CYLINDER HAD CHAFED OVER TIME AND COMPROMISED THE INTEGRITY OF BOTH WIRES AND THE CAUSE THE SECURITY DASH LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,927.

TRAVELING ABOUT 65 - 70 MPH I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER WENT 'WACKY', MEANING IT WENT DOWN TO 0 - 20 MPH AND BACK UP AGAIN TO THE SPEED I WAS TRAVELING. NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED. THE NEXT TIME, MAYBE A WEEK TO A COUPLE WEEKS LATER IT DID I IT AGAIN, ONLY I HEARD THE DOORS UNLOCK AND IT HAD DIED. SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO START IT RIGHT BACK UP. I CAN BE OUT ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN TOWN. I USUALLY PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL, START IT AND KEEP GOING. IT HAS HAPPENED AS MANY TIMES AS 3 TIMES A DAY, OR IT WON'T DIE FOR 3-4 DAYS. I DID HAVE ONE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH A SEMI-TRAILER TRUCK BEHIND ME ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE JUST DIED. *TR

BATTERY WENT DOWN WHEN CLOCK LEFT ON BECAUSE IGNITION WAS LOOSE OR FAULTY. SO NOW I MAKE SURE CLOCK IS OFF WHEN I SHUT IT DOWN. CAR STARTED UP FINE - DROVE IT 6 MILES - CAME BACK OUT TO START IT AFTER AN HOUR AND NOTHING-NO SOUND NOTHING-ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER I TRIED IT AGAIN AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. THERE HAS BEEN A GRINDING SOUND N CASSETTE PLAYER WITH NO CASSETTE IN IT AT ONE TIME. DASH LIGHTS LIT UP WHILE DRIVING SO AUTOMATICALLY THOUGHT THERE IS SHORT IN DASH BOARD. SECOND TIME I PUT KEY IN AND NOTHING HAPPENED-NO SOUND-NOTHING, WHEN IT FINALLY DECIDED TO START THIS TIME I TOOK TO AUTO ZONE. FIRST THEY SAID BATTERY, BUT BATTERY IS PRETTY NEW, THEN ANOTHER MAN SAID ALTERNATOR. GOT ALTERNATOR FROM SHOP THAT REBUILDS ALTERNATORS AND THEY DON'T THINK IT IS ALTERNATOR. REAR DEFROSTER DOESN'T WORK AND FOR...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING MAINTENANCE PERFORMED FOR AN OIL LEAK, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH CABLE WAS FRACTURED CAUSING THE SECURITY SYSTEM AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER THE REPAIRS THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START UNTIL AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND IN SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC PART IN THE IGNITION WAS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

IN APPROX 2010 MY BUICK LESABRE HAD ISSUES STARTING AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY STOP OPERATING DURING TRAVEL. ALL IGNITION FUNCTIONS WOULD CEASE TO WORK. TOWED TO BUICK DEALERSHIP TO RESOLVE AND REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH. THIS YEAR A SIMILAR ACTION HAPPENED WHERE THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AGAIN AT THE DEALERSHIP THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. IS THIS IGNITION SWITCH ISSUE INCLUDED IN THE GM RECALL? *TR

WIRE IN STEERING COLUMN OPENS. CAR WON'T START. *TR

RE: ACCIDENT MAY, 27, 2014, NCIC 9245, OFFICER ID 17604 THE ABOVE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE BUICK LE SABRE, 1999, LICENSE # [XXX]. NOT DRIVER ERROR. LEAVING HIGHWAY 193 TURNING ONTO HWY 49, (GOING TOWARD AUBURN) BEING A 2 LANE NARROW WINDING ROAD, THE ENGINE OF THE ABOVE VEHICLE DIED, LOCKED UP THE STEERING, AND HAD NO BRAKES. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP OR CONTROL THE CAR. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS A LOSS OF BRAKES. IN TRYING TO CONTROL THE CAR IT CAUSED ME TO VEER OFF THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. UPON LEAVING THE ROAD AND CRASHING THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE VERIFIED BY WITNESSES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LOSS OF BRAKES. PASSENGER IN CAR ON TRIP FROM FRESNO TO AUBURN, IN MARCH OF 2013, (MECHANICAL FAILURE OF CAR ENGINE,...

THE EVENT LEADING TO THE INCIDENT INVOLVED TURNING ON THE REAR DEFROSTER. AFTER TURNING ON THE REAR DEFROSTER I SMELT SMOKE AND BURNT ELECTRONICS. THE REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT DEFROST. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND PULLED OFF THE PANEL NEAR THE WIRE RUNNING TO THE REAR WINDSHIELD AND DISCOVERED THE "POWER RADIO AMPLIFIER" HAD MELTED AND CAUGHT FIRE, RESULTING IN BURNS TO THE PANEL AND COMPLETE LOSS OF RADIO AND REAR DEFROSTER. THIS OF COURSE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DEFROST THE REAR WINDSHIELD. A REPLACEMENT PART WAS BOUGHT AND INSTALLED BY MYSELF (THE WIRING HARNESSES AND CABLES NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO SEVERE BURNING AS WELL). I STILL OWN THE OLD BURNT PART. *TT

IN DEC 2010 I TURNED ON MY REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER ON MY 1999 BUICK LESABRE. IT DID NOT WORK. AFTER CHECKING REPAIR OPTIONS IN THE AUTO MANUALS AND ON LINE, I STILL COULD NOT GET IT WORKING. WHEN MY SON CAME IN FOR THE HOLIDAYS, WE DECIDED TO CHECK THE WIRES AT THE REAR WINDOW. WE DISCOVERED A SQUARE UNIT ATTACHED TO THE BODY UNDER THE ROOF PANEL. THIS UNIT HAD AN ENTRY PLUG WHICH WAS BURNED AND AN OUTLET PLUG LEADING TO THE GRIDS ON THE REAR WINDOW. IT ALSO HAD THE RADIO ANTENNA LEADING INTO IT. THE UNIT AND THE ENTRY PLUG WERE BURNED. MY WIFE AND I BOTH SMELLED SOMETHING LIKE A ELECTRICAL AT ONE TIME BUT DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM. WHAT I AM ASKING IS THAT: COULD THIS UNIT CAUSE A FIRE OR BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL? I KNOW IT IS IN...

CONSUMER WAS COMING TO A STOP WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM, AND SPARKS BEGAN TO COME FROM BENEATH THE VEHICLE. *AK

THE OWNER WENT OUT TO THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. HE THEN CONTACTED THE AUTO CLUB AND THEY CAME OUT AND ATTACHED JUMPER CABLES. WHEN THE OWNER TURNED THE IGNITION AS INSTRUCTED BY THE MECHANIC HE IMMEDIATELY HEARD A "BANG" FOLLOWED BY A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM