1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE, RUN HOT, AND MAKE SOUNDS AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS GULPING WATER. THE MOTOR LOCKED UP. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, IT WOULD NOT RESTART. A MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE MOTOR LOCKED UP BECAUSE COOLANT WAS ENTERING INTO THE MOTOR. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE IN THREE YEARS. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. HE PAID FOR THE REPAIRS ON BOTH OCCASIONS. THE PURCHASE DATE, POWERTRAIN, AND MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 03-25-08 *BF THE DEALER STATED PERFORMED FUEL RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. UPDATED 03/25/08 *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST PROBLEM INVOLVED COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED. UPON INSPECTION THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS FILLED WITH WATER AND THE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED. THE SECOND PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING ACROSS A PATCH OF ICE AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE TRACTION STABILITY AND ABS FAILED. THE V TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FRONT END STARTED TO SLIDE. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED,THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS RESET THEMSELVES AND WERE WORKING PROPERLY.*AK UPDATED 3/3/2006 - *NM

I PURCHASED 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE, FROM SANDERSON LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALERSHIP, GLENDALE, AZ 85301, ON FEBRUARY 24, 2005. SUBSEQUENTLY, I EXPERIENCED A MECHANICAL BREAK-DOWN ON APRIL 30, 2005. HENCE, I HAVE DISCERNED THAT THERE WERE TWO RECALLS ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 24, 2004, CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V0900000 AND CAMPAIGN NUMBER 00V17000 ON APRIL 18, 2000. I AM WRITING BECAUSE I HAVE EXPERIENCED BOTH DEFECTS. THE FORMER CAMPAIGN CAUSED ME TO EXPEND $900. FOR REPAIRS FOR A CRACKED MANIFOLD AND THE LATTER WAS RECENTLY EXPERIENCE WHEN THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER COULD NOT ATTACH THE SAFETY SEAT BELT BECAUSE IT HAD JAMMED. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO WHAT MY RECOURSES SHOULD BE? POWER BUICK, SCOTTSDALE, AZ, NEVER ADVISE ME OF A RECALL THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE AUTO'S BREAKDOWN...BUT DID CHARGE ME $887.44 FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. *NM

MY 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE WOULDN'T START BECAUSE OF A LINE THAT LEAKED ANTI-FREEZE INTO THE CYLINDERS OF THE ENGINE. AFTER I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANINC AND TALKING WITH A PARTS FOREMAN AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP I FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS QUITE COMMON. IF IT IS COMMON WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL AND WHY AREN'T THE BEING FIXED FREE OF COST TO US OWNERS?

I AM SUBMITTING THIS FOR MY FATHER-IN-LAW WHO IS 85 YEARS OLD. THERE IS A DEFECT IN GM 3800 ENGINES (VIN K-RPO L36) AT LEAST FROM 1995 TO 2003. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS DEFECT WHICH MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENTS. MY FATHER-IN-LAW WAS PASSING ANOTHER CAR AT ABOUT 70 MPH ON A TWO LANE COUNTRY ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE IN HIS 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE LOCKED-UP. THE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE THAT THE ENGINE BE REPLACED. THE LOCAL BUICK DEALER STATED THAT GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES (IN FACT, IT'S RATHER WELL KNOWN AMONG AUTO MECHANICS), BUT HAS A POLICY OF NOT ASSISTING WITH REPAIRS AND HAS NOT RECALLED THE ENGINES. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT IN THIS CASE, HOWEVER, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT TO OCCUR...

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH CONSUMER HEARD ALOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND VEHICLE STALLED. THIS CAUSED THE LOSS OF STEERING, AND THE BRAKES. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. AN INDEPENDENT SHOP DETERMINED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED, ALLOWING COOLANT TO GET INSIDE THE ENGINE. THIS COST $1200.00 TO REPAIR. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE, WHO BASICALLY TOLD HIM THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE BUICK DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND BUICK WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. BUICK SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD CONSUMER THEY KEPT A NUMBER OF THEM BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE, THE STARTER HOUSING BROKE. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE ENGINE FULL OF COOLANT AND TRACED THE PROBLEM TO AN UPPER INTAKE FAILURE DUE TO HEAT FROM THE EGR PASSAGE ERODING AWAY THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC *JB

CONSUMER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE TO 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. *MR THE ENGINE CRANKED AND THERE WAS A LOUD BANG EXACTLY AS THE RECALL STATED. FOLLOWING THE BANG WAS A LOUD NOISE AND WHITE SMOKE THAT HAD COME FROM THE TAIL PIPE. ANTI FREEZE ENTERED THE ENGINE AND MIXED WITH THE OIL. THE ENGINE WAS RE-MANUFACTURED. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS DEFECTIVE. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AS WELL. *SC *JB

WHEN MAKING A TURN IN EITHER ON A STRAIGHT " " DIRECTION THE VEHICLE STALLED. BUT THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. *AK *SC

LEAKY INTAKE GASKET ON 3.8K ENGINE, LEAKED COOLANT AND FOULDED PLUGS, ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER AT 81,000 MILES.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH AND WITH NO WARNING, THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. CONSUMER MADE CONTACT WITH DEALER. *AK THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BOTH THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD PROBLEMS EARLY ON. *SCC *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, ENGINE LIGGHT CAME ON AND BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. SUSEQUENT FINDINGS WERE THAT THE COMPOSITE INTAKE PLENUM HAD SEVERAL PIN HOLE LEAKS WHICH RESULTED IN DUMPING OF COOLANT INTO ENGINE AND SEIZURE VERY SHORTLY AFTER LIGHT CAME ON. HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE. NEW ENGINE SEEMS TO HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS NOW WITH POWER AND SMOOTH OPERATION AND EXCESSIVE RATTLING.*AK

WHEN THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE EXPLODED AND A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. *MR *SCC *JB

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD, AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER. *JB

ENGINE FIRE RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. *AK REFERENCED IN EA02-030

LIFTERS DAMAGED FROM APPARENT COOLANT LEAK IN UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD AT 80,000 MILES. ROD BEARING KNOCK OCCURRED AT 81,820 MILES. CAUSE AS YET UNKNOWN. POSSIBLY RELATED TO EARLIER COOLANT LEAK PROBLEM. NOW IN NEED OF A NEW ENGINE.*JB

TURNED ON IGNIION KEY OF 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE TO START AND HEARD LOUD BANG AND THEN NOTICED GREY SMOKE AT REAR OF HOOD AREA. TURNED OFF KEY, GOT OUT AND CLOSED DOOR, PROCEEDED TO HOUSE TO CALL 911 AND GOT KITCHEN FIRE EXTINGUISHER. I WENT BACK TO BURNING CAR, OPENED HOOD, OBSERVED FIRE AT SIDE OF ENGINE NEXT TO FIREWALL. I USED FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO GET MOST OF FIRE OUT. THERE WAS SOME FIRE UNDER ENGINE ON GROUND WHICH THE EXTINGUISHER DID NOT GET OUT. THE EXTINGUISHER WAS NOW EMPTY SO I WENT BACK TO HOUSE AND GOT BAKING SODA FROM KITCHEN AND THREW IT UNDER ENGINE TO EXTENGUISH THE FIRE UNDER THE ENGINE. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME BUT I HAD FIRE OUT BY THEN.

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH WARNING LIGHT FOR COOLANT CAME ON. CONSUMER WENT TO MECHANIC, WHO FOUND UPPER MANIFOLD PLENTIUM, WHICH WAS MADE OF PLASTIC, HAD ALLOWED ANTIFREEZE TO FLOOD ENGINE. *AK *JB

CRACKED HEAD GASKET, AND OIL BACK INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM. THEREFORE, CAUSING ME TO NEED ANOTHER ENGINE. *AK

CRACKED HEAD GASKET AND OIL BACK INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM. THEREFORE CAUSING ME TO NEED ANOTHER ENGINE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25-35MPH VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT. WOULD HAVE NO PRIOR WARNING. NEARLY REARENDED. NEED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL TO RESTART. AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC PLACED A MONITOR ON VEHICLE. NOTHING HAPPENED. WAS ROAD TESTED & BATTERY DIED. FOUND A SHORT IN BATTERY & IT WAS CHANGED. THE VEHICLE FINALLY STALLED AGAIN WHILE AT STOP LIGHT.*AK