1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline Problems

1. LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT WITH NO APPARENT EXTERNAL LEAKAGE 2. DIFFICULTY STARTING AND THEN FAILURE TO START ENGINE 3. CORRODED PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ALLOWS ENGINE COOLANT INTO ENGINE DESTROYING ENGINE. *AK

THE FIRST INCIDENT OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED IN 2001 AT 48,000 MILES. TO CORRECT THE COOLANT LOSS THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROX. $500.00. THE SECOND OCCURANCE WAS AT 103,000 MILES, THIS TIME GM HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 01-06-01-007A DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM AND INDICATING THAT NOW BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLDS NEED TOBE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, COST $750.00. IT IS MY FEELING THAT SINCE GM KNOWS THE PROBLEM IS ONE OF FAULTY MATERIAL THEY SHOULD COVER AT LEAST THE COST OF THE PARTS, WHICH THEY HAVE FAILED TO DO. DT

INTAKE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A CRACK OR HOLE. COOLANT LEAKED INTO CYLINDERS AND OIL CAUSING ENGINE NOT TO RUN. REPAIR COST $966.23. FUEL REGULATOR FAILED CAUSING ENGINE TO BACK FIRE AND BLOW VACCUM HOSES OFF OF ENGINE. REPLACEMENT OF SAME COST $114.94. DT

CONSUMER STATES THE MOTOR "LOCKED UP" WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT ANTIFREEZE IS LEAKING INTO ENGINE CYLINDERS. TS

THE CAR WAS PARKED FOR 6 DAYS. WEATHER WAS SLIGHT DRIZZLE, WITH TEMPERATURE ABOUT 50 DEGREES. AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30 PM ON 10/25/2002, I PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURNED IT. I HEARD A LOT POP FROM THE ENGINE. THE POP WAS SO LOUD THAT NEIGHBORS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET DOWN THE STREET CAME OUT OF THEIR CLOSED HOUSES TO DISCOVER WHAT HAPPENED. SMOKE BEGIN TO POUR FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THEN FLAMES APPEARED. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. CAR WILL PROBABLY BE TOTALLED. DT

WHILE SLOWING DOWN VEHICLE TO PULL INTO A GAS STATION, CONSUMER STATES THERE WAS A BIG EXPLOSION UNDER HOOD, POPPED HOOD AND SAW FLAMES, WENT FOR HELP. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

VEHICLE HAS STALLED 9 TIMES WITHIN LAST TWO MONTHS. CAR CHECKED BY FIRST DEALER WHO COULD NOT DETERMINE PROBLEM ORIGIN. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE CHECKED BY 2ND DEALER WHO REPLACED COMPUTER AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY OF VEHICLE ON ROAD WITH STALLING PROBLEMS. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT HE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MACK BROWN (BUICK DEALER), BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTING WRONG. THE VEHICLE HAD STOPPED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN 150 MILES AND IT STOPPED AGAIN, AND AT 200 MILES THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO TOM BROOKS (DEALER). THE PROBLEM STILL MAY NOT BE SOLVED. *SCC

INSURED ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE INSIDE HER NEIGHBORS GARAGE. DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE GARAGE, CLAIM 36-A152-007. *JG

CONSUMER WAS STARTING VEHICLE WHEN HE HEARD A BIG BOOM, SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 25-5607-676. *SLC

CONSUMER TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND HEARD AN EXPLOSION, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT INSIDE HER NEIGHBORS GARAGE, CLAIM 36-A152-007. *SLC

INSURED TURNED THE KEY AND THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 13-7487-154. *JG

VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT, INSURED STARTED VEHICLE, PUFF OF SMOKE APPEARED. INSURED TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND FIRE ERRUPTED, CLAIM 49-3261-220. *JG REFERENCED IN EA02-030

INSURED WASN'T ABLE TO START CAR. TRIPLE A CAME TO START THE CAR, WHEN DRIVER HOOKED UP THE BATTERY CABLE AND TURNED THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE BLEW UP AND A FIRE BEGAN, CLAIM 59-V656-995. *JG

INSURED STARTED UP THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 42-1319-967. *JG

INSURED WAS JUMP STARTING VEHICLE WITH CABLES, ENGINE BLEW, FIRE STARTED, CLAIM 23-1290-238. *JG

CONSUMER TURNED KEY, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 13-7487-154. *SLC

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, ORIGIN APPEARS NEAR LEFT FRONT APRON, VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING ALL NIGHT, CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE AND A PUFF OF SMOKE APPEARED, CONSUMER TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND FIRE BEGAN, CLAIM 49-3261-220. *SLC

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE JUMPED AND WHEN HE HOOKED UP THE BATTERY CABLE AND TURNED THE KEY TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE BLEW UP AND A FIRE STARTED, CLAIM 59-V656-995. *SLC

CONSUMER STARTED UP VEHICLE AND IT CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 42-1319-967. *SLC

CONSUMER JUMP STARTED VEHICLE WITH CABLES WHEN ENGINE BLEW AND A FIRE STARTED, CLAIM 23-1290-238. *SLC

INSURED ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE INSIDE HER NEIGHBORS GARAGE. DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE GARAGE, CLAIM 36-A152-007. *JG

INSURED TURNED THE KEY AND THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 13-7487-154. *JG

VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT, INSURED STARTED VEHICLE, PUFF OF SMOKE APPEARED. INSURED TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND FIRE ERRUPTED, CLAIM 49-3261-220. *JG

INSURED WASN'T ABLE TO START CAR. TRIPLE A CAME TO START THE CAR, WHEN DRIVER HOOKED UP THE BATTERY CABLE AND TURNED THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE BLEW UP AND A FIRE BEGAN, CLAIM 59-V656-995. *JG

INSURED STARTED UP THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 42-1319-967. *JG

INSURED WAS JUMP STARTING VEHICLE WITH CABLES, ENGINE BLEW, FIRE STARTED, CLAIM 23-1290-238. *JG

WHILE TURNING ON VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION THAT CAME FROM ENGINE, CAUSING CABINET DOOR TO BLOW OPEN. CONTACTED DEALER WHO WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK THE FUEL REGULATOR WAS FAULTY, TOO MUCH PRESS. *JG

CONSUMER WAS STARTING VEHICLE WHEN HE HEARD A BIG BOOM, SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 25-5607-676. *SLC

CONSUMER TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND HEARD AN EXPLOSION, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT INSIDE HER NEIGHBORS GARAGE, CLAIM 36-A152-007. *SLC

CONSUMER TURNED KEY, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 13-7487-154. *SLC

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, ORIGIN APPEARS NEAR LEFT FRONT APRON, VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING ALL NIGHT, CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE AND A PUFF OF SMOKE APPEARED, CONSUMER TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND FIRE BEGAN, CLAIM 49-3261-220. *SLC

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE JUMPED AND WHEN HE HOOKED UP THE BATTERY CABLE AND TURNED THE KEY TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE BLEW UP AND A FIRE STARTED, CLAIM 59-V656-995. *SLC

CONSUMER STARTED UP VEHICLE AND IT CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CLAIM 42-1319-967. *SLC

CONSUMER JUMP STARTED VEHICLE WITH CABLES WHEN ENGINE BLEW AND A FIRE STARTED, CLAIM 23-1290-238. *SLC

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED LOW COOLANT MESSAGE FLASHED ON WHILE LOW TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS READING COOL. SOON AFTER, NOTICED ENGINE RUNNING HARD. CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OVER, AND ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. *AK DEALER FOUND PLENUM LEAKING, DEALER REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLDS UPPER AND LOWER, PLENUM, COOLANT BYPASS HOSE, AND HEAD GASKET SEAL. *TT

THE DRIVER PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, TURNED IT AND HEARD A LOUD BOOM, THEN THE CAR WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD, THIS FAILURE COULD POSSIBLY BE TO AND ENGINE FAILURE.

NO SUMMARY FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

AS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE REP THE CONSUMER SHIFTER FROM FOURTH TO THIRD TO SECOND AND TO FIRST BUT THE ENGINE STILL DIED WHILE GOING DOWN A LONG HILL. NLM

PLASTIC CASE ON INTAKE MANIFOLD - HOLES BURN THROUGH CASE AND WATER GOES INTO CYLINDER

WHEN GOING DOWNHILL THE CONSUMER PLACES THE VEHICLE IN FIRST GEAR AND THE ENGINE DIES THE MECHANIC BELIEVES THAT SHIFTING DOWN EFFECTS THE ENGINE'S COMPUTER SO THAT IT SHUTS DOWN BUT THE CONSUMER IS CONSERNED ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE OWNERS MANUAL WHICH STATES IF YOU DONT DOWNSHIFT THE BRAKES COULD GET HOT AND CAUSE POOR OR NO BRAKING ABILITY. NLM

VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT, JUST HAD VEHICLE SERVICED FOR AN OIL CHANGE. STARTED VEHICLE AND ENGINE EXPLODED, FLAMES ENGULFED VEHICLE. BUICK HAD RECALL FOR SAME PROBLEM IN 96 & 97 MODELS. *AK *ML