2003 BUICK PARK AVENUE Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

2003 BUICK PARK AVENUE WITH LEAKING INTAKE GASKET. CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER TOLD HIM THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE GENERAL MOTORS TO MAKE THE REPAIRS AT NO COST TO HIM. *KB

I RECENTLY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM STATING THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH COOLANT LEAKS AROUND GASKETS AT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD OR AT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH MIGHT "CAUSE HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURES". THE LETTER SAYS IT IS A "VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM". THE SUGGESTED FIX IS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND HAVE THEM CHANGE SOME OF THE FASTENERS AND THEN "ADD COOLING SYSTEM SEALANT" TO THE RADIATOR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PUTTING COOLING SYSTEM SEALANT IN A BRAND NEW CAR (AND THUS REDUCING THE LIFE OF THE RADIATOR) IS AN UNACCEPTABLE FIX FOR A POSSIBLE GASKET PROBLEM. I WOULD THINK THAT THE COMPANY NEEDS TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS INSTEAD, IF THEY ARE THE FAULTY PART. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED THE NUMBER THAT GM SUPPLIED THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE GASKET AND THAT IF WE DID...