1997 BUICK RIVIERA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I HAVE A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA THAT HAS A SECURITY LIGHT PROBLEM. I TRY TO CRANK THE CAR AND SOMETIMES IT WILL CRANK OTHER TIMES IT WONT. I AM A YOUNG MALE THAT NORMALLY TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH TO WORK BUT SOME MORNING'S ALL I CAN DO IS PRAY. IT NEVER REALLY BOTHERED ME BEFORE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I HAVE THE PATIENCE OF A SLUG. BUT TODAY I WAS PULLED OVER BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHT IN MY WINDOW WAS OUT LONG STORY SHORT. I ASKED THE OFFICER IF I COULD LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY PROBLEM WHILE HE CHECKED MY PAPER WORK INSURANCE REGISTRATION ETC. HE STATED FOR BOTH OF OUR MIND STATES IT WOULD BEST IF I TURNED OFF THE MOTOR. I DID AS I WAS ASKED THE OFFICER RETURNED TO THE CAR TO DELIVER MY DRIVERS LICENSE INSURANCE ETC. HE GAVE ME A WARNING TO GET THE LIGHT REPLACED THEN LEFT MEAN WHILE FOR THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF. HE RETURNED AROUND 45 MINUTES LATER. I AM ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY I TRIED CLEANING THE KEY WITH A DRY RAG LETTING THE KEY SET IN THE IGNITION UNTIL THE LIGHT TURNED OFF. I EVEN UNPLUGGED THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE BATTERY CABLE TO LET THE COMPUTER RESET ITS SELF. I WENT TO GM AND HAD A KEY MADE FOR THE CAR BECAUSE MY FIRST KEY HAD THE RUBBER TIP REMOVED. SO I FIGURED I WOULD GET A NEW KEY MADE FOR THE CAR AS WELL AS A NEW KEY PAD EVERYTHING WORKED FINE FOR A DAY OR TWO. I CALLED GM THE MANAGER ASKED ME TO COME BACK IN AND STATED THAT MAYBE THE KEY WAS UNDER CUT BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST PURCHASED A NEW KEY CUTTING MACHINE AND WERE STILL WORKING OUT THE BUGS. THE CAR STARTED FINE SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND I JUST DID NOT LET IT BOTHER ME FOR A WHILE. NOW IM INFORMING YOU GUYS BECAUSE MY OTHER CAR WAS TOTALED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER WHILE IT WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO I LEFT IT TO PUT AIR IN THE SPARE TIRE. I HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TO A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ITS TO LATE FOR ME OR ANYONE ELSE. *TR

I HAVE A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA THAT HAS A SECURITY LIGHT PROBLEM. I TRY TO CRANK THE CAR AND SOMETIMES IT WILL CRANK OTHER TIMES IT WONT. I AM A YOUNG MALE THAT NORMALLY TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH TO WORK BUT SOME MORNING'S ALL I CAN DO IS PRAY. IT NEVER REALLY BOTHERED ME BEFORE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I HAVE THE PATIENCE OF A SLUG. BUT TODAY I WAS PULLED OVER BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHT IN MY WINDOW WAS OUT LONG STORY SHORT. I ASKED THE OFFICER IF I COULD LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY PROBLEM WHILE HE CHECKED MY PAPER WORK INSURANCE REGISTRATION ETC. HE STATED FOR BOTH OF OUR MIND STATES IT WOULD BEST IF I TURNED OFF THE MOTOR. I DID AS I WAS ASKED THE OFFICER RETURNED TO THE CAR TO DELIVER MY DRIVERS LICENSE INSURANCE ETC. HE GAVE ME A WARNING TO GET THE LIGHT REPLACED THEN LEFT MEAN WHILE FOR THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF. HE RETURNED AROUND 45 MINUTES LATER. I AM ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY I TRIED CLEANING THE KEY WITH A DRY RAG LETTING THE KEY SET IN THE IGNITION UNTIL THE LIGHT TURNED OFF. I EVEN UNPLUGGED THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE BATTERY CABLE TO LET THE COMPUTER RESET ITS SELF. I WENT TO GM AND HAD A KEY MADE FOR THE CAR BECAUSE MY FIRST KEY HAD THE RUBBER TIP REMOVED. SO I FIGURED I WOULD GET A NEW KEY MADE FOR THE CAR AS WELL AS A NEW KEY PAD EVERYTHING WORKED FINE FOR A DAY OR TWO. I CALLED GM THE MANAGER ASKED ME TO COME BACK IN AND STATED THAT MAYBE THE KEY WAS UNDER CUT BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST PURCHASED A NEW KEY CUTTING MACHINE AND WERE STILL WORKING OUT THE BUGS. THE CAR STARTED FINE SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND I JUST DID NOT LET IT BOTHER ME FOR A WHILE. NOW IM INFORMING YOU GUYS BECAUSE MY OTHER CAR WAS TOTALED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER WHILE IT WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO I LEFT IT TO PUT AIR IN THE SPARE TIRE. I HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TO A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ITS TO LATE FOR ME OR ANYONE ELSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF OIL ON THE ENGINE DUE TO AN OIL LEAK FROM THE VALVE COVERS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) BUT DID NOT CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 11, 2009 MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME FORM THE GROCERY STORE ONE NIGHT, AS HE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN HE SMELLED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE CAR, HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO SEE WERE IT WAS COMING FROM. WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR HE SEEN A CLOUD OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE, HE LIFTED UP THE HOOD IN SAW FLAMES COMING FROM PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE CAR UNDER THE HOOD, HE WENT INTO THE FACILITIES TO WERE HE PULLED OVER AND GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT THE FIRE WAS TO BIG TO BUT OUT, SO HE CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY. THE CAR IS AT A TOTAL LOST. THE CAR A WEEK AGO BEFORE IT HAPPEN HAD A VERY STRONG GASOLINE SMELL COMING FROM THE CAR, BUT AFTER 1 TO 2 DAYS THE SMELL WENT A WAY, IT WAS CHECK FOR GAS AND OIL LEAKS BUT THERE WASN'T ANY. ME AND MY FAMILY WAS VERY TERRIFIED AND UPSET BECAUSE, THIS FIRE COULD HAVE CAUSE DEATH. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 19996 BUICK RIVERA FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. WHEN RESEARCHED THIS CAR AFTER THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS SIMILAR CASE TO MINES. I REALLY HOPE NO ONE ELSE WILL BE PUT IN MY SITUATION. *TR

STEERING COLUMN/WHEEL STARTED A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM, (WOULDN'T LOCK INTO PLACE AFTER ADJUSTING POSITION). WITHIN ABOUT A MONTH OR SO IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. IT WOULD NOT STAY IN A FIXED POSITION AT ALL. IN SEPTEMBER 2006 WE TOOK IT IN TO BE REPAIRED. THEY HAD TO FIND AND REBUILD ANOTHER STEERING COLUMN. IT COST US ALMOST $1000 DOLLARS, PLUS THE COST OF A RENTAL FOR ABOUT TEN (10) DAYS. THE BIGGEST REASON I'M WRITING THIS NOW IS BECAUSE, IT HAS BROKEN AGAIN. (IT IS THE SAME EXACT THING AS BEFORE). I AM WANTING TO KNOW IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ANYBODY ELSE OR IS IT AN ISOLATED THING ?. ALSO, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS BREAKING (THE HEADS SHEARING OFF) ?. IF NOT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED ITEMS THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL VEHICLES I'VE EVER OWNED. THANK YOU FOR ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN GIVE ME. KELLY GARDNER *TR