2000 Buick Century

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK CENTURY. WHENEVER THE CONTACT WOULD PARK THE VEHICLE IN HER GARAGE, SHE WOULD SMELL HOT WATER COMING FROM THE RADIATOR. SHE DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC, AND WAS NEVER DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. UPDATED 08/20/08 *BF THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM VEHICLES. UPDATED 08/21/08 *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK CENTURY CUSTOM AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, THE THERMOSTAT, AND WATER PUMP. THESE COMPONENTS HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE REAR BRAKE SHOES AND A LEAKING CYLINDER ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE REAR DRUMS, AND THE SWITCH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FOR THE POWER WINDOWS WHERE REPLACED DUE TO POSSIBLE FIRE CONCERNS. IN ADDITION, THE RIGHT OUTER TIE ROD END ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL WAS LOOSE AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS INHERITED IN 2003 ALL THE AFOREMENTIONED FAILURES HAD TO BE REPLACED OR REPAIRED STARTING IN 2005. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY STATED THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE THE CONTACT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED WITH THE DEALER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,442, AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,218.*AK THE CONSUMER HAS PROVIDED INVOICES OF SERVICES AND CHECKED WITH GM TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE GASKET MANIFOLD, HOWEVER SHE WAS INFORMED NO RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THAT PART. UPDATE 05/10/07*TR

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A CLUNKING HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 45 MPH. TOOK CAR TO DEALER ON 4/5/04 AND SERVICE MANAGER WENT FOR A TEST DRIVE WITH ME AND HE DEFINITELY FELT THE PROBLEM. WHEN TECH RAN COMPUTER CHECK HE SAID TWO CODES CAME BACK AND THAT THE FUEL SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED AND IT WAS NOT COVERED BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY OR THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY. I HAD THE WORK DONE AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT MAY HAVE BEEN WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND TO CALL IF IT DID NOT RESOLVE. I DROVE THE CAR THE NEXT DAY AND WAS STILL HAVING ORIGINAL PROBLEM. THEY SET UP APPT AGAIN TO HAVE A TECH GO WITH ME ON ANOTHER TEST DRIVE. THIS WAS ON 4/10/04. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD THE SHOP FOREMAN GO WITH ME ON A TEST DRIVE AND HE ALSO FELT THE CLUNKING HESITATION AND SAID THEY WOULD RUN SOME MORE TESTS AND THAT IT MAY BE A SOLENOID RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION. I PHONED THE DEALER ON MONDAY AFTERNOON 4/12/04 TO SEE IF THE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM YET, AFTER BEING PUT ON HOLD AND THEN DISCONNECTED I CALLED BACK. THIS TIME I GOT SERVICE MANAGER'S VOICE MAIL AND LEFT A MESSAGE THAT I WAS STILL WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT MY CAR. NO ONE RETURNED MY CALL. ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON 4/13/04 I PHONED THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEN WAS CONNECTED TO SERVICE MANAGER WHO THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT THEY FOUND A PROBLEM AND THAT THEY DROVE A FEW MORE BUICK CENTURY MODELS THAT THEY HAD ON THEIR LOT AND THAT THE CLUNKING NOISE WAS NORMAL FOR MY CAR BUT THAT IT WAS JUST MORE PRONOUNCED IN MY CAR. HE THEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THEY FOUND A LEAKING MANIFOLD GASKET , BOTH UPPER ENGINE MOUNTS LOOSE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER ENGINE MOUNT LOOSE. MY 2000 BUCK CENTURY CUSTOM HAS ONLY 36,600 MILES. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN AUGUST OF 2003 FROM THE DEALER AND THE MILEAGE WAS JUST SLIGHTLY OVER 31,000 WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE.