2008 Buick Lacrosse

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PTS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE SEATS OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE SEAT SENSOR AND THE PTS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PTS MODULE WAS REPLACED ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THE CAR'S AIR BAG LIGHT BY THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHETHER THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR NOT. THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG ON/OFF LIGHT NEAR GLOVE COMPARTMENT TURNS TO OFF WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES. IN JUNE, I TOOK THE CAR INTO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE COMPUTER DOESN'T STORE A CODE FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC TRIED TO IMPROVE THE CONNECTION TO THE PASSENGER SEAT AND "RELEARNED" THE COMPUTER; HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. MECHANIC SAID IT "MIGHT" BE A $1,000 FIX WHICH INVOLVES PART OF THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION ITSELF! IT COST ME $100 TO FIND OUT THIS MUCH AND ATTEMPT A CORRECTION, BUT $1,000 IS RIDICULOUS; ESPECIALLY FOR A "MAYBE" FIX. I SEE OTHERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, TOO. I'VE ALREADY HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH KEY FIX AT THE DEALERSHIP. I ALSO ALREADY HAD THE PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHTS TURNING OFF AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD; OUR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FIXED THAT AND I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE GM REIMBURSEMENT ON THAT. HOPING WE CAN GET GM TO FIX THIS AIR BAG PROBLEM BEFORE IT CAUSES INJURIES.

VEHICLE WAS STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC AND REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 MPH. DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS WERE OCCUPIED AND FAILED. FRONT OF BOTH SEAT CUSHIONS WAS RAISED AND SEAT BACKS CONTACTED REAR SEAT. POWER SEAT MECHANISMS WERE INOPERATIVE AFTER INCIDENT AND SEATS COULD NOT BE MOVED. LUCKY NO ONE WAS IN REAR SEAT AS KNEE/LEG INJURIES MAY HAVE OCCURRED. PICTURES OF SEATS AVAILABLE IF REQUESTED. DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. *TR

AIR BAG REGISTERED AS OFF WHEN A PERSON WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND AFTER 18 MONTHS THE SAME PROBLEM IS RECURRING. THE AIR BAG WILL BE ON THEN SWITCH OFF AND ON ALL WHILE A PERSON IS SITTING IN THE SEAT AND NOT DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN SITTING. CURRENT MILEAGE FOR 2ND RECURRENCE IS 46,150. ALSO THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE GOING OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. HIGH BEAMS MUST BE USED WHEN THIS OCCURS. THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK WILL NOT OPEN OR LOCK WHEN THE REMOTE IS USED OR THE DOOR LOCK BUTTON ON THE DOOR. THE HOOD WILL ALSO NOT STAY UP AS THE HYDRAULIC LIFTERS DO NOT HOLD. *TR

I HAVE HAD TWO ISSUES INVOLVING THE NEED TO REPLACE WHAT I UNDERSTAND TO BE THE PASSENGER PRESENCE AIRBAG SENSOR. THIS ITEM CONSISTS OF A COMPLETE ASSEMBLY, THE ACTUAL SEAT PASSENGER SENSOR/SCALE ASSEMBLE AND THE ASSOCIATED COMPUTER. AT ABOUT 18,500 WHILE DRIVING, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THEN GO OFF. THERE WAS A PASSENGER SETTING ON THE SEAT IN EXCESS OF 125 POUNDS WEARING A SEAT BELT. AFTER SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND TESTS ,AT 24,008 MILES THE BUICK DEALER REPLACED AN ITEM LISTED ON THE WORK ORDER AS THE INFLATABLE RESTRAINT PASSENGER SEAT SUPPRESSION MODULE 19124100 MODULE KIT. AT ABOUT 42,600 MILES A SIMILAR PROBLEM DEVELOPED IN THAT THE AIRBAG READINESS ICON LIGHT, ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAME ON, INDICATING A COMPLETE AIRBAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. I SOON DISCOVERED THAT POUNDING ON THE SEAT WOULD MAKE THE LIGHT GO OUT UNTIL ANOTHER MALFUNCTION OCCURRED, USUALLY WHEN THE PASSENGER GOT OUT OF THE CAR. AGAIN AFTER REPEATED COMPLAINTS AND TESTS AT 46,713 MILES THE BUICK DEALER INSTALLED AN ITEM LISTED ON THE WORK ORDER AS THE A PPS MODULE 19258127 REMANUFACTURED MODULE KIT. BY WHATEVER NAME THIS THE SECOND TIME A COMPLETE PASSENGER PRESENCE AIRBAG SENSOR ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE WHEN THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED THERE WAS NO AIR BAD PROTECTION FOR THE PASSENGER. IN THE LATTER CASE THERE WAS A COMPLETE AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILURE. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTEE BUT THE SECOND REPLACEMENT I HAD TO PAY FOR MYSELF. INTERNET SEARCHES HAVE DISCLOSED THAT THERE ARE OTHER 2008 BUICK LACROSSE OWNERS WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE AIRBAG MODULE FAILURE AND COST OF REPLACEMENT. IF BUICK USES PARTS SUBJECT TO REPEATED FAILURE THEIR REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY BUICK.