1997 Buick Lesabre

I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE NHTSA HAS SO LITTLE CONCERN FOR SAFETY THAT YOU CHARGE $38.73 PER HOUR AND OTHER FEES TO OBTAIN RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT ONES VEHICLE. I AM SURE THAT THIS CHARGE DOES EXACTLY AS DESIRED BY CONSUMERS JUST GIVING UP. YOUR WORK LOAD MUST BE NEAR ZERO WHICH I AM SURE WAS THE DESIRE. IF SAFETY WAS THE DESIRE THE INFORMATION WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ONE TO SEARCH FOR FREE. IS THAT NOT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WEB SITES ARE FOR. I HOPE HOMELAND SECURITY DOES NOT TAKE AFTER YOUR SITE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE VEHICLE COOLING LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE DUE TO A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE. HARD TO BELIEVE A COMPANY WOULD MAKE IT FROM PLASTIC. I ALSO BELIEVE IF I HAD ACCESS TO THE INFOMATION I WOULD FIND THAT MANY OTHER VEHICLES HAD THE SAME FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BEAR RESPONSIBILITY.*AK

ENGINE COOLANT DESTROYED ENGINE DUE TO THE DEGRADATION OF UPPER INTAKE MAINIFOLD MATERIALS AROUND THE EGR STOVE PIPE. WITHOUT WARNING(NO WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON) WHILE ON THE ROAD COOLANT ENTERED THE PISTONS THROUGH THE DEGRADATED UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD AND CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT AS POWER WAS LOST AND SPEED DRAMATICALLY DROPPED. SEEMS TO BE OBVIOUS ENGINE DESIGN FLAW IN 3800 V-6 ENGINES PRODUCED BY GM IN BUICK LASABRES, RIVERAS, REGALS, OLDSMOBILE 98S, 88S. INTRIGUE, PONTIAC BONNEVILLES, GRAND PRIX, & CHEVROLET LUMINAS, MONTE CARLOS OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS DATING FROM 1995-1998 WHEN THEY CHANGED THE MANIFOLD DESIGN. A SERVICE BULLETIN BY GM #01-06-01-007A IN JULY 18, 2001 INDICATED THE GM IS AWARE OF DEFECT AND HAS SINCE PRODUCED A DIFFERENT MANIFOLD TO REPLACE AND REPAIR PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THESE ENGINES WHEN THEY FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. GM HAS BEEN UNCOOPERATIVE IN THIS MATTER. ALL REPAIRS TO THIS CAR ARE DOCUMENTED WITH BILIINGS, ETC BY CERTIFIED GM SERVICE DEPT. INCLUDING OIL CHANGES AND PREVENTITIVE MAINTENANCE. THIS WAS A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE WITH A SERVICE HISTORY THAT CAN BE DOCUMENTED. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE WHERE DAMAGE OCCURRED.THE GM SERVICE DEPT. THAT REPLACED DAMAGED ENGINE INDICATED THAT THEY HAD 3 OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ENGINE DAMAGED BECAUSE OF COOLANT LEAK THROUGH THE DEGRADATION OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IN THAT ONE MONTH TIME FRAME. THIS IS A SMALL DEALERSHIP AND THEY INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A INDICATOR OF A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPONENT. *AK

ERRATIC ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND OCCASIONAL "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT REPORTED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN FOR MINOR REPAIR. INDEPENDENT DELCO GARAGE OWNER INDICATED STORED CODES WERE FOR "O2 SENSOR" - HOWEVER IT APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AT THAT TIME. ON FRIDAY 4/11/03, ERRATIC ENGINE PERFORMANCE (MISSING, LOSS OF PERFORMANCE) CAUSED ME TO HEAD TOWARDS GARAGE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. EN ROUTE, VEHICLE STALLED OUT, AND REFUSED TO RESTART (AT ONE POINT, A BACK FIRE OCCURRED DURING RESTART ATTEMPT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO GARAGE, AND DURING SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE HEAT FROM THE "EGR" PIPE FROM THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD DAMAGED THE UPPER COMPOSITE MANIFOLD, CAUSING A COOLANT LEAK INTO THE INTAKE. STORED CODES AT THIS TIME INDICATED O2 SENSOR, MISFIRE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. OWNER INDICATED THESE READINGS WERE CONSISTENT WITH HIS EXPERIENCE, AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST A DOZEN TO 18 UPPER INTAKES IN PAST 18 MONTHS. QUOTING HIM "WE'RE JUST A SMALL GARAGE". I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT WHEN HE CALLED LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP (TO INQUIRE ON AVAILABILITY OF PARTS) HE WAS TOLD "WE HAVE SO MANY OF THESE IN STOCK THAT WE CAN'T EVEN PUT THEM UP ON THE SHELVES THEY ARE STACKED IN THE AISLE." WHAT IS MOST DISCONCERTING IS WHEN I CALLED BUICK DIVISION GENERAL MOTORS CORP CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER I WAS TOLD BY KEVIN DAM (SP?) AND DARLENE VEGA (SP?) THAT THERE WAS NO KNOWN COMPLAINTS, INVESTIGATIONS OR RECALLS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. AFTER REVIEWING THIS SITE AND YOUR INVESTIGATION(S) - SOMEONE IS GROSSLY MISINFORMED! AND IT APPEARED THE MANUFACTURER MAY EVEN BE PARTICIPATING IN DENIAL AND/OR MISREPRESENTATION IN THIS MATTER. MY INQUIRY (COMPLAINT OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT) WAS GIVEN THE NUMBER 1-89860067. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE ALL HAVE A TICKING BOMB ON OUR HANDS ... UNFORTUNATELY, I DRIVE IT TO WORK EACH DAY! CAN YOU HELP ME?. *JB