2001 Buick Lesabre

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 BUICK LESABRE. WHEN THE CONTACT INSERTED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION TO START THE VEHICLE IT MADE A POPPING SOUND AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. MOMENTARILY THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 03/16/17*LJ UPDATED 08/11/2017*JS

THERE WAS AN OIL SMELL WHILE MY CAR WAS RUNNING AND THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DEFROST STOPPED WORKING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO MY MECHANIC. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF OIL LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE AND IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IT UNTIL THIS LEAK WAS FIXED. I LEFT THE CAR AT HIS SHOP WHILE THE PARTS WERE ORDERED. I LEARNED OF THE GM RECALL OF THE 3800 SERIES ENGINE (OIL SEEPING THROUGH VALVE COVER GASKETS AND CAUSING ENGINE FIRES) AND ASKED MY MECHANIC IF THIS WAS THE SAME OIL LEAKING PROBLEM AND WHY WASN'T THE MODEL, THE 2001 BUICK LESABRE, PUT ON THE RECALL LIST BECAUSE IT HAS THE 3800 SERIES ENGINE IN IT. HE DID NOT KNOW, SO I CALLED GM AND ASK WHY THIS MODEL WASN'T LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE GM SUPPORT STAFF SEARCHED MY VIN NUMBER AND SAID THAT THIS MODEL IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE REPAIR OF THE OIL LEAK, AND MY MECHANIC ORDERED NEW VALVE COVER AND GASKET PARTS. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER DUE TO THE RECALL AND THERE WOULD BE A WAITING PERIOD. AFTER A FEW WEEKS MY MECHANIC CALLED AND SAID THAT THE PARTS WERE IN AND THAT HE WOULD START THE WORK THE NEXT DAY. THE FOLLOWING DAY I RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY MECHANIC THAT AS THEY STARTED THE CAR TO MOVE IT FROM PARKING LOT INTO THE WORK BAY THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THEY LIFTED THE HOOD, THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE SO THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH FIRE SUPPRESSION IMMEDIATELY AND NOTIFIED ME. I CALLED THE GM SUPPORT STAFF BACK TO LET THEM KNOW THAT MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT OF AN OIL LEAK HAD PROGRESSED TO AN ENGINE FIRE WHILE WAITING FOR THE PARTS TO ARRIVE AND THE REPAIR TO BEGIN. THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, STATIONARY IN THE PARKING LOT PRIOR TO STARTING IT BEFORE THE POP-SOUND AND FIRE. *TR

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING. SEVERE HESITATION AND LOSS OF POWER. I HAVE REPLACED THE 3 IGNITION COILS, THE IGNITION MODULE, NEW SPARK PLUGS, AND A WIRE SET. I HAVE BEEN READING ALOT ABOUT FIRES ON THIS SITE. YESTERDAY 7/7/16 WHEN I CAME HOME THERE WAS A LOUD WEERING SOUND, AND ONCE I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE THEIR WAS A LOUD PIERCING WHISTLE AS IF BUILT UP PRESSURE WAS BEING RELIEVED UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL. TODAY AGAIN A LACK OF POWER, FLASHING SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, AND NO POWER. I AFRAID THE ENGINE MIGHT CATCH ON FIRE AS IN OTHER POSTINGS ON THIS SITE.

OUR BUICK HAD BEEN RUNNING FINE, BUT WENT TO MOVE IT ONE MORNING. WITH A COLD ENGINE, AS SOON AS WE HIT THE STARTER, THE ENGINE EXPLODED VERY LOUDLY AND STARTED BURNING. AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE INTAKE MANIFOLD, ALONG WITH THE FUEL LINES HAD EXPLODED IN MANY PIECES. FROM INTERNET RESEARCH, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR HAD A RECALL FOR VEHICLE YEARS '98-'00, WHICH THESE MODELS HAD THE SAME CONDITION. HAD I HAD THE HOOD OPEN AT THE TIME, I'D PROBABLY BEEN HURT BY FLYING CHUNKS FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION WHICH COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED BODILY HARM, EVEN FROM FIRE TO THE PASSENGERS INSIDE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MANIFOLD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000. UPDATED 04/07/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 04/14/16.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS LIFTING INDEPENDENTLY AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY WHEN TURNED IN EITHER DIRECTION. IN ADDITION, THE HEADLINER WAS TEARING. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.