2011 Buick Lucerne

CAR WAS STATIONARY, AND ATTEMPTED TO START. ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING GAS. DEALER IDENTIFIED REAR FUSE BOX/FUEL PUMP RELAY WAS SHORTED OUT. HE STATED THIS COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME- STATIONARY OR GOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SHORT IN FUSE BOX COULD RESULT IN FIRE. SHORT WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY REAR SEAT BRACKET RUBBING ON FUSE BOX, AS EVIDENCED BY MARKINGS ON FUSE BOX. THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME ISSUE ON INTERNET SITES. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED?

A MANUFACTURER DEFECT EXISTS IN THE AREA OF THE REAR FUSE BOX LOCATED UNDER THE REAR SEAT ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE SEAT BRACKET APPLIES PRESSURE TO THE FUSE BOX COVER DEFLECTING IT FROM ITS STANDARD POSITION. THIS DEFLECTION PUTS LATERAL PRESSURE ON THE FUEL PUMP RELAY. THIS LATERAL FORCE CAUSE AN WEAKED CONTACT BETWEEN THE RELAY AND THE FUSE BOX CONNECTORS. INCREASED ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE CAUSES THE RELAY TO OVERHEAT AND MELT ITS BASE AND FUSE BOX. THE HEAT IS INTENSE ENOUGH TO CASE THE CONTACT PINS OF THE RELAY, AND SOCKET OF THE FUSE BOX AND SOFTENS THE METAL FURTHER DEGRADING THE CONTINUITY AND INCREASING RESISTANCE. THIS MANDATES A REPLACEMENT OF THE FUSE BOX SINCE SIMPLY REPLACING THE RELAY AFTER THE HEAT DAMAGE MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO REMEDY THE DEFECT. A MANUFACTURER TSB EXHISTS HOWEVER, THIS COMPONENT IS MORE LIKELY TO FAIL ON A LONGER HIGH SPEED DRIVE. IF IT FAILS AT SPEED, VEHICLE CONTROL ISSUES MAY ARISE AMONG WITH DRIVER PANIC WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

ON MARCH 28TH, 2018 MY VEHICLE A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE WITH 162,554 MILES ON IT, WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER MAKING A TWENTY-MILE TRIP TO TAKE MY GRANDCHILDREN TO SCHOOL. I PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN FRONT OF MY MOTHER'S HOUSE TO VISIT, AND UPON MY ATTEMPT TO LEAVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS, STRANGE NOISES, OR SMELLS THAT WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THE FUSE BOX FAILURE, LEADING TO THE BOX MELTING. WHEN A BATTERY GOES BAD, IT SMELLS LIKE SPOILED EGGS, HOWEVER IN THE CASE OF MY VEHICLES FUSE BOX MELTING THERE WAS NO TOXIC SMELL(S), THAT IS A GOOD THING SINCE NO PASSENGERS SUFFERED FROM MELTING PLASTIC FUMES, I GUESS. I TOOK MY 2011 BUICK LUCERNE TO THE DEALER'S SHIP BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. UPON THE TECH DIAGNOSES THE FUSE RELAY HAD MELTED, AND THIS WAS ONE REASON THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT RECEIVING POWER TO SEND FUEL TO THE ENGINE. MY NEXT CONCERN IS THE PLACEMENT OF THESE COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE, THEY ARE LOCATED UNDER THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS. IF THE VOLTAGE, FUSE BOX MELTS AGAIN SOON, THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INTERNAL FIRE IS HIGHLY POSSIBLE AND THUS THE LOSS OF LIVES IS LIKELY. AFTER CONDUCTING MY OWN ONLINE SEARCH, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED IN THE PAST OR MINIMIZED IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE FOR THE CONSUMERS SAFETY CONCERNS REPORTED AT VARIOUS DEALERSHIPS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

THE BUICK LUCERNE 2011 WE OWN HAD THE BATTERY EXPLODE UPON TURNING THE KEY. I AM WIFE/CAREGIVER TO 100% DISABLED VETERAN AND HIS SERVICE DOG. NORMALLY I WOULD HAVE PUT THEM BOTH IN THE CAR BEFORE TURNING THE KEY BUT LUCKILY ON THIS DAY I DID NOT OR WE ALL WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE CAR WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WE IMMEDIATELY HAD CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC AFTER THE ACID AND SMOKE IN CAR HAD CLEARED. IT WAS DEEMED THAT BATTERY EXPLODED AS IT IS UNDER THE REAR SEAT AND WE COULD NOT SEE IT UNTIL THE SEAT WAS OUT. A NEW BATTERY WAS PUT IN BUT THE RESIDUAL ACID BURNING AND MELTING SEAT HAD ME TAKE IT BACK FOR FURTHER REPAIR. THE INSURANCE COMPANY FINALLY CONCEDED TO REPLACE THE 2ND BATTERY AND PUT NEW FOAM IN BACK SEAT AS THE 1ST NEW ONE WAS ALREADY CORRODING AFTER 2 WEEKS. IT WAS TOLD TO ME THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS GOING TO TOTAL THE CAR AS IT IS A LIFE THREATENING FIRE HAZARD BUT THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND AND HAD US PAY ABOUT $1000 OUT OF POCKET FOR NEW ALTERNATOR AS THEY CLAIM IT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION. WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN OR CAUSE A FIRE AS THE ENTIRE WIRING UNDER THE SEATS FROM THE ALTERNATOR IS DEFECTIVE. IT IS TERRIFYING TO BE IN THIS (OUR ONLY VECHICLE FOR TRANSPORT TO VA HOSPITAL TREATMENTS) CAR DAILY. WE WAIT ANOTHER EXPLOSION OR FIRE ANY MINUTE. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO EXAMINE THE CAR FOR SAFETY AS THEY MUST BE EQUALLY AFRAID OR UNABLE TO ASSURE IT IS SAFE. PLEASE ADVISE OTHERS OF THIS LIFE THREATENING FIRE HAZARD BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I PRAY IT WONT BE US, OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT TO HARM OTHERS. WE STILL OWE $$ ON THIS CAR AS WE BOUGHT IT USED 2 YEARS AGO AND THE DEALER WILL NOT ASSIST IN HELPING US GET ENOUGH TO PAY THE LOAN BUT GLADLY TOOK MANY THOUSANDS OVER VALUE FROM US. PLEASE MAKE THIS PUBLIC TO SAVE LIVES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP RELAY HAD OVERHEATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. IT TOOK THE CONTACT SEVERAL MINUTES TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND, EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE CONTACT WAS LOCKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE ELECTRONIC LOCK SYSTEM WITHIN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT SERVICED THE VEHICLE HIMSELF AND FOUND THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN--WHEN I ACCELERATED TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE CAR SHIFTED INTO THE GEAR FOR DRIVING IN THE SNOW. THE GEAR SHIFT STILL WAS IN DRIVE. IN THE SNOW DRIVE GEAR YOU GET A BUMPY RIDE AND CAN ONLY GO 30 MPH. I HAD ON STAR AT THAT TIME AND THEY TOLD ME TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND IT WOULD GET ME OUT OF THAT GEAR. I DID THAT TWICE AND IT WORKED. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A DEALER IN FLORIDA AND THEY SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY FUSE--WHICH THEY REPLACED. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN THIS WEEK; I NOW HAVE 34,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. TURNING THE CAR OFF ALSO WORKED. I WILL BRING THE CAR INTO BUICK TO HAVE IT CHECKED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE CAR WILL SLIP INTO THE SLOW GEAR WHILE I'M DRIVING. HAS ANYONE ELSE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

BACKGROUND - I JUST WENT THROUGH THE IGNITION RECALL ON MY 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND I AM COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR NOW. THEN I RECEIVED RECALL 14299 ON MY 2011 BUICK LUCERNE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 14V355) INVOLVING A SIMILAR IGNITION ISSUE. IT ALSO MENTIONED THE WEIGHT ISSUE OF ITEMS HANGING ON THE KEY CAUSING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, BRAKING, ETC. THE RECALL PROVIDED THE SAME INTERIM INSTRUCTIONS AS THE COBALT, REMOVE EVERYTHING FROM THE KEY INCLUDING THE FOB. I TOOK MY BUICK LUCERNE IN FOR THE RECALL AND FOUND OUT ALL IT INVOLVED WAS ADDING TWO KEY RINGS AND AN INSERT IN THE KEY. AFTER THE RECALL IS PERFORMED IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE TO ADD PREVIOUSLY REMOVED ITEMS BACK ON YOUR KEY RING. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW ADDING TWO KEY RINGS AND AN INSERT CAN CORRECT A WEIGHT ISSUE ON THE KEY. I HAVEN'T HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED YET BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE BOTH KEYS WITH ME WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I AM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF I AM WASTING MY TIME DRIVING 40 MILES FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE A GENERAL MOTORS SHAM. HAS THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION EVALUATED AND APPROVED THIS FIX? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT IF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE...UPDATED 09-24-14 *BF