Consumer Complaint Detail

BUICK / PARK AVENUE / 1997

Recalls
0 Injured
Investigations
0 Death
Complaints
No Fire
Components - Details
NHTSA Complaint Number: 003278486 Incident Date: Feb, 14 2003
Consumer's City: Consumer's State: UN
Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO Manufacturers Name: General Motors, LLC
Model Name: PARK AVENUE Model Year: 1997
Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No Component's Description: Engine and engine cooling
Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No Persons Injured: 0
Vehicle's VIN#: 1G4CW52K4V4 Date added to File: May, 25 2021
Date Complaint Received: Jan, 14 2004 Complaint Type: CAG
Incident Reported To Police: No Purchase Date: -
Was Original Owner: No Anti-lock Brakes: No
Number of Cylinders: 0 Date of Manufacturer: -
Was Vehicle Towed: - Description of the Complaints: My number one problem with this car is the plastic intake manifold failed under normal use. this allowed coolant to mix with the oil while i was driving on the highway in heavy traffic. the result was that the main bearings were destroyed and i had to buy a new engine. (i have the original plastic intake manifold in my possession.) the problem is that the plastic intake manifold can not withstand the heat generated by the egr valve and eventually suffers from thermal fatigue at the egr and stress relaxation around the flange of the manifold. i notified gm of the problem in writing and they offered me $800 compensation for my $5,000.00 problem. they told me that my engine was probably on its last legs. i told them that the car has been babied and offered up results of the mandatory emissions test that the car underwent not 3 weeks prior to failure as proof that the car was in good running order. (in toronto, all vehicle owners must submit their cars for emissions testing every 2 years. the car is measured for hydro carbon output, nox output, co, and co2. if the engine had been malfunctioning, it would have been qualified.) this problem would not have occurred if gm didn't switch from aluminum to plastic. other problems with the car include a rear window defogger that caught on fire, - 3'rd alternator, 2nd battery , a security system that sounds while driving down the street, water in the trunk (several attempt to repair, ended up drilling a hole in the trunk), failed ac compressor, failed heated seat, several instrument control light bulbs have burned out and can not be replaced, you have to replace the entire instrument. the rear brake rotors that warp every 35,000 km. - fuel gauge that doesn't work below a quarter tank. if you would like copies of correspondence sent to gm, let me know. regards doug webb 13 brumell avenue toronto, ontario m6s 4g3 doug.webb@sympatico.ca 905-238-0007 ex. 2624 (daytime)