1998 Buick Lesabre: engine failure

Filed May 4, 2011 · Electrical · 83,000 miles · NY · crash

1998 buick lesabre crashed at low speed causing property damage, engine cut out while driving at low speed. Car was declared a total loss, leaving me with bills of over $10,000 for lost car, repairs, insurance. Problem had arisen on and off since acquiring car at 65,000 miles..twice taken in to gm dealership for this problem. Could not find anything wrong. Problem would disappear for months and then reappear. Numerous mechanics checked and could not find source of problem. After car was declared a total, news story ran about toyota cars stalling out due to defective engine control modules (the federal safety agency report #pe09054). The defective part was made by delphi..which was owned by general motors..makers of the buick lesabre. I contacted gm headquarters to ask if the control module in my part was made by gm/delphi. They refused to answer me, saying that as no recall had been issued and my car was gone,they could do nothing for me. Meanwhile, it turns out that gm did own delphi in 1998, did manufacture those modules, which had to have been in the buick lesabres,and were years later causing identical engine failures in toyotas. Those parts are out there today, waiting for something horrible to happen. Among the 12 summaries you have on your site for electrical problems with buick lesabres, one is even worse than mine "report #9001048 "complete electrical failure on a major highway with a tragedy barely avoided, transmission failure". When I purchased the car at 65,000 miles it had a serious transmission problem as well, which was found and fixed. The electrical problem persisted until the engine cut out while driving at low speed in the middle of the afternoon, on a busy local road. When the engine failed, the brakes failed. I could not stop the car. Quick thinking put me up against a telephone pole so no lives were lost. Many of your other complaints mention complete electrical failure with this car. Investigation anyone?

Filed Apr 19, 2009 · Engine · 62,000 miles · MI

Here's what happened, the car started consuming dexcool antifreeze, but none was noticed leaking external to the engine. The upper intake manifold made of plastic apparently warped, and/or a hole burned in near the egr stove pipe, thus dumping antifreeze into the engine and hydrolocking the engine. Major problem, complete engine failure would not start or run. This car had been well maintained with both regular oil and coolant changes, the car has been adult driving . Cost to repair $450.00 for just upper intake, add another $450 for the lower intake as well.

Filed Jul 25, 2007 · Engine · 82,000 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 buick lesabre. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle sputtered out of control and stalled. The mechanic stated that the vehicle would need a new engine due to an oil leak. The current and failure mileages were 82,000.

Filed Jan 25, 2006 · Engine · NJ

1998 buick lesabre engine seized causing consumer to come to an abrupt stop. Upper intake manifold had warped causing anti-freeze to go into the motor per mechanic. *ts ***no answer required***

Filed May 19, 2005 · Engine · 48,840 miles · FL

My wife drives a 1998 buick lesabre. She has a disability and is pacemaker-dependent. On 5-17-2005 she was enroute on the highway toward our town in the buick when it started running hot. Fortunately, she was able to make it back to our town, where she then pulled over in a wal-mart parking lot. However, she became very stressed over the situation because the temperature guage had gone well into the red but she was afraid to pull over for fear of becoming stranded on the highway. As it turns out, the cause of this problem is a failed plenum, an issue which occurs frequently with the gm 3800 engine. I submit to you that this problem is well-known to the manufacturer, the federal safety agency, and many mechanics and repair shops. The safety problem comes from the fact that (as far as I am aware) there have been no warnings issued to consumers who own a vehicle with the gm 3800 series ii engine. The potential for situations to occur much worse than ours is not only likely, but it is a guaranteed event. My only recourse at this point is to file a complaint with the federal safety agency, a complaint which I feel should be classified as a safety issue. These engine failures are not just merely a 'consumer misfortune', but will become the underlying cause for inumerable road hazards for the car's owners as well as other drivers. The problem is due to an engineering design flaw (materials used) and future safety problems (including loss of life) can be avoided. This issue should be addressed by the federal safety agency.

Filed Oct 21, 2004 · Engine · 88,103 miles · AR

July 11, 2002: we had to have 5 injectors replaced by jordan oldsmobile-buick, hot springs, arkansas. Cost: $709.42. Mileage was 82,260. October 31, 2002: we had to take our car to orr pontiac, cadillac, toyota, hot springs, arkansas, because the car misfired (or backfired) on us. The work order states: customer states that oil light and temp light came on; car was low on coolant and had to add water, said a lot of white smoke came out of tail pipes and had very bad sulfur smell. Intake leaking, flooding cyl with coolant. replaced : two manifolds, coolant, oil, etc. Cost: $1398.66. Mileage: 88,103. November 15, 2002: oil gauge goes to red and engine has knock. Diagnosis was internal engine damageI was told that parts of the engine had been made of plastic and this plastic had melted. Complete new engine. Cost: $4174.94. Mileage: 88,821.

Filed Jul 26, 2004 · Fuel system · 85,170 miles · NM

Recall regarding the intake manifold on the 1998 buick lesabre. *mr the engine overheated and was ruined due to the intake manifold problem. *sc the second time the consumer experienced problems with the vehicle it resulted in having to get a new engine which was due to the intake manifold problem.

Filed Apr 21, 2004 · Fuel system · 80,000 miles · MI · fire

After starting the vehicle, a fire started in the engine compartment. The consumer managed to exit the vehicle. *ak there was no warning light. The key was turned to start the engine when the backfire occurred. The service dealer used the old parts that were damaged to repair the vehicle. After the repair, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle needed a new engine from the fire. (the coolant had leaked into the cylinder and caused it to leak) recall#04v090000 the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc

Filed Jan 15, 2004 · Engine · 31,258 miles · VA

Gentlemen: I have a 1998 buick lesabre with 31,258 miles on it. Last weekend, I turned the key and heard a loud bang. The starter motor case had cracked. My independent garage put in a new starter to the tune of $526.00. When they tried to start the car, the same thing happen to the new starter. The garage then discovered that the 3.8l v6 engine was frozen due to a leak in the intake manifold which allowed coolant to enter the cylinders. They said the leak was caused by the gm "5 year" coolant rotting the manifold away. They estimated the repair at $2,000.00, including the starter. I called buick customer service; they are vague about any problem or liability. They did ask that I take the car to a buick dealer for diagnosis. I took it to fields buick. The dealer confirmed the problem and the cause. They want $2,300.00 to fix it, excluding the starter. Gm refuses to do anything. I have discovered a gm technical service bulletin (01-06-01-007a) indicating that gm has known about this problem since at least july, 2001. The problem affects several makes and models. A catastrophic engine failure at 31,000 miles is absurd.

Filed Nov 19, 2003 · Electrical, Engine · 45,943 miles · PA

Temperature light illuminated. Consumer stopped and put in coolant. Next, check engine light illuminated , and engine died. Vehicle was towed to dealer. The upper and lower manifolds needed replacement. *ak the dealer also installed a new thermostat and gasket and replaced all six spark plugs.

Filed Sep 13, 2003 · Engine · 81,725 miles · NY

While returning home from our daughter's in virginia, our check engine light came on. We pulled onto a side road and turned off the car. Looking under the hood, we found the reserve radiator reservoir to be totally empty. After 20 minutes, we tried to start the car to no avail. We were towed back to the nearest town, selinsgrove, pa, to a pep boys and were told the engine had seized up. The next day the car was towed back to rochester where our mechanic proceeded to find out the problem. We also called the dealership where we bought the car two years ago, and the service manager told us that he had seen this before. The radiator fluid is entirely sucked into the engine through the intake manifold and there is never any indication of over heating or changes on the gauge readings because the engine is not hot, due to the fluid being in there. Consequently, we had to have the engine replaced. Three days after this happened to us, a letter was mailed out to all owners of 2000-2003 buicks for this very same problem. We have a 1998 buick lesabre. We called the number given 1‑800‑832‑8425 and also called bbb auto line for general motors. General motors will not do anything to help us in this matter because our vehicle is a 1998. The cost we have incurred to remedy this failure is in excess of $3,000.00. The same engine was used to repair the problem: a 3800 series ll (l36) v6 engine. How do I know the same thing won't happen again? I do not! I do not want to keep the vehicle yet I cannot afford not to. We have bought gm cars and trucks for the last 35 years. We always said: "buy american". I guess that time is over. Is there anything you can do to help us?

Filed Aug 7, 2003 · Engine · 67,996 miles · IN

Consumer parked vehicle after driving with no signs of mechanical trouble. The consumer returned to car and attempted to start the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the plastic intake manifold cracked, which caused coolant to leak, which resulted in engine failure. *ak