2008 Buick Lucerne: engine overheating

Filed Mar 11, 2022 · Engine · NJ

Engine coolant leak at engine timing belt cover per repair service. Not available for inspection , already had repaired (see attached invoice). Had to pull over on busy major roadway due to high temperature warning on temperature gauge. Problem confirmed by service center.

Filed Aug 12, 2021 · Electrical · ID

To start things off the car would crank but not start. My wife did some research and these cars have a problem with the fuel pump relay shorting out. So I replaced it and it fixed the problem for a few days. I was driving home from work and the car shut off. I could smell plastic burning. I pulled over and pulled the fuse box cover off which is located under the rear seat and I pulled the relay out and burned my fingers in the process. So something is wrong and it's causing the relay to overheat and melt. There are many people according to carcomplaints.com that have the same issue. I've seen a lot of people saying that GM says that the seat bracket touches the fuse box putting pressure on the relay causing this problem. Well after I replaced the relay I did not put the rear seat on and it still burned out. In my mind it seems to be a fire safety hazard. No check engine lights came on either.

Filed Nov 30, 2020 · Electrical, Fuel system · 70,000 miles · KY · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lucerne. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, a burning plastic odor was present inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who indicated that the fuse box located under the rear seat was hot to the touch and the relays inside had melted causing the fuel pump to overheat and fail. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer courtesy buick located at 7 auto center dr. Louisville ky was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Filed Nov 7, 2019 · Electrical, Fuel system · 55,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lucerne. When attempting to start the vehicle, it would crank, but there was no fuel being transferred to the engine. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel pump and the fuel relay both failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to borcherding buick gmc (located at 9737 kings auto mall rd, cincinnati, oh 45249, 866‑666‑6291) where it was further diagnosed that the failure was due to an overheating of the electrical fuse box that burned the relay. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately three days later, the failure reccured. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that due to the vehicle no longer being covered under the special coverage, they were unable to provide a repair. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

Filed Aug 16, 2019 · Electrical · 164,000 miles · AR

Rear seat makes contact with top of fuse block cover causing it to push aginst fuel pump relay causing it to overheat and burn out. This relay gets heated to the point that it could present a fire hazard. Due to the heat it generates, it melts the fuse block causing it to have to be replaced. Back seat cannot support weight of an average size person. This problem causes the vehicle to shut down and lose power rendering lose of power steering and power brakes. It is unreprehensible that gm is not made to correct this blatant mistake. This has happened 4 times and the block has been replaced by authorized buic dealer.

Filed May 26, 2019 · Electrical, Fuel system · 85,000 miles · CA

Fuse box under the seat overheats and burns out fuel pump relay along with the fuse box. Unsafe if it happens while driving

Filed May 6, 2019 · Electrical · 64,000 miles · MI

I received a letter in january, 2019 regarding this vehicle, stating that the "vehicle's rear seat bracket could contact the vehicle's rear electrical center (rec), which can, over time, damage electrical components within the rec enclosure. If damage occurs, the components can melt or overheat, which the customer may detect by a melting odor in the vehicle. Damage could also cause the vehicle's battery to drain, a no-start condition, or a stall." we have had 2 new batteries installed in this vehicle in recent years and I've also smelled the burning smell that they are referring to in this letter. I took the vehicle to shelton pontiac buick in rochester, mi to find out if our car had been affected by this condition, and after examining the rec harness, they said that it has been affected and needs repair. They quoted me $720 to repair it. Buick was the one who contacted me regarding this situation, which is unsafe and should be under a recall with no charge to the customer to fix. It is a manufacturer's problem and not due to wear and tear and I believe I should not be charged for this repair because of their faulty design. I have spoken with their customer assurance center many times and have gotten nowhere with them. I also wrote a letter to neelie o'connor, the executive director of buick's north american contact center and never received a response. She was the person who signed the letter, alerting us to the problem. I do not want this vehicle to be unsafe as I am on the road a lot, going back and forth to detroit for cancer treatments. It needs to be fixed and buick should pay for it.

Filed Dec 12, 2018 · Fuel system · 135,000 miles · MO · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lucerne. On several occasions, the fuel pump relay became overheated and melted. The contact was concerned that a fire could occur due to the placement of the relay. The contact was able to remove and replace the fuel pump relay; however, the failure recurred. An unknown dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

Filed Jul 28, 2017 · Electrical, Fuel system · 137,000 miles · OH · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lucerne. On several occasions, the fuel pump relay overheated and melted. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that the fuse/relay enclosure melted. The contact's husband was able to replace the fuse/relay enclosure, but the failure recurred. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Apr 29, 2017 · Fuel system · 128,400 miles · FL

Fuel pump relay burned out twice. Scorch marks from serious overheat possibly fire on bottom of rear seat. Car stops in middle of road when fuel pump relay appears to pop loose shutting off fuel to engine. Have to press and wiggle relay to restart car. Possible bad connection in fuse box under rear seat.. Recommend making manufacturers be prohibited from installing batteries and electrical fuse box from inside passenger compartment. High fire hazard in case of accident!!!

Filed Jan 4, 2017 · Brakes, Electrical · 111,421 miles · PA

Our 2008 buick lucerne was in the hov lane traveling on 84 w toward hartford, ct. Without warning - no warning lights came on - the car started to decelerate. My daughter tried to accelerate and nothing happened; she then tried to brake to pull over and was unable to freely turn the wheel. She struggled to move to safety to the shoulder on the side of the road but then felt the steering wheel and brakes lock completely as the car stalled. When she attempted to restart the car to move to safety, the car violently shook. Since the car was still partially on the highway, my husband and I called the ct state police to request help while my daughters were waiting for aaa. When the trooper arrived on the scene he called us to say that the car was partially in the road and that two cruisers were there to ensure the safety of our daughters. The car was towed to our service station of 25 years in scranton pa and found that the fuel pump relay post had overheated and melted. A diagnostic test did not reveal any problems either. The car had to be towed one week earlier to this same station because the car was shaking violently. After a diagnostic test revealed nothing, they determined that the car was low on fuel (and that it wasn't a fuel pump issue). We then drove the car another 517 miles without incident. I have found that complaints have been filed with buick (I have filed one too) regarding this problem and that fires have resulted from the overheating. These complaints indicate that sometimes the car starts, sometimes it doesn't. I believe these 2 incidents, one week apart, were related and that both times, no warning or diagnostic test revealed a problem. If my daughter had been driving on the 4 lane highway leading into hartford and this problem occurred, I have no doubt that she and my other daughter would have been in a serious, if not fatal accident.

Filed Nov 13, 2016 · Electrical, Fuel system · 92,000 miles · AL

When ready to leave work the vehicle would not start. Determined the fuel pump was not operating. Replaced the fuel pump and the vehicle still would not start. I found the fuel pump relay was the ultimate cause of failure. After replacing this relay two other times I decided to look further into the cause. I dismantled the fuse box to find it was not complete inside. The fuse box is filled with female to female couplers to connect the bottom wiring harness to the fuses. The fuel pump relay should have four of the couplers installed in the fuse box. There are only three installed. The male pins are long enough to touch and make contact. They will eventually overheat. This is a manufacturing defect and a fire hazard; as many people have had the issue. Buick still has not issued a safety recall and refuses to actually investigate the reason this is happening. The average consumer is being hit wit a $400.00 fuse box and $600.00 fuel pump replacement. I actually have since installed my original fuel pump. The replacement pump did not have a sending unit for the fuel gauge. Why are the dealers replacing probably perfectly fine fuel pumps. This has become a racket.