Fuel pump relay is overheating to dangerously high temperatures. At least 211 F degrees. Causes the fuel pump fuse to melt leaving me stranded. Immediate replacement of the 20 AMP fuse is necessary to get the car running again. The fuel pump relay gets really hot even if the AC is not on. Waited for hour and a half in near 100 F degree heat for a tow truck to it home. I’m lucky the car did not catch on fire. I know quite a few of the Buick Lucerne’s have had recalls regarding this item. Picture of the actual car is included. No police report was necessary as this was a breakdown situation. This has utterly disrupted my life because I do not have access to a car with good air conditioning until this problem is repaired.
Buick Lucerne overheating problems
35 of the 943 owner complaints about the Buick Lucerne describe engine overheating, most of them for the 2008 model year.
- owner complaints
- 35
- worst model year
- 2008
- typical mileage
- 91,156
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Fuel pump 27Won't start 9Stalling 5Fire or smoke 4Loss of power 2Fuel gauge 1Engine failure 1Check engine light 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2010 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that there was a burning odor in the cabin of the vehicle. There were no warning lights. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who informed the contact that the fuse box was overheating and beginning to melt. The fuse box relay needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer contacted the dealer, who confirmed it was a known issue and that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed there were no recalls. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspection he became aware that one of the relays from the electric fuel pump under the rear passenger’s seat needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the fuel pump relay prong base had melted due to overheating. In addition, the contact stated that the fuse was a 10.01 AMP instead of a 5 AMP which could have caused the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred 2 days later. The manufacturer was made not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the fuel pump relay overheated and burned the fuse box. The accelerator pedal and steering wheel became inoperable. The contact was able to control the vehicle and park the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact replaced the relay, but the vehicle failed to start. The contact called the local dealer and was advised to schedule an appointment for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that after several attempts the vehicle failed to start-up without warning. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the circuit board which was in the rear back seat. The contact stated that the rear seat latches had rubbed against the circuit box, causing the circuit to overheat. The circuit board was replaced. The contact then stated that upon entering his vehicle while in a parking lot, blueish colored smoke was coming from the vehicle. The contact removed the back seat and saw that the circuit board had started melting. The Police were first called to the scene and the Fire Department then arrived and was able to extinguish the smoke before the circuit board caught on fire. Neither a Police report nor a Fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it remained. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 198,000.
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.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 buick lucerne. The contact stated that whenever they would start the vehicle, the vehicle would start then suddenly shut-off. The contact stated that they took the to be inspected and noticed that the relay to the fuel pump had overheated and had started to melt. The contact replaced the relay however, the failure persisted. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
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.
Engine stopped running with no warning. It was repaired by the dealer at no cost under technical service bulletin (tsb) 15-na-051. In addition to the repairs specified in the tsb, the dealer had to replace the rear fuse box and repair the wire to the fuel pump because they were both damaged due to overheating. This is a fire hazard which should have been made a recall instead of an extended warranty.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Buick Lucerne overheating
Which Buick Lucerne years have engine overheating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2008 (16 complaints), 2009 (8 complaints) and 2011 (5 complaints).
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