While I was driving I heard a pop & the service engine light came on I went another block and the car lost power & white smoke came out of exhaust. I turned engine off & tried to restart which was unsuccessful. I contacted buick dealer because after talking to a few people I was told that this was a common problem with gm autos. Customer representative told me to go to dealer & they would work with me on the cost of the repair. After a week of wasted time I went to a local mechanic who repaired the auto at a cost of $1,049. The mechanic informed me that this was a very common problem with this engine because of the type of parts the manufacturer uses durin g production. I am relieved that nobody was injured during this incident but if this had occured on a highway and I was not able to get off to a shoulder the situation might have had a different outcome. This auto at the time had 68,000 miles and 1 week after the time frame of the extended warranty the extended warranty expired at 60,000 miles.this is a $33,000 vehicle and I would hope that an engine would last longer than 70,000 miles. I own two other vehicles (toyota's) and they have a combined mileage of over 300,000 miles and both purchased new cost less than this vehicle. It is my understanding that there have been other complaints of this type for this vehicle and the manufacturer has done nothing to correct this problem.
1998 Buick Park Avenue engine complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 98, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While driving about 65 MPH warning light for coolant came on. Consumer pulled off highway and stopped. Car stalled and was towed to dealer. Dealer found upper manifold plentium, which was made of plastic, had allowed antifreeze to flood engine.
Initiation of problem started 19 sept 2003 while on a roundtrip, tx to ca. After approximately $3,200 in repairs, ca & tx, the culprit is identified and the problem is currently fixed (30 oct 2003). The culprit is a warped upper intake manifold, which allowed coolant to leak into the cylinders (finally hydro-locking the engine). This hard-plastic, domed original gm part has about a 1-mm warp on the end nearest cylinders #1 & #2. I consider this to be a manufacturer's flaw, although the vehicle has more than 75,000 miles. The tx dealer has seen other problems like this. A gm/buick representative does not want to consider sharing some of the repair costs. I have a thorough file on this problem. I note other complaints for this integral part of the engine. -- jack sanders, dallas.
While driving at 25 MPH and with no warning, the engine locked up. Consumer made contact with dealer. *ak the consumer noticed that both the engine and the transmission had problems early on. *scc
Leaky intake gasket on 3.8k engine, leaked coolant and foulded plugs, engine quit running. Had to be towed to dealer at 81,000 miles.
While driving in traffic, engine ligght came on and began to lose power. Susequent findings were that the composite intake plenum had several pin hole leaks which resulted in dumping of coolant into engine and seizure very shortly after light came on. Had to replace engine. New engine seems to have other problems now with power and smooth operation and excessive rattling.
Consumer stated that vehicle overheated and broke down on highway. Dealer diagnosed that the plastick intake manifold cracked, causing failure.
Intake manifold has malfunctioned. Dealer notified.
Intake manifold developed a crack or hole. Coolant leaked into cylinders and oil causing engine not to run. Repair cost over $900.00. This appears to be a known problem and buick did not offer to share any of the repair expense. The plastic manifold, was over $300 for the part, which should have not failed, or at least should have been cheap to replace since it was plastic. This is a long term know defect and buick should have recalled this and fixed it in the newer vehicles.
When the consumer started the vehicle, the engine exploded and a fire started under the hood. *mr *scc
Vehicle problems with start up/ vehicle fire in engine compartment. *mr the battery had gone dead overnight. (prior to the day of the incident, the battery appeared to be charged) the engine exploded as soon as the key was turned on. There was slippage in the transmission. The intake plentium, fuel rail, the ignition wires, 2 injectors, engine cover shield, oil filler cap, map sensor, pcv cover, and the battery all were replaced. *scc
While driving, the engine light illuminated on the dash board, and suddenly the vehicle started to lose power.
The vehicle was started while in the garage when without warning the vehicle "exploded" underneath the hood. The dealer indicated that the intake manifold fractured and resulted in the fuel rail bending. One of the fuel line holding clips also was broke. *nlm the vehicle would crank but would not start. The battery had run dead and was charged, the fuel pressure was checked, the engine backfired and had blown the intake gasket. The intake gasket was replaced, the spark plugs were removed, the cylinders were blown out, the fuel rail was straightened, the leaking fuel pressure regulator, and fuel feed line/fuel rail to fuel filter was replaced. Buick division of gm agreed to cover 50 percent of the repair cost. Scc
Engine fire resulted in extensive damage. *ak referenced in ea02-030
Lifters damaged from apparent coolant leak in upper intake manifold at 80,000 miles. Rod bearing knock occurred at 81,820 miles. Cause as yet unknown. Possibly related to earlier coolant leak problem. Now in need of a new engine.
The intake manifold exploded, which caused a loud noise and smoke to appear.
The intake manifold was a defect from the manufacture. The manifold allowed water to leak into the engine causing the engine to stall. Ph
Consumer states that the intake manifold began leaking antifreeze in the vehicle's engine. Dealer replaced and the problem occurred again. Ph
Turned on igniion key of 1998 buick park avenue to start and heard loud bang and then noticed grey smoke at rear of hood area. Turned off key, got out and closed door, proceeded to house to call 911 and got kitchen fire extinguisher. I went back to burning car, opened hood, observed fire at side of engine next to firewall. I used fire extinguisher to get most of fire out. There was some fire under engine on ground which the extinguisher did not get out. The extinguisher was now empty so I went back to house and got baking soda from kitchen and threw it under engine to extenguish the fire under the engine. Fire department came but I had fire out by then.
Engine stalls and water in cylinders. Water in cylinders was corrected with a new pletium. The engine stall problem was a known problem when the vehicle was purchased. I was assured that the problem would be corrected. To date it has not been corrected.I gave up on wilkens buick (on the 2nd return of vehicle) when they told me that I would not be given a rental but would have to pay for it myself. Agian this was a known problem to them, they are the one's that made me aware of it. Car stalls eveytime that you are coming to a stop and on occasion going down a hill and just letting up on gas pedal. This is a very heavy vehicle and at this point extremely dangerous to be on the highway, due to inability to properly control the steering when the engine dies.I currently have had the vehicle at 3 different repair facilities since 12/13/2002, and again to date the problem still presist.
Intake manifold developed a crack or hole. Coolant leaked into cylinders and oil causing engine not to run. Repair cost $966.23. Fuel regulator failed causing engine to back fire and blow vaccum hoses off of engine. Replacement of same cost $114.94. Dt
The first incident of this problem occurred in 2001 at 48,000 miles. To correct the coolant loss the upper intake manifold had to be replaced at a cost of approx. $500.00. The second occurance was at 103,000 miles, this time gm had issued a technical bulletin no. 01-06-01-007a describing the problem and indicating that now both the upper and lower intake manifolds need tobe replaced to correct the problem, cost $750.00. It is my feeling that since gm knows the problem is one of faulty material they should cover at least the cost of the parts, which they have failed to do. Dt
Consumer states the motor "locked up" while driving at highway speeds. Mechanic diagnosed that antifreeze is leaking into engine cylinders. Ts
While slowing down vehicle to pull into a gas station, consumer states there was a big explosion under hood, popped hood and saw flames, went for help. Cause is unknown. Please provide any further information. Ts
The car was parked for 6 days. Weather was slight drizzle, with temperature about 50 degrees. At approximately 8:30 pm on 10/25/2002, I placed the key in the ignition and turned it. I heard a lot pop from the engine. The pop was so loud that neighbors approximately 100 feet down the street came out of their closed houses to discover what happened. Smoke begin to pour from the engine compartment and then flames appeared. Fire department came to extinguished the flames. Car will probably be totalled. Dt
Engine coolant dex cool leaked into engine through defect in upper manifold, destroying entire engine, requiring complete new engine.
Vehicle has stalled 9 times within last two months. Car checked by first dealer who could not determine problem origin. Consumer had vehicle checked by 2nd dealer who replaced computer and electronic control module. Vehicle continued to stall intermittently. Consumer very concerned about safety of vehicle on road with stalling problems. *ak consumer stated that he had the vehicle towed to mack brown (buick dealer), but they couldn't find anyting wrong. The vehicle had stopped several times. The consumer had driven 150 miles and it stopped again, and at 200 miles the vehicle was taken back to tom brooks (dealer). The problem still may not be solved.
Engine would not start. Car had to be towed to dealership for repair. R&r upper intake, clean water of of intake, replace plugs, manifold, coolant. Owner noticed a decrease in power while driving on interstate highway at 70mph. Exited interstate and drove home (aprox. 1/4 mile or less). Vehicle parked in owner's garage. Owner tried to restart car and engine would not turn over.
Crack in plastic cover of the manifold/emission system. There was a pop and the parking area filled with black/blue smoke. Car would not start after the incident. Tsb sent out about this problem, vehicle 36th month outside the warranty period. Referenced in ea02-030
Motor coolant is leaking water into the engine.
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