1997-2003 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix recall: engine and engine cooling
General Motors Corp. reported this safety recall on March 12, 2008. It covers about 207,542 vehicles.
- vehicles affected
- 207,542
- reported
- Mar 12, 2008
- owners notified
- Apr 28, 2008
- related complaints
- 1,533
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 buick regal and pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. These vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage.
- Risk
- Certain underhood fires may be caused by drops of engine oil, from seepage or spillage, being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and, in some instances, the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engines plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark plug wire retainers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. , free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Until the remedy is completed, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. The dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080 or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668, or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .
Recall number 08V118000
Affected vehicles
Owner complaints about the same problem
Owners of these vehicles have filed 1,533 complaints about engine problems.
2000 Buick Regal2001 Buick Regal2002 Buick Regal2003 Buick Regal2000 Pontiac Grand Prix2001 Pontiac Grand Prix2002 Pontiac Grand Prix2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
Questions about recall 08V118000
Is there a recall on the 1997-2003 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix engine and engine cooling?
Yes. Recall 08V118000, reported on March 12, 2008, covers about 207,542 vehicles.
What is the fix for recall 08V118000?
Dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engines plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark plug wire retainers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. , free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Until the remedy is completed, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. The dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080 or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668, or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .
Is the recall repair free?
Safety recall repairs are done free of charge at authorized dealers. A dealer can confirm with the VIN whether a specific vehicle is included and whether the repair has already been done.
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