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U.S. public vehicle records

1997 Buick PARK AVENUE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

150 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

91,525 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1997 model year. Data snapshot: . 62 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Seat Belts:Front:Retractor is the most frequently named component, appearing in 15 of 150 complaints (10.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior2516.7%
Steering behavior1812.0%
Transmission and shifting96.0%
Electrical and battery issues96.0%
Engine operation64.0%
Fuel system concerns32.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
15
Engine And Engine Cooling
13
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
13
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
12
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
9
Fuel System, Gasoline
6
Seat Belts:Front:Webbing
6
Structure:Frame And Members
6
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor15
Engine And Engine Cooling13
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip13
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline12
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine9
Fuel System, Gasoline6
Seat Belts:Front:Webbing6
Structure:Frame And Members6

Seat Belts:Front:Retractor: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling: 13; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 13; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 12; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 9; Fuel System, Gasoline: 6; Seat Belts:Front:Webbing: 6; Structure:Frame And Members: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
1
25,000 to 49,999
9
50,000 to 74,999
9
75,000 to 99,999
18
100,000 to 149,999
19
150,000 and above
6
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0001
25,000 to 49,9999
50,000 to 74,9999
75,000 to 99,99918
100,000 to 149,99919
150,000 and above6

Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 9; 50,000 to 74,999: 9; 75,000 to 99,999: 18; 100,000 to 149,999: 19; 150,000 and above: 6

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (19). 88 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000
28
2001
30
2002
17
2003
12
2004
16
2005
13
2006
6
2007
6
2008
5
2009
1
2010
4
2011
3
2012
3
2013
1
2014
2
2015
1
2016
1
2019
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
200028
200130
200217
200312
200416
200513
20066
20076
20085
20091
20104
20113
20123
20131
20142
20151
20161
20191

2000: 28; 2001: 30; 2002: 17; 2003: 12; 2004: 16; 2005: 13; 2006: 6; 2007: 6; 2008: 5; 2009: 1; 2010: 4; 2011: 3; 2012: 3; 2013: 1; 2014: 2; 2015: 1; 2016: 1; 2019: 1

Pattern summary

Seat Belts:Front:Retractor leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 25 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 18 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 9 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10057582 · 2004-02-05 (February 5, 2004)

THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON THE CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 78,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10057582 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10070934 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

THE HEATER IN THE SEAT QUIT WORKING. A NEW ONE WAS INSTALLED AND IT DOESN'T HEAT UP CORRECTLY. THE MOTOR IN THE WINDOW FAILED. THE ROTORS/BRAKES WERE WARPED. THE STEREO FAILED. THE WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL UP CORRECTLY DESPITE A NEW ONE BEING PUT IN. THE STARTER IS DRAGGING. SOME OF THIS WAS COVERED UNDER THE SMART CHOICE EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER SOME OF THE REPAIRS ARE STILL NEEDED AND I STILL HAVE TIME REMAINING ON MY SMART CHOICE WARRRANTY BUT THEY HAVE WENT BANKRUPT AND MY DEALER SAYS THE WARRANTY IS NO LONGER VALID AND I WILL HAVE TO P…

Owner-reported narrative. 72,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10070934 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003251 · 2003-01-23 (January 23, 2003)

1-23-3 ID LIKE TO REPORT A PROBLEM WITH A GENERAL MOTORS ENGINE, MORE SPECIFICALLY THE BOLTS THEY'RE USING ON THE 3800 SERIES 2 V-6 (PROBABLY A CHEAP PRICED CHINESE PRODUCT). I ASKED AT MY BUICK DEALERSHIP IF THEY SEND INFORMATION TO GM ABOUT A PROBLEM A VEHICLE IS HAVING IF THEY SEE IT AS DANGEROUS OR SEE IT MORE THAN ONCE AND THE GUY LAUGHED... HA HA REAL FUNNY. MEANWHILE PEOPLE LIKE ME FIX A PROBLEM THAT MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR A RECALL, OR AT MINIMUM GM COULD QUIT BUYING DEFECTIVE BOLTS TO USE ON THE 3800 SERIES 2 ENGINE BEFORE SOMEONE GET…

Owner-reported narrative. 97,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003251 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10044167 · 2003-10-15 (October 15, 2003)

STEERING GEAR BRACKET BROKE ON 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE.*MR THE CONSUMER HAS GIVEN COPIES OF THE REPAIR BILL AND THE STATEMENT FROM ENTERPRISE FOR THE THREE DAYS IT TOOK TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR CONSIDERING A REIMBURSEMENT. *CB

Owner-reported narrative. 57,491 miles reported. Look up ODI 10044167 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002902 · 2003-01-18 (January 18, 2003)

I HAVE A 1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE WITH 103,000 MILES. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN APRIL OF 1997. AFTER 10 MONTHS AND 16,000 MILES I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSIMISSION SHIFTING HARD AFTER THE CAR GOT WARMED UP. IF I WOULD STOP AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR 15 SECONDS AND RESTART IT SHIFT SMOOTH FOR SEVERAL STOPS AND THEN START SHIFTING HARD AGAIN. I TOOK IT INTO A BUICK GARAGE AND THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR 10 DAYS AND COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. FINALLY THEY DECIDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THAT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. AT 9…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002902 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10069116 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

THE A/C WILL TURN ON AGAIN AFTER I TURN IT OFF. THE RADIO WILL SHIFT TO CASSETTE AND BACK WHILE DISPLAYING E33. DRIVERS WINDOW WILL COME DOWN UNEVENLY AND GET WEDGED. THE ALTERNATER WENT OUT AND THE BOTTOM BOLT STRIPPED DURING REMOVAL. THERE IS A LURCH SOMETIMES DURING SHIFTING.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10069116 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10071333 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

MY NUMBER ONE PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR IS THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED UNDER NORMAL USE. THIS ALLOWED COOLANT TO MIX WITH THE OIL WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE MAIN BEARINGS WERE DESTROYED AND I HAD TO BUY A NEW ENGINE. (I HAVE THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD IN MY POSSESSION.) THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CAN NOT WITHSTAND THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE EGR VALVE AND EVENTUALLY SUFFERS FROM THERMAL FATIGUE AT THE EGR AND STRESS RELAXATION AROUND THE FLANGE OF THE MANIFOLD…

Owner-reported narrative. 84,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10071333 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10154057 · 2006-03-14 (March 14, 2006)

1997 PARK AVENUE HAS DIFFICULTIES WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. VEHICLE'S ENGINE BLEW UP AT 89,000 MILES BECAUSE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED ENGINE COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSED IT TO SEIZE. *TS IN SEVEN YEARS THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY FIVE TIMES. ***NAR***

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10154057 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10078707 · 2004-06-23 (June 23, 2004)

VEHICHLE STALLED WHILE TURNING AT AN INTERSECTION AND WAS NOT DRIVEABLE; VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. UPON DIAGNOSIS, THE VEHICLE "HYDROLOCKED" DUE TO DEXCOOL LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE CHAMBER FROM A MELTED UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT CRANK SENSOR AND MAP SENSOR REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. IT WAS THEN FURTHER DETERMINED DUE TO AN INTOLERABLY LOUD ENGINE KNOCK THAT THE DEXCOOL HAD CORRODED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BEARINGS; THE ENGINE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 87,425 miles reported. Look up ODI 10078707 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10107346 · 2005-02-16 (February 16, 2005)

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE ENGINE STALL WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT THE AUTOMATIC POWER DOOR LOCKED TRAPPING THE DRIVER INSIDE. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *NM *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 115,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10107346 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10129104 · 2005-08-12 (August 12, 2005)

DT: CONTACT STATES IN HOT WEATHER 75 DEGREES OR ABOVE AND WITHIN ONE MILE THE CAR WILL DIE. CAN WAIT IT 10-15 MINUTES AND THE CAR WILL RESTART. HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR THE LAST 3 SUMMERS. IT USUALLY HAPPENED IN SLOW TRAFFIC, BUT CONSUMER DID NOT GET OUT ON THE INTERSTATE VERY MUCH; BUT WAS CONCERNED THAT IF HE DID. THE CAR WOULD DIE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY SUGGESTED THAT IT MAY BE THE FUEL PUMP OR THE SENSOR IN THE CRANK CASE. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT SOMETIMES CAM …

Owner-reported narrative. 28,501 miles reported. Look up ODI 10129104 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10356011 · 2010-09-16 (September 16, 2010)

LEAKING GAS TANK THAT WAS MADE OF PLASTIC THAT WAS MADE FOR THIS SPECIFIC 1997 BUICK PARK AVE. ONLY... *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 150,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10356011 at NHTSA ↗