1998 Buick LESABRE: complaints, problems and recalls

WE PREFORMED A O&C ON A 1998 LASABRE FIRE, VERY MILD ENGINE FIRE WHICH ORIGINATED AT THE FUEL RAIL FUEL INLET PORT AND WAS CAUSED BY FAILURE OF THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR FUEL HOSE CONNECTOR. OWNER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, STATED A LOAD POP WAS NOTED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND A FIRE STARTED. POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR OR METARIALS PROBLEM WITH THE CONNECTOR AND CLIP.NOTED MUTIPLE COMPLAINTS IN NHTSA DATA BASE AS WELL AS AN INVESTAGATION. HOPE THIS HELPS.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10000796 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING INTAKE MANIFOLD BLEWOUT, MAKING IT HARD TO START VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001254 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATES THAT IT WILL BE HARD TO START THE VEHICLE AND THEY WILL HAVE TO TRY NUMEROUS OF TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001591 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE IS LEAKING OIL. THE CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED BY A DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THAT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD IS MADE OF PLASTIC, AND THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE CAUSES A HOLE IN THE MANIFOLD. THIS RESULTS IN THE LEAK. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 71,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002370 at NHTSA ↗

NAR 1/21/03 DESIGN PROBLEM WITH INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO START, AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. AFTER TROUBLE SHOOTING, IT WAS DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD A HOLE IN IT WHICH ALLOWED COOLANT FLUID TO ENTER THE CYLINDERS RESULTING IN A HYDROSTATIC LOCK. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004733 at NHTSA ↗

UPPER INTAKE PLENUM GASKET FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE CYLINDERS TO FILL WITH COOLANT AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ELECTRICAL PARTS. POSSIBLE OTHER DAMAGE TO ENGINE.

Owner-reported narrative. 58,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007843 at NHTSA ↗

THE BATTERY WAS LOW, TRIED STARTING THE MOTOR A FEW TIMES IN THE MORNING. AFTER WAITING ALL DAY, CHARGED THE BATTERY BACK UP TO NORMAL AND STARTED THE CAR. A LOUD BANG AND FLASH WAS NOTED AND THEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH AN EXTINGUISHER. THERE WAS A BACK FIRE IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, WHICH IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND IT EXPLODED CASUSING THE ENGINE TO CATCH FIRE. VISUAL DAMAGED CAUSED BY THE FIRE WAS TO THE FUEL LINE, AIR LINE AND WIRE HARNESS. VEHICLE IS 4.5 YEARS OLD AND ONLY HAS 23,000 MILES ON IT.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 23,581 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008192 at NHTSA ↗

THE ENGINE FAILED.*DT *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10008871 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2004-02-24 (February 24, 2004)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3800 V6 (L36) ENGINES AND CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, THE REGULATORS HAVE A MUCH HIGHER THAN USUAL RATE OF FUEL LEAKS. A LEAK CAN ALLOW FUEL TO ENTER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THROUGH A VACUUM LINE. IF THE ENGINE DOES NOT START WHEN CRANKED, THE FUEL FROM THE LEAKING REGULATOR AND A MISTIMED SPARK CAN CAUSE A BACKFIRE.

Consequence: THE BACKFIRE CAN RUPTURE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE RUPTURE OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CAN DISPLACE A FUEL LINE, PULLING AN INJECTOR OUT OF PLACE, AND CAUSING A FUEL LEAK AND POSSIBLE FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH IMPROVED DIAPHRAGMS. THE RECALL WILL BE CONDUCTED IN PHASED MAILINGS. PHASE 1 BEGAN ON JUNE 30, 2004, AND PHASE 2 BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537, OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.