2003 Buick PARK AVENUE: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
33 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
52,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 22 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Tires is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 33 complaints (15.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 3 | 9.1% |
| Steering behavior | 3 | 9.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 6.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 3.0% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Tires | 5 |
| Engine | 4 |
| Electrical System:Horn | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 2 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 1 |
Tires: 5; Engine: 4; Electrical System:Horn: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 2; Electrical System: 1; Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 5 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 5 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 5 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 3 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 3 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 5; 25,000 to 49,999: 5; 50,000 to 74,999: 5; 75,000 to 99,999: 3; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 11 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 4 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1 |
2003: 4; 2004: 5; 2005: 1; 2006: 3; 2007: 1; 2008: 3; 2009: 2; 2010: 4; 2011: 1; 2012: 1; 2014: 1; 2015: 2; 2016: 4; 2024: 1
Pattern summary
Tires leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10019189 · 2003-05-23 (May 23, 2003)
TOOK CAR IN FOR ALLIGNMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT FRONT OUTER TIE ROD ENDS WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LIFETIME LUBRICATED HAD FAILED. HAD NOTICED SOME SMALL PROBLEMS WITH STEERING WHICH IS WHY I TOOK IT TO DEALER. LEARNED THAT THEY HAVE HAD OTHER CARS WITH SAME PROBLEM. A STEERING DEFECT IS SERIOUS TO ME AND I BELIEVE SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK IN TO THIS AND SEE HOW MANY CARS LIKE MINE MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT UNLESS YOU TAKE IT IN FOR AN ALLIGNMENT.
Owner-reported narrative. 20,750 miles reported. Look up ODI 10019189 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10024766 · 2003-08-15 (August 15, 2003)
AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING IT OFF THE LOT, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING. THE VIBRATION FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS LOOSE OR BROKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE PROBLEM SIX TIMES. *AK DEALER STATED VEHICLE COULDN'T BE REPAIRED AND AGREED TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE FROM THE CONSUMER. *PH *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10024766 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10031089 · 2003-08-08 (August 8, 2003)
I RECENTLY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM STATING THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH COOLANT LEAKS AROUND GASKETS AT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD OR AT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH MIGHT "CAUSE HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURES". THE LETTER SAYS IT IS A "VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM". THE SUGGESTED FIX IS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND HAVE THEM CHANGE SOME OF THE FASTENERS AND THEN "ADD COOLING SYSTEM SEALANT" TO THE RADIATOR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PUTTING COOLING SYSTEM SEALANT IN A BRAND NEW CAR (AND THUS REDUCING THE LIFE OF…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10031089 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10043259 · 2003-10-20 (October 20, 2003)
MY 2003 BUICK PARK AVENUE (ULTRA) HAS LESS THAN 19,000 MILES AND TWICE HAS HAD THE BRAKES FAIL ON IT. TODAY, I AM HEARING THE FAMILIAR BRAKE FAILURE SQUEAL AND KNOW THAT MY BRAKES WILL BE FAILING AGAIN. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CAR AND HAS GREAT DIFFICULTY STOPPING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND SHIMMIES AT LOWER SPEEDS WHEN STOPPING. *LA
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10043259 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10055116 · 2004-01-28 (January 28, 2004)
THE HORN IS EXTREMELY HARD TO OPERATE; HAS BEEN FROM DAY ONE! I MUST TAKE EYES OFF ROAD FOR TOO LONG WHEN TRYING TO FIND RIGHT SPOT TO MAKE HORN BLOW. IT DOES NOT OPERATE AT HORN DECAL ON AIR BAG COVER, NOR AT CENTER OF COVER AS MANUAL SUGGESTS. HORN BLOWS SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN DECAL AND CENTER, SOME OF THE TIME. AND WHEN I FIND THE SPOT I HAVE TO PUSH TO HARD TO MAKE IT BLOW. THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OF BUICK IS BOUGHT AND DRIVEN MOSTLY BY RETIRES. A LOT OF WHOM HAVE ARTHRITIC HANDS. THE HORN IS A SAFETY FEATURE AND THEREFORE SHOULD NOT BE THIS DI…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10055116 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10057056 · 2004-02-12 (February 12, 2004)
MY 2003 BUICK PARK AVENUE WITH LESS THAN 6000 MILES ON IT HAS HAD BRAKE FAILURE TWICE. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURED AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 10 MPH. BOTH INCIDENTS INVOLVED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE WITH THE PEDAL GOING CLEAR TO THE FLOOR AND NO STOPPING ACTION AT ALL. THE FIRST INCIDENT IN AUGUST 2003 RESULTED IN A CRASH IN WHICH THERE WAS NO FIRE AND NO INJURIES. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT REPORTED TODAY DID NOT RESULT IN A CRASH BUT COULD HAVE EASILY HAD I NOT THROWN THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK. DEALER REPORTS HE "CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM", AND DOESN'…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,593 miles reported. Look up ODI 10057056 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10065917 · 2004-04-11 (April 11, 2004)
SINCE PURCHASED THE HORN DOES NOT BLOW WHEN YOU PUSH ON THE DESIGNATED SPOT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. YOU MUST 'SEARCH' FOR A SPOT TO PUSH THAT THE HORN WILL THEN BLOW. THIS IS 'HIT OR MISS'. IT MAY BLOW AND IT MAY NOT. THE DEALER HAS DONE ALL THAT HE CAN DO TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WHICH IS TO PUSH ON VARIOUS LOCATIONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND SAY YOU SHOULD PUSH THERE. THE BEST HE CAN DO. I HAVE LODGED STRENUOUS COMPLAINTS WITH BUICK AND THEY ASSIGNED IT "REQUEST NUMBER 1-200878647 AND IT HAS BEEN HANDLED GENERALLY BY A MR. SEAN ARMSTRONG. …
Owner-reported narrative. 30 miles reported. Look up ODI 10065917 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10067362 · 2004-04-19 (April 19, 2004)
WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 9,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10067362 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
02V328000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Lock
Reported: 2002-12-09 (December 9, 2002)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE MAY BE INSTALLED OR FORCED OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION.
Consequence: IF THE CABLE IS OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION, IT COULD INCREASE THE FORCE REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE AND A PERSON TRAPPED IN THE TRUNK MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RELEASE THE TRUNK LATCH USING THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL SECURE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE CABLE TO ENSURE THAT THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE OPERATES PROPERLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 19, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300.
NHTSA campaign record ↗