1999 BUICK LESABRE Suspension Problems

AS I WAS DRIVING FROM THE GAS STATION I TOOK A LEFT AND AS I ACCELERATED, THE ENGINE STARTED TO VIBRATE. I I HAD NEVER NOTICED THIS BEFORE THAT DAY. SO PROCEED TO TAKE MY TIME CAREFULLY BACK TO WORK. I EXAMINED THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF MY 99 LESABRE CUSTOM AND THAT'S WHERE I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE SUBFRAME BUSHINGS HAVE ALL BUT FELL OUT DUE TO SEVERE RUST. THANKFULLY THE PASSENGER SIDE IS STILL FIRMLY ATTACHED. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM CARS OF THIS ERA AND THE DORMAN REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE READILY AVAILABLE. HAD THIS COMPONENT FAILED ON BOTH SIDES THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE FALLEN OUT AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE. I AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE OR JUST A BAD CHOICE OF VEHICLE DESIGN BY GM AND THEIR LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE PUBLICS WELL BEING. THESE SUBFRAME BUSHINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OR SHOULD BE A VIABLE RECALL CONCERN TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE AT A LOW SPEED, THE STRUT HOUSING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FAILED AND THE HOOD POPPED OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WHEEL WELDING WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 124,156.

Mileage: 124,156

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE STABILIZER BAR SPLIT IN HALF. THE DEALER CURRENTLY DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WILL HAVE IT REPAIRED ONCE THE PARTS ARRIVE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 66,000. UPDATED 11/14/07

Mileage: 66,000

WHILE BACKING UP, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE. WHEN THE CONUMER PLACED THE GEAR IN DRIVE, SHE HEARD THE SAME NOISE. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO A DEALER. WHILE BEING INSPECTED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE COIL SPRING HAD FAILED. *JB

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT DUE TO FAULTY REAR SPRINGS, WHICH RESULTED IN ONE FATALITY AND ONE INJURY. *AK. CONSUMER STATED THE REAR SPRING WERE REPLACED, HOWEVER CONSUMER BELIEVED THE FAULTY REAR SUSPENSION WAS THE CAUSE OF HER HUSBAND NOT BEING ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

SUSPENSION IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. VEHICLE BECOMES UNSTABLE/ BOUNCING, AND MOVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO THE POINT WHERE CONSUMER IS GETTING SICK. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK

WHEN DRIVING SUSPENSION IS ROUGH. WHEN APPLING PRESSURE VEHICLE SHAKES. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE THE SHOCKS. AIR CONDITIONER LEAK, DEALER REPLACED COMPRESSOR SHAFT SEAL. PRESSURE OCNTROL SOLENOID REPLACED, CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE, THERE IS A SHUDDER FELT AT TIMES, DEALER REPLACED THE TURBINE SHAFT SEAL BECAUSE IT WAS WORN AND AGAIN THE VEHICLE JUMPS WHEN PUTTING INTO GEAR AS IF GEAR IS NOT ENGAGING, DEALER CAN NOT REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. ENGINE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED. FRONT ROTORS WARPED CAUSING VIBRATION. TURN SIGNALS INOPERABLE, DEALER FOUND WIRE OUT OF TERMINAL. *SLC

CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WERE CAUSING AN UNUSUAL NOISE, DEALER COULD NOT GET PARTS FOR 2 WEEKS. *SLC

WHEN VEHICLE RIDES RIDES OVER A BUMP OR A SERIES OF BUMPS NOT READILY VISIBLE, THE BOUNCES ARE ABOVE NORMAL AND IN A SERIES OF BUMPS DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BECOMES SERIOUS.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING SEVERE PROBLEM WITH REAR OF VEHICLE BOUNCING AND SCRAPING THE ROAD WHENEVER THERE ARE FOUR OR MORE PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. BUT ONLY TESTED VEHICLE WITH HIMSELF ONLY. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

A THUMPING NOISE COMES FROM THE REAR AXLE AREA OF THE VEHICLE, BUT THE CAUSE IS NOT FOUND. YH

WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH AND OVER A BUMP, THE VEHICLE WOULD JUMP ALL OVER THE ROAD *AK CONSUMER FIRST NOTICED THAT VEHICLE LEANED SEVERELY ON CURVES, THIS WOULD ALMOST CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, AT TIMES, THE BACK SHOCKS WOULD BOTTOM OUT, CONSUMER HAD THE REAR SPRINGS REPLACED. RECENTLY, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, OVERCORRECTED, AND VEHICLE OVERTURNED, CONSUMER WAS KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT, HIS WIFE WAS ALSO INJURED. VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED A RATTLE IN THE DASHBOARD, THE DEALER PULLED THE DASH FORWARD TO SECURE IT BETTER, HOWEVER THE RATTLE RETURNED, SO CONSUMER FIXED PROBLEM HIMSELF. *SLC

THE CAR SHOWS AN ANNOYING AND UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN IT IS DRIVEN AT THE SPEED LIMIT ON AN IRREGULAR BUT PROPERLY PAVED ROAD SURFACE. THE SHOCK ABSORBERS WILL ALLOW SEVERAL CYCLES FO BOUNCING BEFORE THEY DAMPEN OUT THE RESPONSE TO BUMPS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I HAVE HAD TO STOP THE CAR IN ORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL, OR TO PREVENT BOTTOMING OUT OF THE UNDERSIDE. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO A LOCAL BUICK SERVICE CENTER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS "NORMAL SOFT RIDE" AND DISMISSED. PURSUING THIS DIRECTLY WITH BUICK HAS YIELDED THE FACT THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND ARE WORKING ON A FIX. THEY HAVE ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER ( 000013545) AND PROMISED TO ADVISE ME WHEN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BECOMES AVAILABLE. IT SEEMSPRUDENT, HOWEVER TO DOCUMENT THIS WITH NHTSA. *AK

SHOCKS IN REAR OF VEHICLE ARE UNSTABLE. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BOUNCE UP & DOWN, EVEN WITH PEOPLE IN THE FRONT & THE BACK. WOULD EVEN HAVE LUGGAGE IN THE TRUCK & VEHICLE WOULD BOUNCE. WOULD HAVE A CONTROLLING PROBLEM IF NOT SLOWING DOWN. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT PROBLEM IS NORMAL. *AK

WHILE RIVING AT HIGH SPEED OF 60-70 MPH FRONT END BEGAT TO VIBRATE VERY HARD. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

HORN SOUNDS WHEN VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL IS BEING TURNED TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE BEGINS TO VIBRATE AT 65 MPH. WHEN VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN AT LEAST 5 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO LOCK UP OR REMAIN IN HIGH GEAR AND GIVES THE DRIVER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE VEHICLE IS STALLING. SEVERAL TIMES THE VEHICLE, FAILED TO LOCATE THE CORRECT GEAR, RESULTING IN A NEAR MISS COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION.

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL IS VIBRATING AND VEHICLE WOBBL. CONSUMER CAN'T TRAVEL FAST WHEN DRIVING. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT 50-60 MPH, VEHICLE VIBRATES, AND BOUNCES. REPAIR WORK HAS BEEN DONE, FRONT RIM, TWO FRONT TIRES, FRONT AND REAR WHEELS WERE ALIGNED. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER. *AK

WHEN TRAVELING OVER 60 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL MOVES TOO EASILY. THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN THE SUSPENSION STARTING WITH THE 1996 MODELS.*AK *SB