1997 BUICK RIVIERA Problems & Recalls

I HAVE A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA THAT HAS A SECURITY LIGHT PROBLEM. I TRY TO CRANK THE CAR AND SOMETIMES IT WILL CRANK OTHER TIMES IT WONT. I AM A YOUNG MALE THAT NORMALLY TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH TO WORK BUT SOME MORNING'S ALL I CAN DO IS PRAY. IT NEVER REALLY BOTHERED ME BEFORE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I HA...

I HAVE A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA THAT HAS A SECURITY LIGHT PROBLEM. I TRY TO CRANK THE CAR AND SOMETIMES IT WILL CRANK OTHER TIMES IT WONT. I AM A YOUNG MALE THAT NORMALLY TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH TO WORK BUT SOME MORNING'S ALL I CAN DO IS PRAY. IT NEVER REALLY BOTHERED ME BEFORE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I HA...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF OIL ON THE ENGINE DUE TO AN OIL LEAK FROM THE VALVE COVERS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) BUT DID NOT CONFIRM IF THE VEH...

Mileage: 170,000

ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 11, 2009 MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME FORM THE GROCERY STORE ONE NIGHT, AS HE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN HE SMELLED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE CAR, HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO SEE WERE IT WAS COMING FROM. WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR HE SEEN ...

STEERING COLUMN/WHEEL STARTED A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM, (WOULDN'T LOCK INTO PLACE AFTER ADJUSTING POSITION). WITHIN ABOUT A MONTH OR SO IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. IT WOULD NOT STAY IN A FIXED POSITION AT ALL. IN SEPTEMBER 2006 WE TOOK IT IN TO BE REPAIRED. THEY HAD TO FIND AND REBUILD ANOTHER STEERING CO...

Mileage: 165,000

THIS MORNING I TRIED TO START THE CAR TO GET MY KIDS TO SCHOOL, I TURN THE KEY BUT THE ENGINE DIDN'T START, IMMEDIATELY A BIG LOUD EXPLOSION (THE CAR NEVER STARTED), THEN SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, I GOT OUT TO OPEN THE HOOD AND FIRE WAS COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE RIGHT NEXT DASHBOARD NEAR TH...

Mileage: 106,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMALL FLAMES ERUPTING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. SMOKE IMMEDIATELY APPEARED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, FOLLOWED BY FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND ...

VEHICLE - 1997 BUICK RIVERIA 3.8 L SUPERCHARGED ENGINE -- OIL LEAK FROM FRONT VALVE COVER GASKET -- RECALL JUST RELEASED FOR 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL AND GRAND PRIX BUT LEFT THE RIVERIA OUT OF THE RECALL LIST FOR THE EXACT SAME ENGINE --- I REPLACED THE GASKET MYSELF (VERY EXPENSIVE GASKET) - ...

Mileage: 150,000

GM HAS RECALLED 1997-2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX AND BUICK REGALS WIT THE 3.8 LITER SUPERCHARGED V-6 ENGINES FOR OIL LEAKING AND BURNING ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING SOME 267 KNOWN FIRES. I HAVE A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA 3.8 LITER SUPERCHARGED ENGINE WHICH HAS BEGUN DOING THE SAME THING RECENTLY. I HAVE N...

GM HAS RECALLED 1997-2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX AND BUICK REGALS WIT THE 3.8 LITER SUPERCHARGED V-6 ENGINES FOR OIL LEAKING AND BURNING ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING SOME 267 KNOWN FIRES. I HAVE A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA 3.8 LITER SUPERCHARGED ENGINE WHICH HAS BEGUN DOING THE SAME THING RECENTLY. I HAVE N...

1997 BUICK RIVERA. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ONTO THE TURNPIKE UPON STOPPING AT THE TOLL PLAZA HE NOTICED SMOKE AND SMELLED PLASTIC BURNING. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. *MC OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *TR

POWER STEERING RACK FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA. THE PAINT IS BEGINNING TO PEEL OFF FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR. SHE CONTACTED GM , AND THEY CHECKED FOR OPEN RECALLS, AND THEY WANTED HER TO FILE A COMPLAINT. *AK

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN SECURITY LIGHT IS ON THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. CONSUMER HAS TO WAIT 2-3 MINUTES, SOMETIMES LONGER, AND THE VEHICLE WILL START.*AK

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL COMPLETELY DISENGAGED. *JB *SC

Mileage: 93,000

1997 BUICK RIVERA ... DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY-HOLE WORN INTO HIGH PRESSURE FREON DISCHARGE HOSE-FREON SPRAYED THROUGHOUT ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ONTO DRIVE BELTS-BELT BROKE AND WRAPPED AROUND HARMONIC BALANCER - BROKE TEETH AND CRANK SENSOR- ENGINE DIED IMMEDIATELY-LOSS OF POWER STEERING, BRAKING, ETC.,...

Mileage: 54,000

WE HAVE A '97 RIVIERA WITH PAINT PROBLEMS...IF THE PAINT BECOMES CHIPPED OR SCRATCHED, TEMPERATURE CHANGES CAUSE THE PAINT TO SHRINK AND EXPAND (MORESO WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS COLDER) AND UNLESS I BREAK THE SHEETS OF PEELING PAINT OFF, IT KEEPS SPREADING. THIS EXPOSES THE GRAY METAL SEALER. I'D BE G...

THE SENDING UNIT FAILED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME AT 44,000 MILES, SECOND TIME AT 67,000 MILES, AND THIRD TIME AT 80,000 MILES. THE UNIT WAS REPLACED. CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW HOW MUCH GAS WAS ACTUALLY IN THE VEHICLE. *AK THE SENDING UNIT HAD BARE AND MELTED COMPONENTS. *TC

Mileage: 44,000

JACK FOR MY 1997 BUICK RIVIERA COLLAPSED WHEN I TRIED TO CHANGE TIRE. FORTUNATELY, I HAD NOT REMOVED THE FLAT TIRE YET AND WAS NOT INJURED. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER USED THE JACK SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. I STILL HAVE THE DEFECTIVE JACK. I ALSO OWN A 1995 BUICK RIVIERA AND ITS JACK IS MUCH ST...

Mileage: 95,000

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

PAINT IS PEELING IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS RANGING FROM THE FRONT HOOD TO THE BACK SIDES.

Mileage: 80,000

1997 BUICK RIVIERA WITH 3800 ENGINE HAS A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT DEGRADES AND LEAKS COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSES HYDROLOCK, THEREBY RENDERING THE VEHICLE USELESS. THIS CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME AND LEAVE YOU STRANDED AND IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE TYPE. GM ISSUED A SER...

Mileage: 93,773

CONSUMER NOTICED STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE TRAVELING OVER PUDDLES. *AK

AS I TURNED THE SWITCH ON, THE CAR BACK FIRED AND THEN SMOKE STARTED COMING IN THE CAR AND IT WAS SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, I IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT. MY HUSBAND WHO HAD HEARD THE BACK FIRE FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE, OPENED THE HOOD, AND THE FIRE WAS ALREADY BLAZING....

THE CONSUMER SAYS THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO NOT START, EXCEPT AFTER TURNING THE KEY TO START, THEN WAIT EXACTLY 3 MINUTES AND IT WOULD START EACH TIME WITH NO FAILURES. ALL THE POWER WORKED EXCEPT NO START OR NOISE AND NO CRANK WITHOUT SECURITY READ OUT BY THE SPEEDOMETER. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN T...

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON GRAVEL ROAD AND NO WARNING THE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX DEFECT DUE TO THE MILES ON THE VEHICLE. PH 09-DEC-2002

VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO HAVING DIFFICULTY RESTARTING ONCE IT HAS BEEN SHUT OFF. THE OWNER WOULD HAVE TO WAIT SEVERAL MINUTES OR LONGER BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE COMPUTER AND THEY CAN NOT REPLACE IT. NLM

WHILE DRIVING AND TURNING TO THE LEFT, STEERING WHEEL WILL BECOME VERY STIFF AND HARD TO TURN. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND HAS SERVICED VEHICLE BEFORE. THIS WILL BE THE 2ND TIME.*AK DEALER HAS REPLACED THE STEERING GEAR, THIS STOPPED THE HARD STEERING, HOWEVER THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE, JUST RECEN...

DEFECTIVE STEERING

THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. *JG

THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. *JG

GOES OUT OF HIGH GEAR WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35-65. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON GAS GAUGE. WHEN CONSUMER GOT OUT IT WAS ON A 1/4 TANK, WHEN SHE GOT BACK IN AND STARTED IT UP, IT JUMPED TO 3/4 TANK. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, GAS GAUFE WAS ON 1/4 TANK AND IT JUMPED TO FULL. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO GMC DEALER, AND SERVICE MAN SHOWED A MEMO THAT IND...

ELECTRICAL SEAT CONTROL BOX CAUGHT ON FIRE AND LEFT SMOKE IN VEHICLE. *AK

DRIVER'S DOOR DOES NOT SHUT PROPERLY/OPENS UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY CAUSE THE OCCUPANT TO FALL OUT IF THE OCCUPANT IS NOT RESTRAINED. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. *AK THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIX. *YH

PREMATURE WEAR/WARPING OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. OWNER REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. DEALER SAID THAT ROTORS WERE COMING THIN FROM THE FACTORY. BUICK REFUSED TO REFUND COST OF REPLACEMENT. *AK *ML

VEHICLE STARTED MAKING NOISES UNDER THE HOOD. ALSO, WHEN PUTTING IN REVERSE THE RPMS WOULD MOVE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT. DEALER SAID VEHICLE NEEDED NEW TRANSMISSION.. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD STEERING WAS GETTING HARDER TO TURN/ TO MANEUVER VEHICLE. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. CONTACTED DEALER, THEY SAID IT WAS THE RACK AND PINION. *AK

AFTER STOPPING AT AN UNCONTROLLED INTERSECTION, MY FRONT BUMPER WAS INTO THE TRAFFIC LANE SO I BACKED UP ABOUT TWO FEET IN CASE A CAR WAS COMING FROM MY LEFT THAT I MIGHT NOT SEE. I SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SO I COULD PROCEED ACROSS THE LANES AND COMPLETE MY LEFT TURN. THE TRANSMIS...

FRONT BRAKES FAILED TWICE. *YC

STEERING WHEEL CONTROL ARM BOLT CAME LOOSE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FACE THE RIGHT WHEEL, AND LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO DITCH. CONSUMER HAS ASKED DEALER TO REPLACE VEHICLE. *AK

REAR BRAKE ROTORS EXCESSIVELY WARPED AND PADS GLAZED.

BRAKE PADS GLAZED

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN VEHICLE ACCELERATES FROM A COMPLETE STOP THE THE ENGINE REVS, BUT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGH, THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF WARPING. ON 7/21/97 OWNER BROUGHT CAR BACK TO DEALER FOR SAME PROBLEM. AT THAT TIME AN ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE TO THE ROTORS. DEALER STATED THAT ROTORS WERE WARPED AGAIN WITH 9, 504 MILES. ON 11/24/97 BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER FO...

BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGH, THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF WARPING. ON 7/21/97 OWNER BROUGHT CAR BACK TO DEALER FOR SAME PROBLEM. AT THAT TIME AN ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE TO THE ROTORS. DEALER STATED THAT ROTORS WERE WARPED AGAIN WITH 9, 504 MILES. ON 11/24/97 BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER FO...

ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED WHILE BRAKING, RESULTING IN A CRASH. *AK