1998 Buick LeSabre from North America

Summary:

Get you car inspected today. Do not drive until it is

Faults:

Plastic intake manifold failed at 110,000 miles, replaced that. Ran good again.

Now the subframe rubber bushings have failed, and almost left me stranded. If the final bolt had broken, it would have disconnected the steering wheel and I would have had no control on where I was headed.

This is a major safety issue that can easily be inspected by any owner, no special tools needed (other than a flashlight if it's dark).

How to inspect: Look under the car directly behind each front wheel. You will see a subframe assembly bolted to the floor of the car with two bolts on driver's side, and two on the passenger side. These bolts go up thru a large round washer-like retainer for the four inch diameter rubber bushing that fits inside the subframe.

What you want to look for is if the washer under the bolt head is rusted and/or the rubber bushing is in good shape. Three of the four on mine were completely gone. Parts are available from the dealer to replace these. The rubber parts are called insulators.

I am not sure what years and models are affected by these, but I found numerous reports from other year LeSabres. It may be as widespread as 1991 - 1999. I believe any "M" body style could have this problem.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 2nd September, 2012

1998 Buick LeSabre 3.8 from North America

Summary:

Lemon

Faults:

The 3.8 DEFECT... plastic crap... I believe everybody reading this knows EXACTLY what the defect is!

General Comments:

Let me start by saying I LOVED this car and could do nothing but sing its praises; very comfortable, good power when needed, good gas mileage...

UNTIL... the engine locked for what I thought was no apparent reason. I should have read about the problem before, but would that have helped? Does replacing the parts help? Sounds like it will happen again?

My anger comes from the NO-recall policy at GM. I guess nobody is dying from the problem... bad news GM, you're dying from the problem!!!

I have owned GM cars my whole life, and will never buy another... why, because you KNOW about this crap and won't do anything about it!!!

My TAX dollars went to save you? For hard working individuals working for GM, I am truly sorry... but you're working for organized crime.

My question to any/all who have had this problem.. Is there any type of class action against these gangsters? Or in their current state (I wonder why), would that be like trying to get a seat on the Titanic?

I am donating the car to the church... maybe GOD can save GM; their policies sure won't!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 1st June, 2011

1st Jun 2011, 15:32

How is GM going to die because you aren't going to buy 11 year old Buicks anymore?

1st Jun 2011, 17:27

You consider this car a lemon at 13 years old???

3rd Jun 2011, 20:27

Not a LEMON? Maybe I define it differently...

A motor on a car locking up (because of a DEFECTIVE engineering design) at less than 80K miles... I define that as a lemon.

I wasn't buying driveway furniture.

1998 Buick LeSabre Custom 3.8 from North America

Summary:

GM is getting away with an obvious defect

Faults:

As everybody else has said about the 98 Buick, my daughter took her car into have an oil change. She called me and said they had her there for a few hours. I talked to the manager, he said the car would not start. I came down had them do a compression check.

Then I went down and bought some new plugs. Got it running, but it was obvious either a head gasket or the plastic manifold has gone. Waiting to take it apart. First time I ever seen a car die on a hoist. No warning.

General Comments:

Car has been good otherwise.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 2nd March, 2010

4th Mar 2010, 15:49

"it was obvious either a head gasket or the plastic manifold has gone"

Probably the plastic manifold. I've heard it's a very common failure on the Series II V6 that's in your LeSabre, as well as alternators. Probably not a head gasket, because other than what I said above the 3.8 engine is known to be very reliable. (however, if they started the car when there was no oil then it very well could be a head gasket, but if they didn't then it shouldn't be!)

Sorry to hear about the problem though, good luck getting it fixed.

6th Apr 2010, 16:50

I bought my '98 Buick LeSabre in May, 2003 with 25137 miles on it.

In December, 2005, I replaced the plenum and gasket at a cost of over $200 for parts and $60 labor, which I thought was pretty good. I cursed GM for a while, but assumed that I was through with that problem... until today, April 5, 2010. The car just turned 64,000 miles and I must replace it a second time!

I am again cursing GM for such "sorry" (as we say down here in Georgia) engineering!!! PLASTIC!!! RIDICULOUS!!! I'd like to break up the plenum I am having to replace ($107 for parts and $??? for labor), into little pieces, divide the pieces up and shove them where the sun doesn't shine into the persons who came up with this most obvious design flaw, and perfect example of planned obsolescence, in order to further finance Mr.Goodwrench's greedy appetite!

20th Mar 2013, 20:58

Hi. There's a simple solution to this problem. The orange reddish coolant is garbage. Flush it out and refill with green antifreeze. The Dexcool is what eats the gaskets out. Best of luck to you.