1998 Buick LeSabre Limited from North America - Comments

I was just about to buy a beautiful 98 Buick Le Sabre when I read the comments about the coolant leak problems. Thank goodness for this website and all the people that have contributed input. I would have spent every dime I had just to buy the car.

My 1998 Buick Lesabre has 122,000 miles on it and had the plenum leak problem back when it hit 85,000 miles ($600 repair). Now it is leaking again from the water pump. Nice car, but lots of problems!

If you've gotten 122k miles on with the original water pump you're doing OK... it happens.

I have a 1999 Buick Park Avenue with a 3.8L. Same thing, the upper intake manifold leaked coolant into the cylinders and hydro locked the engine. Had the plenum replaced at a cost of $1200.00.The car ran fine for 2-3 days. Now I have lifter noise on cold start up. The lifter noise goes away when the engine warms up bit is quite pronounced at start up. Also had to replace the starter as it broke when trying to start engine when it was hydro locked. I just would like to thank GM for looking after there valued customers! I will never buy another GM product.

I inherited this 98 Buick LeSabre with only 29000 miles on it. After I put 6500 miles on it the manifold is leaking. I'm lucky I can fix it myself; it will only cost me $150.

I always talked trash about GM and this is the first one I owned in the 15 years I've been driving, and it turns out I was right the whole time.

I just brought a '98 buick lesabre with 196.000 miles on it... It drives very smooth and hopefully the previous owner took care of it... Does the leaking water means it having the same problems?

If you have been running the air conditioning, it is probably from that and should be considered normal. Keep a close eye on your coolant level. At as high of mileage as you have, the plenium has probably already failed at least once.

I just got my 98 Buick LeSabre about 1 month ago. (145k) miles. One day driving I started to lose power, but I made it home and was going to get it fixed the next day. (thought it was a dead battery, because the battery was basically dead). Anyway, the car wouldn't start up the next morning, so I got a ride to work and put in a new battery later that day. Car didn't want to turn over, so I towed it to a shop. After a few days at the mechanic's shop, he tells me I need to replace the upper intake at about $410 including labor. Should I replace this upper intake or also the lower.. and the EGR pipes I think I read? Please help... I don't have all that much money to spare on unnecessary parts.

I have a 1999 Buick Regal with the same problem bought it a year ago put about 10,000 miles on it. I am in the process of repairing mine. So far mine does not look like it has the EGR valve problem of melting. I think my gasket fail! Trying that first Defintely a very poor design of a car.