2009 Buick LaCrosse Complaint Log

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE LOW BEAM HEAD LAMPS FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V755000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

I WISH TO FORMALLY COMPLAINT THAT BUICK HAS BEEN REMISS IN ITS SERVICE TO ITS CUSTOMERS. AFTER A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH I FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM OF MALFUNCTIONING PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG MODULE (PASSENGER PRESENCE IS NOT DETECTED WHEN THE PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT AND SHOWS MALFUNCTION ON THE DASHBOARD) IS PRETTY COMMON WITH THIS VEHICLE. I AM VERY SURPRISED BUICK IS NOT AWARE OF THIS SERIOUS FLAW AND DID NOTHING TO RECTIFY IT. INSTEAD THE CUSTOMER IS BESET WITH HIGH REPAIR COSTS EACH TIME THIS MODULE FAILS DUE TO DESIGN FLAW THAN DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.

MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE PURCHASE AIR BAG INDICATOR HAS EITHER BLINKED, HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY ON OR HASN'T BEEN ON AT ALL. INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAY, IE: MILEAGE INDICATOR, TEMPERATURE DISPLAY, TRIP INDICATOR HASN'T WORKED ON OCCASION, RADIO AND/OR INTERIOR TEMPERATURE DISPLAY DOESN'T COME ON UNTIL YOU DRIVE FOR FIVE TO FORTY FIVE MINUTES. DOOR LOCKS HAVE ACTUATED EITHER UP OR DOWN WHILE DRIVING. REMOTE DOOR LOCKS EITHER DON'T WORK AT ALL OR ONE OR MORE DOES, ONE OR MORE DOESN'T WORK, WHEN MANUALLY USING A KEY SECURITY SYSTEM HAS ACTIVATED THUS SOUNDING THE HORN. MANY OF THESE ITEMS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED WITH MY DEALER AND WE WERE TOLD BY THEM THAT GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THERE ISN'T A FIX AT THIS TIME. *TR

DASH LIGHTS FADE IN AND OUT WHILE DRIVING. NOTHING SEEMS TO CAUSE IT THEY JUST GO OUT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE SPEED, READ THE ONSTAR DIRECTIONS OR SEE THE MILEAGE. SOMETIMES MILEAGE ONLY WILL SHOW, SOMETIMES MILEAGE ONLY DOES NOT SHOW. BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT SHOW. THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT. ON OCCASION THERE ARE NO DISPLAY LIGHTS OF ANY TYPE SHOWING IN THE CAR - THE CAR IS IN TOTAL DARKNESS INSIDE. THE PROBLEM DOES OCCUR DURING THE DAYTIME AS WELL BUT IF THE SUN IS OUT IT IS NOT SUCH A BIG PROBLEM. I HAVE TALKED TO FRIENDS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BUT I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET GM OR MY CAR DEALERSHIP TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM EXISTS. I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT OR WHEN THERE IS A RAINSTORM BECAUSE I PANIC WHEN I HAVE NO INTERNAL LIGHTS OR CAN SEE THE SPEED I AM TRAVELING AT. TURNING ON MY HEADLIGHTS MANUALLY DOES NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

PURCHASED A 2009 BUICK LACROSSE IN FEB 09 FOR MY WIFE - AT VARIOUS TIMES ABOUT 6 EVENTS HAVE HAPPENED ALL TOGETHER WITH A STRONG ALCOHOL ODOR COMING INTO THE INTERIOR. THE SMELL IS STRONG AND CAUSES HER NOSE, EYE AND THROAT TO BURN. THIS PAST WEEKEND - SHE DROVE IT TO VA BEACH, VA WITH FAMILY AND IT HAPPENED TWICE ON SUNDAY - JUNE 7, 2009. MY CONCERN IS IF THE BUILD UP OF THIS STRONG ALCOHOL ODOR COMES INTO THE CAR - CAN THE ODOR CAUSE A FIRE? I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED AND THEY SAID UNTIL IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME - THERE IS NOT A THING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. I AM TAKING IT TO ANOTHER GM DEALERSHIP IN THE MORNING TO SEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH. WE LIKE THE CAR, BUT AM AFRAID IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE WITH THIS STRONG ODOR COMING INTO THE CABIN OF THE AUTO, OR CAUSE MY WIFE TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE SHE HAS LUNG COPD PROBLEMS AND THE ODOR TAKES HER BREATH AWAY IT IS SO STRONG. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONCE IN FEB, TWICE IN MARCH, ONCE IN APRIL AND TWICE IN JUNE THAT SHE HAS NOTICED. I HAVE ALSO SMELLED AN ODD ODOR ON A TRIP TO COLUMBUS, OHIO. CAN YOU HELP FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM OR LET ME KNOW IF OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. THANKS *TR

CONSUMER FRONT SEAT PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR DOES NOT DISPLAY WHEN PASSENGER IS SITTING THE IN SEAT.*TA THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY A LOCAL GARAGE MECHANIC, THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $500. *JB