2006 Buick Lucerne Powertrain & Transmission Problems

PERIODICALLY AT CRUISING SPEED OF 50 TO 60 MILES AN HOUR, SPEEDOMETER WILL FLUCTUATE WILDLY BETWEEN 25 AND 40 MPH. WHEN IT DOES THIS TRANSMISSION DOES NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR TO BE IN, AND IN THE EVENT THAT THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE GOES ALL THE WAY TO ZERO, IT WILL NOT ENGAGE WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL EVEN IF YOU'RE IN GEAR, ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS PULL OFF AND SHUT IT DOWN AND WAIT SEVERAL SECONDS TO A FEW MINUTES FOR IT TO ENGAGE ONCE AGAIN WHEN YOU START IT BACK UP. THIS IS AN 06 BUICK LUCERNE WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND 3.8 V6

I STARTED THE ENGINE AND THE "LOW ENGINE POWER LIGHT" CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. I PRESSED THE PEDAL DOWN AND HAD TO PRESS THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE CAR TO GO 5 MPH. I HAD TO DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND KEEP PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL UP AND DOWN TO KEEP THE CAR GOING. AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND FLOOR IT TO RACE THE ENGINE IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO MOVE. IT IS HAZARD DRIVING ON A FREE WAY AT 5 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO TIRE DISCOUNTERS BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONLY ONE OPEN ON CHRISTMAS EVE AS MARK SWEENEY GMC/BUICK WAS NOT OPEN AND NORMALLY TAKE MY CAR TO BROCHERDING GMC/BUICK. THE SERVICE PERSON AT TIRE DISCOUNTERS DISCOVERED IT WAS THE THROTTLE SWITCH WHICH WAS BAD. I ENDED UP BEING ABLE TO GET A RENTAL CAR WHILE MY CAR WS BEING REPAIRED. I PICKED UP MY CAR ON DECEMBER 29, 2014 TO FIND THAT ANOTHER PERSON HAD BROUGHT THEIR 2006 OR 07 BUICK IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AT TIRE DISCOUNTER. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER AMERICAN MADE CAR AGAIN. THIS BUICK LUCERNE IS THE DEMON CAR AND I HAVE SPENT OVER 10K IN REPAIRS THE PAST 3 YEARS TO KEEP IT RUNNING. *JS

AFTER DRIVING THE CAR TO SCHOOL MY DAUGHTER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO GEAR. MY HUSBAND WENT TO THE CAR AND WAS ALSO UNABLE TO SHIFT. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO OUR LOCAL GARAGE AND RECEIVED A CALL THIS MORNING THAT THE SHIFTER CABLE BROKE. THE TOTAL PRICE FOR REPAIR IS 360.00 I NOTICED THERE WAS A RECALL FOR A SIMILAR GM VEHICLE FOR THE SHIFT CABLE BREAKING AND A RECALL ISSUED IN THE CADILLAC VEHICLE. THE RECALL CLAIMED THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT IN OR OUT OF GEAR. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM WE EXPERIENCED WITH OUR LUCERNE. I'M THINKING THE LUCERNE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. THANK YOU FOR CHECKING. *TR

MY DAUGHTER DROVE THE CAR TO SCHOOL AND WHEN SCHOOL WAS OUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. MY HUSBAND CAME AND TRIED TO GET THE CAR INTO GEAR BUT ALSO HAD NO LUCK. WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE GARAGE FOR WORK. I LOOKED UP RECALLS AND NOTICED THE CADILLAC HAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PART. TOTAL COST FOR DEALER PARTS AND TOWING, INSTALLATION AND LABOR IS $ 360.00. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWR TRAIN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000. UPDATED 10/02/14*LJ UPDATED 3/6/2015 *JS

FREEZE PLUG FAILED (NOT DUE TO FREEZING). DEALER INDICATED NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE. WAS NECESSARY TO TEAR OUT TRANSMISSION TO MAKE REPAIRS WITH A NEW TYPE OF REPLACEMENT PLUG. DEALER HAD CAR FROM WEDNESDAY NOON TO FOLLOWING TUESDAY EVENING. NEW TYPE OF SEAL COST $24.50 AND THE LABOR WAS $1,114.00. GATEWAY BUICK IN DALLAS, TEXAS. INDICATED THAT IF SEAL WAS NOT REPLACED I COULD LOOSE ALL COOLANT AND HOT ENGINE COULD CAUSE STEAM THAT WOULD HINDER MY VISION AND LEAVE ME STRANDED ALONG THE ROAD. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF LOW. HAD TO RETURN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS. SEEMS TO ME THAT THE ORIGINAL FREEZE PLUG WAS BADLY DESIGNED AND THAT GM HAD TO DEVELOP A NEW TYPE OF SEAL IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS AND DAMAGE.. *TR

I PUT MY CAR IN PARK, 5 MINUTES LATER I GO TO TAKE IT OUT OF PARK AND IT DOES NOT SHIFT. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE I GOT THE CAR IN 2013. THE GEAR SHIFT IS GIVING ME A BIG PROBLEM AND OF COURSE ONLY THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY. *TR

WHEN DRIVING AND ACCELERATING, VEHICLE LOOSES POWER. THIS IS DANGEROUS. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THE SPEED DOES NOT PLAY A PART IN THIS PROBLEM NOR DOES THE AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WILL LOSS POWER AND HAVE A BIG JERK AND BANG WHEN ACCELERATING OUT OF A PARKED POSITION. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE STALL WHEN TURNING ONTO A STREET AND START BACK UP. THIS MORNING IN PULLING OUT ONTO A BUSY STREET IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD,THE CAR LOST POWER, BUT REGAINED POWER BEFORE I GOT HIT. THIS IS DANGEROUS. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED AND WAS TOLD IF THERE IS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THEN NO CODES WILL BE SET TO FIND THE PROBLEM. SO WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS CAR? I KNOW I HAVE PASSED THE LEMON LAW. I HAVE NO WARRANTY LEFT. BUT MY MAIN CONCERN IS SAFETY, NOT ONLY MYSELF BUT FOR OTHERS. JUST SAYING WHAT IF THIS MORNING MY CAR HAD NOT REGAINED POWER AND THAT FAMILY IN THE CAR WITH THEIR BABIES COULDN'T STOP AND HIT ME. I DON'T WANT TO THINK THAT THOSE BABIES COULD HAVE BEEN HURT BECAUSE I HAVE A CAR THAT HAS A MYSTERIOUS PROBLEM. SO MORALLY WHAT DO I DO, TRADE AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM? KEEP ON PAYING ON A VEHICLE, THAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING? ALSO, I WAS A SERVICE ADVISER FOR 12 YEARS IN A GM AND CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF VEHICLES. PLEASE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A RESOLUTION, DON'T BLOW SMOKE AT ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

MY CAR'S TRANSMISSION DID NOT COME OUT OF PARK AT A LARGE GAS STATION. THE CAR COULD NOT BE MOVED BUY ANY MEANS. AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO VARIOUS REPAIR SHOPS I WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKE INTERLOCK PIN WOULD NOT RELEASE. I WAS TOLD THAT GM DID NOT BUILD AN OVERRIDE INTO THE SHIFTER. AFTER 1 PLUS HOURS OF TRYING THE PIN FINALLY RELEASED. BY NOT PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK I GOT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THAT THE PART WAS SUPERSEDED TWICE. THE PART FAILED THREE TIMES BEFORE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE CAR COULD HAVE LOCKED UP IN A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION THAN MINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION OR TURN THE KEY TO START THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE BEGAN TO RECUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER HAD TO BE MOVED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN VARIOUS GEARS BEFORE REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED A SECOND TIME AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE GEAR SHIFT SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

BOUGHT THE CAR "NEW" ON 7/4/07. ON 7/8/07 THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR. TOOK THE CAR TO A BUICK DEALER WHERE THEY FIXED A DEFECTIVE PART. DROVE THE CAR HOME THAT NIGHT AND THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. BROUGHT THE CAR TO ANOTHER DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP TODAY. I'VE OWNED THE CAR FOR 11 DAYS AND IT'S BEEN IN THE SHOP 8 DAYS AND COUNTING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BUICK LUCERNE. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT CONTINOUSLY. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ON 2/15/07 AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,500. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH ON DRY ROADS, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT, CAUSING INCREASED STEERING EFFORT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DRIVE AXLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS TOO LONG FOR THE VEHICLE BASE. UPDATED 07/25/06. *JB