2008 Buick Lucerne Speed Control & Cruise Problems

MY FATHER-IN-LAW HAD THE COMPLAINT THAT HIS CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. I CHECKED THE CAR OVER AND IT WAS WORKING FINE. ON HIS WAY HOME IT QUIT WORKING AFTER ABOUT 75 MILES. ANOTHER CHECK AND ALL WAS FINE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I JUST HAPPENED TO BE FOLLOWING HIM AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND NEVER WENT OFF. I CONFIRMED WITH HIM THAT HIS FOOT WAS NOT ON THE PEDAL. I PUT TOGETHER THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE COMING ON AND SHUTTING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. HE TOOK THE CAR IN AND THEY ADDED BRAKE FLUID. THE CRUISE CONTROL KEPT KICKING OUT. I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS EITHER OUT OF ADJUSTMENT OR DEFECTIVE AND WROTE IT DOWN FOR HIS DEALER. IT TURNED OUT THE SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND IT WAS REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 68,000 AND GARAGED. AS A DRIVER YOU WON'T KNOW THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON WITHOUT LOOKING OR FIND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING. WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS PERMANENTLY ON, OTHER DRIVERS CAN'T TELL WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY SLOWING DOWN OR STOPPING, AND THAT IS A POTENTIAL RISK FOR BEING REAR ENDED. MY FATHER-IN-LAW TRIED TO BE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION BY ENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN POSSIBLE. AS LONG AS IT WAS WORKING, HE KNEW HIS BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OPERATING AS THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO. HAPPENED ON HIGHWAY AND CITY, MOVING. BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ON AFTER STOPPING. EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL AFTER AWHILE, I SUSPECT INSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS AT PLAY SOMEWHAT ALSO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LUCERNE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE SPECIFIC REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 12/01/14*LJ

WHILE ACCELERATING ON THE ON RAMP TO A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK TO FLOOR. (NO FLOOR MATS OR OTHER ITEMS WERE IN THE ANY WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.) CAR CONTINUED ACCELERATING, AND PEDAL CONTINUED TO STICK TO THE FLOOR DESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET IT TO RELEASE. RPM'S WERE OVER 4500. SINCE I COULDN'T GET THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO RELEASE, I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. ABOUT 20 SECONDS AFTER SHIFTING, RPM'S WENT DOWN TO NORMAL AND PEDAL RELEASED. AT THAT TIME I COULD GET THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN TO A NORMAL SPEED. *TR

BRAKES LIGHTS WOULD COME ON BY THEMSELVES WHILE DRIVING OR WHILE PARKED WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. ALSO CRUISE CONTROL WOULD BE DISABLED WITHOUT USING THE BRAKE OR ANY SWITCH TO DISABLE IT. TOOK IT TO A GM REPAIR FACILITY (DEALER) WHO RECALIBRATED THE BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH, BUT THE CONDITION RETURNED. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY WHO RECALIBRATED THE BRAKE PEDAL SENSOR. THAT INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY THOUGHT THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE BRAKE LIGHTS COMING ON BY THEMSELVES. HAZARD: SOMEONE DRIVING BEHIND COULD CONFUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS COMING ON AS A SIGN THAT THE CAR WAS SUDDENLY STOPPING, WHICH MIGHT CAUSE THE CAR FOLLOWING TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LUCERNE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, RESULTING IN A CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 13,800. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.