1998 Buick Lesabre Suspension Problems

I WAS DRIVING INTO DRIVE WAY AND HEARD A LOUD THUD THEN NOTICED MY STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTER. I PUT THE CAR UP ON RAMPS AND ALL FOUR REAR SUB FRAME BUSHINGS WHERE MISSING. THIS COMPONENT HOLDS THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND STEERING TO THE CAR.!!!! BEING A TECHNICIAN ,I LOOKED ON LINE TO SEE IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND FOUND IT IS VERY COMMON . IF I HAD CONTINUED TO DRIVE I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. THANKFULLY I WAS DOING 10 MPH MANY ON LINE COMPLAINTS TALK ABOUT PEOPLE LOOSING CONTROL. OR THE FRONT END DROPPING FENDERS ON TO TIRES. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY. ISSUE AND I HAVE FOUND IT SPANS 1992 TO 1999. GM MODELS. THIS IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS THE IGNITION PROBLEM POSSIBLY WORSE SINCE THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE IT HAPPENS. IF YOU CHECK ONLY AT WWW.CARGURUS.COM THEY HAVE A SECTION TITLED { CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE 92-99 BUICK } PLEASE LOOK AND DO SOMETHING BEFORE. SOMEONE IS HURT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10681368

Incident

Feb 4, 2015

Mileage

81,958 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CROSSARM AND FOUR CRADLE BOLTS AND BUSHINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10587310

Incident

May 1, 2014

Mileage

120,000 mi

I HAVE A 1998 BUICK LESABRE AND THE CAR HAS DEFECTIVE SUBFRAME BUSHINGS WHICH CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10392423

Incident

Mar 21, 2011

Mileage

100,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED YET THEY DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO A ROW OF HEDGES. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE LINES. IN JUNE 2010, THE CONTACT NOTICED ABNORMAL FRONT END NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STABILIZER BAR BUSHINGS HAD FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE BUSHINGS UNDER THE CRADLE WERE EXTREMELY RUSTED. THE BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED IN BOTH AREAS. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 119,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

NHTSA ID

10355528

Incident

May 18, 2010

Mileage

119,000 mi

STRUT HAS BEEN WEAK AND NOISY FOR QUITE A WHILE. IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE STRUTS LIKE THE WEB SITE SUGGESTS I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPAIR IT AT NO CHARGE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10183837

Incident

Jan 4, 2002

Mileage

80,000 mi

DT: THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET AND THE REAR BALL JOINTS BROKE IN HALF. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A ROLL BACK AND TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BALL JOINT ON THE REAR LEFT BACK. THERE WAS NO FORE-WARNING AND NO NOISE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. ALSO THE POWER STEERING BOLTS BROKE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO DROP OFF THE ENGINE BLOCK AND FALL DOWN ONTO THE FRAME MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. *AK (11/10/05) THE POWER STEERING BOLTS BROKE ON TWO OCCASIONS ALLOWING THE PUMP TO FALL DOWN ON THE FRAME. THE SHAFT OF THE BALL JOINT SNAPPED ALLOWING THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TO SHIFT REARWARD. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM DROPPED DOWN ALLOWING THE FREE END TO LOCK THE WHEEL. *SC

NHTSA ID

10136360

Incident

Sep 6, 2005

Mileage

63,878 mi

THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR FAILED AND RUINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. AT LOW MILEAGE THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED. *BF RECALL#04V090000 *JB

NHTSA ID

10109328

Incident

Dec 1, 2004

WAS RETURNING FROM CHARLESTON, SC TO COLUMBIA, SC SUNDAY 7/28/02 ABOUT 7:00 PM AFTER A HOT DAY ON INTERSTATE 26. AFTER ABOUT AN HOURS TRAVELLING TIME, IN WHICH THE CAR FELT OUT OF ALIGNMENT OR TIRES OUT OF BALANCE DUE TO BAD ROADS IN CHARLESTON, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, THE CAR PULLED OR FISHTAILED IN HEAVY BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. I COMPENSATED STEERING AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. THE OTHER VEHICLES SURROUNDING ME MOVED AND/OR SLOWED TO GIVE A WIDE BERTH. I HAD THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS AN AXLE OR CV JOINT HAD BROKEN, BUT UPON WALKING AND LOOKING AROUND THE CAR I FOUND ALL TIRES FULLY INFLATED, BUT THEN NOTICED THAT THE REAR TIRE BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAD ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF IT'S TREAD LAYER MISSING AND BARE STEEL WIRES WERE EXPOSED. I WENT ONLINE AND LOOKED UP GENERAL TIRES, READ ABOUT STRESS CRACKS APPEARING WHERE THE TREADS MET THE SIDEWALLS, THEN INSPECT THE ONLY OTHER GENERAL TIRE LEFT ON THE VEHICLE- IT HAD CONTINUOUS SMALL CRACKS THERE. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO WOULD ONLY PARTICIPATE PARTICALLY IN THE TIRE REPLACEMENT COST IF I USED THEIR TIRES AGAIN- I REFUSED THEIR BRANDS AND BOUGHT GOODYEARS INSTEAD. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE LIVED THROUGH THE TREAD COMING OFF, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT ANYONE ELSE THAT MAY HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR WOULD HAVE!*AK

NHTSA ID

764992

Incident

Jul 28, 2002

CRACKED STEERING WHEEL, AND LEFT FRONT STRUT FAILURE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND MADE REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

NHTSA ID

879133

Incident

Aug 3, 1998

VEHICLE HAS A F1 SUSPENSION. WHEN THERE IS ABOUT 400 POUNDS IN THE BACK SEAT (3 PEOPLE) VEHICLE WILL JUMP WHEN HITTING A LIGHT BUMP OR A DIP IN THE ROAD, WHICH COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK

NHTSA ID

867999

Incident

Aug 1, 2000

CAR BOTTOMS OUT OVER SEVERE BUMPS WITH PASSENGERS IN FRONT AND REAR. CAR WAS INSPECTED BY MFG. DEALER 7/20/2000. NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. IT WAS INFERRED THAT THE BOTTOMING OUT WAS NORMAL THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THIS MODEL. I BELIEVE THE ENGINEERING SAFETY MUST BE CHECKED. I DON"T BELIEVE BOTTOMING OUT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD NOT BE PASSED OVER LIGHTLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

725770

Incident

Jul 7, 2000

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE DUE TO VIBRATION AND JERKING. *AK

NHTSA ID

858156

Incident

Mar 8, 2000

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MPH, VEHICLE WOULD BOUNCE WHENEVER IT RAN OVER A BUMP OR ROUGH ROAD, CAUSING VEHICLE TO WANDER ACROSS THE ROAD. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPLACED REAR SPRINGS. *AK

NHTSA ID

851846

Incident

Mar 19, 1998

UNIDENTIFIED SUSPENSION MECHANISM CAUSES CAR TO PULL TO THE LEFT.MGM

NHTSA ID

607759

WHILE DRIVING BEYOND 50 MPH THE VEHICLE SHAKES OR VIBRATES VIOLENTLY CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

827513