1997 Buick Riviera

EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

I HAVE A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA THAT HAS A SECURITY LIGHT PROBLEM. I TRY TO CRANK THE CAR AND SOMETIMES IT WILL CRANK OTHER TIMES IT WONT. I AM A YOUNG MALE THAT NORMALLY TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH TO WORK BUT SOME MORNING'S ALL I CAN DO IS PRAY. IT NEVER REALLY BOTHERED ME BEFORE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I HAVE THE PATIENCE OF A SLUG. BUT TODAY I WAS PULLED OVER BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHT IN MY WINDOW WAS OUT LONG STORY SHORT. I ASKED THE OFFICER IF I COULD LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY PROBLEM WHILE HE CHECKED MY PAPER WORK INSURANCE REGISTRATION ETC. HE STATED FOR BOTH OF OUR MIND STATES IT WOULD BEST IF I TURNED OFF THE MOTOR. I DID AS I WAS ASKED THE OFFICER RETURNED TO THE CAR TO DELIVER MY DRIVERS LICENSE INSURANCE ETC. HE GAVE ME A WARNING TO GET THE LIGHT REPLACED THEN LEFT MEAN WHILE FOR THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF. HE RETURNED AROUND 45 MINUTES LATER. I AM ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY I TRIED CLEANING THE KEY WITH A DRY RAG LETTING THE KEY SET IN THE IGNITION UNTIL THE LIGHT TURNED OFF. I EVEN UNPLUGGED THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE BATTERY CABLE TO LET THE COMPUTER RESET ITS SELF. I WENT TO GM AND HAD A KEY MADE FOR THE CAR BECAUSE MY FIRST KEY HAD THE RUBBER TIP REMOVED. SO I FIGURED I WOULD GET A NEW KEY MADE FOR THE CAR AS WELL AS A NEW KEY PAD EVERYTHING WORKED FINE FOR A DAY OR TWO. I CALLED GM THE MANAGER ASKED ME TO COME BACK IN AND STATED THAT MAYBE THE KEY WAS UNDER CUT BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST PURCHASED A NEW KEY CUTTING MACHINE AND WERE STILL WORKING OUT THE BUGS. THE CAR STARTED FINE SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND I JUST DID NOT LET IT BOTHER ME FOR A WHILE. NOW IM INFORMING YOU GUYS BECAUSE MY OTHER CAR WAS TOTALED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER WHILE IT WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO I LEFT IT TO PUT AIR IN THE SPARE TIRE. I HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TO A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ITS TO LATE FOR ME OR ANYONE ELSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10441133

Incident

Dec 23, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF OIL ON THE ENGINE DUE TO AN OIL LEAK FROM THE VALVE COVERS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V118000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) BUT DID NOT CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

NHTSA ID

10406811

Incident

Jan 1, 2006

Mileage

170,000 mi

ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 11, 2009 MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME FORM THE GROCERY STORE ONE NIGHT, AS HE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN HE SMELLED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE CAR, HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO SEE WERE IT WAS COMING FROM. WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR HE SEEN A CLOUD OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE, HE LIFTED UP THE HOOD IN SAW FLAMES COMING FROM PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE CAR UNDER THE HOOD, HE WENT INTO THE FACILITIES TO WERE HE PULLED OVER AND GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT THE FIRE WAS TO BIG TO BUT OUT, SO HE CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY. THE CAR IS AT A TOTAL LOST. THE CAR A WEEK AGO BEFORE IT HAPPEN HAD A VERY STRONG GASOLINE SMELL COMING FROM THE CAR, BUT AFTER 1 TO 2 DAYS THE SMELL WENT A WAY, IT WAS CHECK FOR GAS AND OIL LEAKS BUT THERE WASN'T ANY. ME AND MY FAMILY WAS VERY TERRIFIED AND UPSET BECAUSE, THIS FIRE COULD HAVE CAUSE DEATH. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 19996 BUICK RIVERA FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. WHEN RESEARCHED THIS CAR AFTER THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS SIMILAR CASE TO MINES. I REALLY HOPE NO ONE ELSE WILL BE PUT IN MY SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10280631

Incident

Aug 11, 2009

STEERING COLUMN/WHEEL STARTED A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM, (WOULDN'T LOCK INTO PLACE AFTER ADJUSTING POSITION). WITHIN ABOUT A MONTH OR SO IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. IT WOULD NOT STAY IN A FIXED POSITION AT ALL. IN SEPTEMBER 2006 WE TOOK IT IN TO BE REPAIRED. THEY HAD TO FIND AND REBUILD ANOTHER STEERING COLUMN. IT COST US ALMOST $1000 DOLLARS, PLUS THE COST OF A RENTAL FOR ABOUT TEN (10) DAYS. THE BIGGEST REASON I'M WRITING THIS NOW IS BECAUSE, IT HAS BROKEN AGAIN. (IT IS THE SAME EXACT THING AS BEFORE). I AM WANTING TO KNOW IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ANYBODY ELSE OR IS IT AN ISOLATED THING ?. ALSO, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS BREAKING (THE HEADS SHEARING OFF) ?. IF NOT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED ITEMS THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL VEHICLES I'VE EVER OWNED. THANK YOU FOR ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN GIVE ME. KELLY GARDNER *TR

NHTSA ID

10278474

Incident

Jul 10, 2006

Mileage

165,000 mi

THIS MORNING I TRIED TO START THE CAR TO GET MY KIDS TO SCHOOL, I TURN THE KEY BUT THE ENGINE DIDN'T START, IMMEDIATELY A BIG LOUD EXPLOSION (THE CAR NEVER STARTED), THEN SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, I GOT OUT TO OPEN THE HOOD AND FIRE WAS COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE RIGHT NEXT DASHBOARD NEAR THE DRIVER SIDE.....THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO COME TO GET THE FIRE OUT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10252095

Incident

Dec 17, 2008

Mileage

106,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMALL FLAMES ERUPTING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. SMOKE IMMEDIATELY APPEARED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, FOLLOWED BY FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

10249436

Incident

Nov 5, 2008

GM HAS RECALLED 1997-2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX AND BUICK REGALS WIT THE 3.8 LITER SUPERCHARGED V-6 ENGINES FOR OIL LEAKING AND BURNING ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING SOME 267 KNOWN FIRES. I HAVE A 1997 BUICK RIVIERA 3.8 LITER SUPERCHARGED ENGINE WHICH HAS BEGUN DOING THE SAME THING RECENTLY. I HAVE NOT SEEN THE RIVIERA INCLUDED IN ANY WEB SEARCH BUT I AM SURE GM IS TRYING TO GET BY WITHOUT REPAIRING AS MANY 3.8 SUPERCHARGED AS POSSIBLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10221494

Incident

Mar 17, 2008

VEHICLE - 1997 BUICK RIVERIA 3.8 L SUPERCHARGED ENGINE -- OIL LEAK FROM FRONT VALVE COVER GASKET -- RECALL JUST RELEASED FOR 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL AND GRAND PRIX BUT LEFT THE RIVERIA OUT OF THE RECALL LIST FOR THE EXACT SAME ENGINE --- I REPLACED THE GASKET MYSELF (VERY EXPENSIVE GASKET) - 11/05 -- AND FEEL THAT GM SHOULD AT LEAST REIMBURSE ME FOR THE GASKET ---. *TR

NHTSA ID

10221447

Incident

Nov 14, 2005

Mileage

150,000 mi

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester  and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester  and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.

This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.  The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable.  E version update is to add administrative details.

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.  The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable.