1997 Chevrolet Lumina Engine Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET LUMINA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED COMPLETELY LOSING ALL POWER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TIRE RODS WERE DEFECTIVE, THE ENGINE MOUNTS HAD FALLEN OUT, AND THERE WERE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE TIE ROAD AND ENGINE MOUNT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 199,876.

NHTSA ID

10325427

Incident

Sep 27, 2009

Mileage

10,000 mi

ENGINE FIRE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BURN COMPLETELY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10265573

Incident

Feb 23, 2009

I KNOW OF SEVERAL OWNERS OF CHEVY LUMINA WHERE PAINTS IS PEELING AND ENGINE FAILURE IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO START AN INVESTIGATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10242051

Incident

Jan 1, 2008

1997 LUMINA HAS LOUD LIFTER NOISE. LIFTERS REPLACED ONCE BY DEALER, BUT NOISE IS ESPECIALLY LOUD NOW THAT THE WEATHER IS COLD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10208106

Incident

Nov 6, 2007

Mileage

81,000 mi

'97 CHEVY LUMINA WITH A DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WHICH GM WILL NOT COVER REPAIR. *JB

NHTSA ID

10182204

Incident

Feb 7, 2007

Mileage

114,498 mi

DT: THE TRUNK FELL ON THE CONSUMER'S HEAD THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. HAD BRAIN SURGERY IN 1997 AND THESE THREE INCIDENT HAD DETERIORATE THE CONSUMER'S HEALTH. ALSO, THE MUFFLER SYSTEMS ARE STAINLESS STEEL BUT THE CLAMPS ARE NOT STAINLESS STEEL. *AK UPDATE 12/27/2005 - THE TRUNK LID SPRING MECHANISM WAS NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THE SAID THERE WERE NO RECALL FOR THE TRUNK SPRING. THE CONSUMER'S FRIEND REALIGNED THE SPRING MECHANISM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10140279

Incident

Oct 19, 2005

Mileage

80,000 mi

LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON MY 1997 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THERE WAS A RECALL ON OTHER GM PRODUCTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. CHEVROLET HOWEVER SAYS MY MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THEIR RECALL. I DISAGREE, BECAUSE THE MANIFOLD GASKET IS A CONTINIUING PROBLEM PREVALENT IF NOT ALL, THAN MOST GM VEHICLES IN THIS TIME PERIOD. *AK

NHTSA ID

10100141

Incident

Nov 16, 2004

1997 CHEVROLET LUMINA WITH 3.1 L ENGINE. LOWER INTAKE GASKET LEAKING INTO ENGINE. COST TO REPAIR $900 US FROM DEALER. PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY CAUSED BY USING GM DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE AND A DEFECTIVE GASKET. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND KNOWS IT EFFECTS ALL 3.1L AND 3.4L ENGINES PRODUCED FROM AROUND THE MID 1990S TO 2000. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED BY GM SINCE THIS SEAMS NOT TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10098881

Incident

Nov 7, 2004

Mileage

160,000 mi

DEALERSHIP REPLACED TWICE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT WAS LEAKING COOLANT INSIDE THE ENGINE. ALSO, TIRES SHOWED SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE WEAR EVERY 3000 TO 4000 MILES. DEALER HAD FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION ALIGNED. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED, BUT EXCESSIVE WEAR STILL PERSISTED. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10084031

Incident

Aug 2, 2004

I HAVE BEEN THE OWNER OF A 1997 CHEVROLET LUMINA SINCE JULY OF 2002. IT WAS WELL MAINTAINED BY MY UNCLE, WHOM I BOUGHT IT FROM. IT HAD 57K MILES WHEN BOUGHT. SHORTLY AFTER BUYING IT, I NOTICED COOLANT LOSS IN THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE. TO MAKE A LONG AND EXPENSIVE STORY SHORT, I HAD TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT A COST OF NEARLY $600. THIS IS A COMMON REPAIR ON GM V6 ENGINES I LATER FOUND OUT AFTER TALKING TO MECHANICS AND READING ON VARIOUS WEB SITES SUCH AS GM-V6LEMONS.COM. THIS IS A FLAWED ENGINE DESIGN THAT GM DENIES HAS ANY PROBLEMS. I ATTEMPTED TO GET GM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS BY ASKING FOR RENUMERATION AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I WASN'T THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THIS RESPONSE WAS IN REPLY TO A LETTER WRITTEN TO KURT RITTER, CEO OF CHEVROLET.

NHTSA ID

10066112

Incident

Dec 18, 2003

Mileage

72,817 mi

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10065168

Incident

Mar 19, 2004

Mileage

159,000 mi

CONSUMER STATED INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE SEEING A LOT OF THESE TYPES OF VEHICLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10053625

Incident

Jan 7, 2004

MY 1997 CHEVROLET LUMINA HAS HAD TO HAVE THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS REPLACED TWICE IN THREE YEARS AT A COST OF $900 EACH TIME. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE CAR WITH A POOR DESIGN USING DEX-COOL ENGINE COOLANT WHICH IS THE ORIGIN OF THE PROBLEM. I'VE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLANT PUMP AND ASSOCIATED OTHER PARTS.

NHTSA ID

10041033

Incident

Sep 29, 2003

Mileage

102,700 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING COOLANT LEAKED FROM THE RADIATOR. *AK *PH *JB

NHTSA ID

10031627

Incident

Jul 30, 2003

WHEN THE SERPENTINE BELT GETS WET IT HAS A TENDENCY TO SLIDE OFF THE PULLEYS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10037791

Incident

Aug 6, 2003

Mileage

53,000 mi

ALL ENGINE MOUNTS UPPER AND LOWER HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE BOTH TIE-ROD ENDS, INNER & OUT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10018883

Incident

Mar 7, 2003

Mileage

85,000 mi

INTAKE EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAKING, HAD TO TAKE TO MECHANIC AND HAVE REPAIRED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10018882

Incident

Mar 10, 2001

Mileage

62,000 mi

"GM SHOULD RECALL FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET INSTALLED IN THEIR VEHICLES". AS OF APRIL 10, 2002, THERE IS A NATIONWIDE BACKORDER OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. AT THIS TIME, IS IT NOT EVEN KNOWN WHEN THE PART WILL BECOME AVAILABLE. BEING AWARE OF THIS PROVES THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED. BECAUSE OF APPARENT POOR ENGINEERING, GM CAN NOT MANUFACTURE REPLACEMENTS FAST ENOUGH FOR ALL THE VEHICLES IN WHICH THEY ARE NEEDED. INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKS CAN LEAD TO ANY NUMBER OF VERY SERIOUS, AND EXPENSIVE, PROBLEMS. WHILE THE PART ITSELF ISN'T COSTLY, THE LABOR TO REPAIR IT IS VERY INTENSIVE, AND HAS BEEN QUOTED AROUND $800 USD (GIVE OR TAKE A COUPLE HUNDRED DEPENDING ON THE VEHICLE). THIS IS IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER COSTLY PROBLEM(S) THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK MAY HAVE PRODUCED. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10010762

Incident

Feb 18, 2001

Mileage

66,500 mi

FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ALLOWS DEXTOL ANTI FREEZE TO LEAK INTO OTHER PARTS OF ENGINE. PH

NHTSA ID

10007557

Incident

Feb 15, 2003

Mileage

66,000 mi

THE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKED OIL, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10007212

Incident

Jan 13, 2003

Mileage

53,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING OIL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PH

NHTSA ID

10002124

CONSUMER STATES ENGINE LOOSES POWER THEN ENGINE DIES, TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY REBUILT TRANSMISSION, THE PASSENGER WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL UP OR DOWN, WATER PUMP FAILED ON JULY 24, FLASHER LEVER BROKE INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN, BRAKES INOPERATIVE. MR *NLM

NHTSA ID

8020923

Incident

Mar 15, 2002

INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING OIL ONTO ENGINE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK THE ENGINE HAD A HOLE WHERE THE DISTRIBUTOR USED TO BE AND THE HOLE WAS CAPPED WITH O? RING AND A PLUG. THE HARDENING OF THE O'RING WAS DUE TO HEAT CAUSEING THE OIL TO LEAK. *YH

NHTSA ID

8012478

Incident

May 14, 2002

THE CONSUMER HAS MULTIPLE PROBLEM WITH HER VEHICLE THERE IS COOLIANT LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. NLM

NHTSA ID

8007867

Incident

Mar 1, 2002

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE LOST POWER AND ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 46-0158-766. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900672

Incident

Nov 26, 2001