Faults:

TPS sensor (twice).

Ignition modulator.

Struts.

Master brake cylinder.

Timing sensor.

Paint faring poorly.

Transmission mounts.

Oxygen sensors.

General Comments:

Overall, this has been a pretty good car. I reported first in Feb. 2010 when I drove the car up from my parent's house in FL. At that time I had the TPS/timing sensors/tires replaced.

The car ran good for about a year & a half. Then it began to really run roughly. My mechanic could fix some things, but his diagnostic machine was not as good as the dealers.

I decided to have the local Buick dealer fix things. After $1900, they replaced the oxygen sensors, some leaky gaskets & that was about it. The car still ran poorly & would stall frequently. They ruined the TPS sensor I replaced 2 years prior, & wouldn't replace it for less than $250. Had my mechanic do it for $110.

I had my mechanic really go over the car. He showed me the transmission mounts were gone (how the dealer missed this I'll never know!).

After much searching we finally figured the ignition modulator was faulty. Supposedly the dealer had replaced this (as I was charged for it) My mechanic feels all they did was "clean" it. It cost $210 for this (not a bad price)

Overall I'm pleased with the car. I mean it's over 20 years old. The paint is very dull as the clearcoat is now gone. I feel this happened when I took it to a "detailer" and he "buffed" it off when polishing the car. I'm thinking about having it repainted, but at $2500 for a top job, I'm not sure I want to put in that kind of money.

My best advice is to stay away from the dealer (except for warranty work) and have a trusted mechanic take care of your car.

The car still gets looks, due to not a spot of rust.

Faults:

According to a computer reading, the throttle position sensor is bad. Was bad when purchased.

The engine electrical is the real problem. I've spent months and plenty of money trying to fix it, but it still idles rough.

General Comments:

This car is beautiful to look at. This is easily my favorite year of Park Avenues.

The interior is very comfortable. It's large, but also surprisingly welcoming.

Now I'm sure it's just this car, because I've owned Buicks before, but this car is a money pit for me. As a general statement, these are some of the best cars you can own, but mine has awful electrical problems. They should be easy enough to fix, but as soon as you replace one set of wires, it says that it's another set of wires that's causing the problem.

This car has never died, but it idles very rough and gets lousy gas mileage (~10 mpg). As soon as the car drives a while, the idling doesn't have a problem so long as I don't stop for long periods of time (like 5 minutes). If it got better mileage, the idling wouldn't bother me, but they have to be related, and I can't keep chasing wires.

Mine is a lemon, but I know that in general, these are wonderful cars.