General Comments:
After my GLC's transmission failed & repair parts were no longer available, I thought it was time to upgrade to a REAL car. What a mistake!
I bought the Buick from one of those little used car lots. It was in almost immaculate condition, except one tire was pretty much toast & it was lacking in power.
The lack of power was due to a plugged cat converter. Then it started overheating and I learned that the radiator was beyond repair. So just like that, almost $300 went into the thing.
The 3.8 V-6 had very good power and average fuel economy (around 20 mpg.)
Seats were comfortable and "creature comforts" were within easy reach. A/C was more than adequate, & the cruise control performed flawlessly.
However, the engine had some "features" which left a lot to be desired, especially for a Do-It-Yourself mechanic.
Starter & rear bank of spark plugs were virtually inaccessible.
The kicker -- Timing chain sprockets were made of PLASTIC, and their failure cost me over $1500 in repairs.
I first took the car to a Buick dealer in Ontario, Cal. for repairs -- it was after hours so I had to authorize repair expenditures on an envelope - I entered "don't spend more than $300", thinking it wasn't too serious, & they charged me $280 to open it up & tell me what I had already suspected -- the timing chain sprocket had failed. Estimate for repairs - $1500. So, disgusted, I took it to a third-party mechanic who had to do a complete upper-end job (valves bent due to small valve-piston clearance) & charged me $1200. The $1500 Buick was going to charge me was for replacing the chain alone!
Not too long after that the starter wore out, & I bought one at Chief, thinking I could just slap it in. WRONG! The starter could not be removed without discharging the A/C system & removing some A/C tubing first. I had to pay some garage $120 to have it installed.
When I finally unloaded this heap, the engine was starting to make strange knocking noises. Plus, the paint on the roof was peeling off in large sheets. I'm glad I was able to get $1500 for it -- small consolation for the almost $2500 in repairs I had to make after the initial purchase price of $2999.
I know Buicks have a long reputation for building decent cars but this lemon trashed all faith in the brand for me. It was really a wolf in sheep's clothing for me.
24th Mar 2004, 12:37
This post kinda bothered me. The car was purchased at a little used car lot. What can you expect from a gypsy lot? The previous owner probably didn't take care of the car at all, just kept it looking nice. That doesn't mean Buicks are bad cars. I bought a '86 Century Limited @ 92,040 miles. I've replaced the tires, turn signal in front, tail light lens, hood strut, and alternator. I need to also replace the water pump and washer pump. Other than that, these cars are great! Just because someone beat up that particular car doesn't mean it was a bad car. It was just abused beyond what it could take.