NHTSA complaint: 2008 BUICK LUCERNE — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
BUICK LUCERNE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS - ONSTAR SUSPECTED. I 'M NOT SURE THAT THIS IS OR ISN'T A SAFETY PROBLEM, BUT AFTER COMPLAINING TO BUICK I WAS ADVISED BY THEM TO FILE A CLAIM(?) WITH YOU. ABOUT A MONTH TO 6 WEEKS AFTER AN IN-TOWN ACCIDENT (10/22/16) THAT WAS REPAIRED IMMACULATELY BY THE LOCAL GM DEALER, THE CAR SAT IN A PARK AND FLY LOT FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS WHILE WE HAD GONE VISITING OUT EAST. WHEN WE GOT BACK THE CAR WAS DEAD AS A STONE. AFTER A TRIPLE A CALL WE GOT HOME AND IMMEDIATELY GOT A NEW BATTERY (12/20/16), EVEN THOUGH I WAS SURPRISED THAT IT HAD GONE DEAD BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WARNING (SLOW STARTING, ETC). HOWEVER, IN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS OR SO, TWO MORE NEW ONES WENT DEAD (2ND 1/3/17, 3RD 3/13/17) AND WERE REPLACE BY THE DEALER AT NO CHARGE. HOWEVER, IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, NOT ONLY DID THE ONSTAR GO DEAD, THE BRAKES LIGHTS QUIT AND WAS REPLACED, THE CRUISE CONTROL QUIT, THE STABILTRAK QUIT, (AND BOTH WERE REPLACED). MY INSURANCE COMPANY - AMERICAN FAMILY - INFORMED ME THAT THE ACCIDENT IS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS. SO FINALLY I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP CAS (COMPLETE AUTO SERVICE - AUSTIN) THAT DOES THE CITY'S POLICE CARS, AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC ON IT AND EVEN THOUGH THE ONSTAR HAS QUIT WORKING, BY REMOVING THE FUSE IN IT THAT 'SEEMS' - AFTER SPENDING OVER $1300 AND STILL NOT REPLACING THE ONSTAR FOR ANOTHER $650, - TO HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. AT LEAST SO FAR.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation