NHTSA complaint: 1999 BUICK LESABRE — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TRANSMISSION WAS UNDER RECALL ORDER (5/99) FOR "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE"; WORK WAS COMPLETED BY ALHAMBRA BUICK ON 7/12/99. WHILE DRIVING ON FRIDAY, 7/23/99, CAR SURGED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED. I TRIED TO APPLY BRAKES BUT THEY DID NOT WORK. I MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE TO AVOID HITTING CAR IN FRONT OF ME, BUT COULD NOT GET CAR TO SLOW DOWN AS I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION, BUT IN PROCESS HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I EVENTUALLY CROSSED INTERESECTION AND RAN CAR ALONGSIDE CURB TO TRY TO SLOW DOWN, BUT CAR CONTINUED TO SURGE AND ACCELERATE, AND BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO SLOW CAR ENOUGH TO SHIFT IT INTO PARK AND STOP CAR. CAR WAS TOWED TO ALHAMBRA BUICK TO BE CHECKED OUT WITH FULL EXPLANATION OF WHAT HAPPENED, HOWEVER, THEY WERE INSISTENT TO HAVE CAR TOWED ONTO AUTO BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS, RATHER THAN FIND SOURCE OF PROBLEM. AFTER MANY DISCUSSIONS WITH DEALERSHIP, BUICK DIVISION OF GM AND THEIR PRODUCTS ALLEGATIONS RESOLUTION OFFICE IN DETROIT, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM BRIAN BIRKEY THIS MORNING (8/16/99 A.M.) OF THIS SAME OFFICE, STATING THAT BUICK'S ENGINEERS COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND HIS FINDINGS WERE BEING GIVEN TO GM. AT THIS POINT, THEY WOULD EXPECT ME TO HAVE MY INSURANCE PAY FOR MY AUTO BODY DAMAGE AND REMEDY THE DRIVER WHICH MY CAR HIT. I DO NOT WANT THIS CAR RETURNED TO ME, GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE AND THEIR FINDING THAT THE CAR CHECKED OUT OKAY WITHOUT ANY IDENTIFICATION OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. I HAVE
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation