Owners have filed 10 complaints
about the 2005 Buick Park Avenue with NHTSA between 2007 and 2011.
The largest single group is the wheels.
Across this model's run it ranks 13 of 13 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 4
Against the median year of the Buick Park Avenue. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 21
13% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
How 2005 compares with every other Buick Park Avenue
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2005 Buick Park Avenue
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Wheels
330.0%
Median failure at 56,000 miles
Other & Unspecified
220.0%
Median failure at 8,501 miles
Suspension
220.0%
Median failure at 40,000 miles
Equipment & Accessories
110.0%
Tires
110.0%
Median failure at 40,000 miles
Electrical System
110.0%
Median failure at 52,485 miles
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
1,000 – 9,999 miles
112.5%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
450.0%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
225.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
112.5%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
May 2007peak 3Oct 2011
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 52,485 milesNorth Huntington, PA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK PARK AVENUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY COULD NOT BE INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TUMBLES IN THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,485.
NHTSA complaint #10432222 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 89,000 milesCouncil Grove, KS
WHEELS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK PARK AVENUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION PRESENT ON THREE OF THE FOUR WHEELS THAT PROHIBITED THE BEAD ON THE TIRE FROM SEALING. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE TIRE TO LEAK AIR ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO ADD AT LEAST TEN POUNDS OF AIR TO THE TIRES PER WEEK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS WHO BOTH ADVISED THAT THE WHEELS WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO TOOK A COMPLAINT BUT PROVIDED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000.
NHTSA complaint #10400600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 56,000 milesAllen Park, MI
WHEELS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK PARK AVENUE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE UNDER INFLATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE WHEELS WERE COVERED WITH RUST WHERE THE CHROME CONTACTS THE SEAL ON THE TIRES, ALLOWING AIR TO LEAK. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE BUT THE CONTACT HAD TO INFLATE THE TIRES VERY FREQUENTLY TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIR PRESSURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.
NHTSA complaint #10372210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Floral Park, NY
EQUIPMENT
PURCHASED 2005 BUICK PARK AVENUE FROM VAN BUREN BUICK IN GARDEN CITY PARK, NEW YORK WAS CONCERNED THAT VEHICLE HAD ALL CURRENT SAFETY FEATURES AS LISTED IN BROCHURE. ABS, AIR BAGS, DTABLE TRACK AND ON-STAR WERE SOME OF THE MAIN SAFETY FEATURES. SPECIFICALLY ASKED SALESMAN ( PAT LONGO) IF ON-STAR WILL CONTINUE TO WORK AFTER THE DIGITAL CUTOVER IN JAN 2008. SALESMAN ASSURED ME THAT UNIT WAS DIGITAL READY AND WOULD BE CONVERTED BY DEALER AT NO CHARGE PRIOR TO JAN 2008 NOW BOTH DEALER AND GM REFUSE TO HONOR THIS PLEDGE AND SAY I WAS SOLD A ANALOG ONLY ON_STAR UNIT AND DEALER DENIES THAT HIS SALESPERSON COMMITTED FRAUD BY SELLING ME A VEHICLE THAT DID NOT MEET MY REQUESTED STANDARDS. DEALER OFFERED ME $500.00 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE FOR $40,000.00 THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE TAKEN BACK AT FULL PURCHASE PRICE TO BE APPLIED TO A CAR WITH THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT REQUESTED AS THE SALE WAS AN INTENDED FRAUD IN ORDER TO SELL THE VEHICLE GM STATED THAT IT IS THE DEALERS RESPONSIBILITY AS THE HAD FULL KNOWLEDGE THE MY CAR HAD AN ANALOG ON-STAR SYSTEM THAT COULD NOT BE UPDATE TO THE 2008 DIGITAL STANDARDS.
NHTSA complaint #10239063 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 39,000 milesWest Hartford, CT
WHEELS
THE CHROME PLATING ON MY WHEELS HAS LARGE BUBBLES WHICH CAUSED THREE OF MY TIRES TO LOSE AIR. LUCKILY THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ON AN INTERSTATE AND BY THE TIME I FOUND A GAS STATION THE TIRES WERE BETWEEN FIFTEEN AND TWENTY POUNDS. LUCKILY I KNEW ENOUGH TO SLOW DOWN OR I WOULD HAVE HAD A BLOW-OUT.
NHTSA complaint #10227691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,000 milesJefferson City, MO
SUSPENSION:FRONT
HIGH SPEED SHAKE OR SHIMMY--THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, ONE AXLE HAS BEEN REPLACED, ADDITIONAL BALANCING WAS DONE, FINALLY, WE WERE TOLD IT COULD NOT BE FIXED.
NHTSA complaint #10209616 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,000 milesJefferson City, MO
SUSPENSION
HIGH SPEED SHAKE OR SHIMMY--THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, ONE AXLE HAS BEEN REPLACED, ADDITIONAL BALANCING WAS DONE, FINALLY, WE WERE TOLD IT COULD NOT BE FIXED.
NHTSA complaint #10209616 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,000 milesJefferson City, MO
TIRES
HIGH SPEED SHAKE OR SHIMMY--THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, ONE AXLE HAS BEEN REPLACED, ADDITIONAL BALANCING WAS DONE, FINALLY, WE WERE TOLD IT COULD NOT BE FIXED.
NHTSA complaint #10209616 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lake Havasu City, AZ
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2005 BUICK PARK AVENUE WITH ONSTAR CUSTOMER STATES THAT ONSTAR HAS INFORMED HIM THAT THEY DECIDED TO INSTALL ANALOG WIRING ONLY**CC THE CONSUMER IS DISAPPOINTED THAT GM WILL CHANGE HER VEHICLE OVER TO DIGITAL IN ORDER TO CONTINUE USING ONSTAR FEATURES. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD HER VEHICLE WAS CAME EQUIPPED WITH ANALOG WIRING ONLY
NHTSA complaint #10194333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 8,501 milesFloral Park, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
PURCHASED A 2005 BUICK PARK AVENUE FROM VAN BUREN BUICK 2257 JERICHO TURNPIKE GARDEN CITY PARK, NY 11040 1-888-300-1376. PRIOR TO PURCHASE REQUIRED SEVERAL SAFETY FEATURES AND ONE OF THESE WAS ONSTAR SYSTEM. ASKED DEALER IF SYSTEM WAS DIGITAL READY AND WAS TOLD THAT DUE TO VEHICLE BEING A 2005 IT ALREADY IS DIGITAL READY AND WILL BE CONVERTED PRIOR TO 2008. NOW GM TELLS ME IT IS ONLY ANALOG AND WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION BY 12/31/07 VEHICLE WENT IN FOR A SAFETY DEFECT (ONSTAR) AND WORK ORDER #296327 FULLED OUT"ONSTAR CANNOT BE UPGRADED TO DIGITAL" THEREFORE, A SAFETY FEATURE THAT I PURCHASED WHICH SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE TO THE CONSUMER EVEN THOUGH I WAS ASSURED THAT IT WILL BE UPGRADED. DEALER SHOULD RE-PURCHASE VEHICLE TO BE APPLIED TO A GM VEHICLE WITH DIGITAL ONSTAR.
NHTSA complaint #10192160 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.