17 of the
116 complaints about the 1996 Buick Skylark are about the
engine — 15% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
62,000 miles.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK SKYLARK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 35 MPH, THE RADIATOR BEGAN LEAKING FLUID. ON JUNE 22, 2006, A RADIATOR WAS INSTALLED AT 2,000 MILES. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OFFERED TO RE-DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE INSTALLED THE SAME PARTS AT THE SAME RATE. THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN; HOWEVER, IT CONTINUES TO LEAK FLUID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.
NHTSA complaint #10231850 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 62,000 milesLockport, NY
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK SKYLARK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED ANTIFREEZE ONTO THE MOTOR, WHICH THEN LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE RESIDED IN THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THEY WOULD REPAIR IT FOR A FEE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,992 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.
NHTSA complaint #10214413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 29,000 milesRacine, WI
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH ENGINE FAILED INTERMITTENTLY.
NHTSA complaint #10071841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Branchport, NY
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
THE ENGINE OF MY CAR IS A MESS. IT HAS ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM SINCE I BOUGHT IT THREE YEARS AGO. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE WORKED ON SO MANY TIMES IT IS CRAZY. NOW IT SEEMS THAT I NEED A NEW HEAD GASKET AND WHATEVER ELSE CYLINDER ONE IS KICKING REPORTS ON. I WILL PROBABLY END UP HAVING TO GET ANOTHER VEHICLE AND I STILL OWE $4,000.00 ON THIS ONE. WHAT THE HECK...
NHTSA complaint #10045493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Racine, WI
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE, BUT PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #8004235 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUN City Center, FL
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
COOLING SYSTEM BURNED OUT DUE TO LEAKING.
NHTSA complaint #562952 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Phoenix, AZ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE FAILURE AND COOLANT LEAKAGE THROUGH OUT ENTIRE ENGINE. COOLANT WENT INTO OIL TANK, WAS COMING OUT EXHAUST PIPE. DEALER MECHANIC TOLD MY MECHANIC THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. IT'S CYCLINDER 1 THAT IS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING THE ENGINE DAMAGE. ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #740001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
NEW Hudson, MI
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE RUNS 30-40MPH WITH FOOT OFF GAS, DUE TO COOLANT LEAKING IN ENGINE INTO OIL. PUT COOLANT (DEX COOL) IN CAR, PAID FOR A WINDOW REGULATOR ON PASSENGER SIDE, SOON LIGHT HEATER DUCTS, THINK CYLINDER SHIFT LIGHT CLICKER, LOW COOLANT, ENGINE NOISE, WE WERE TOLD CAR WAS NORMAL.
NHTSA complaint #9001459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
NEW Hudson, MI
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
ENGINE RUNS 30-40MPH WITH FOOT OFF GAS, DUE TO COOLANT LEAKING IN ENGINE INTO OIL. PUT COOLANT (DEX COOL) IN CAR, PAID FOR A WINDOW REGULATOR ON PASSENGER SIDE, SOON LIGHT HEATER DUCTS, THINK CYLINDER SHIFT LIGHT CLICKER, LOW COOLANT, ENGINE NOISE, WE WERE TOLD CAR WAS NORMAL.
NHTSA complaint #9001459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
South Eucl, OH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO OXYGEN SENSOR FAILURE. YH
NHTSA complaint #552615 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
South Eucl, OH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO OXYGEN SENSOR FAILURE. YH
NHTSA complaint #552615 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
South Euclid, OH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMING ON. ON THREE OCCASIONS DEALER REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, PROBLEM REOCCURRED AND OXYGEN SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND HAS NOT INFORMED CONSUMER WHETHER OXYGEN SENSOR WILL OR WILL NOT BE REPLACED AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK
NHTSA complaint #862218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Covina, AKCrash
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR 01/17/97, I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS: EMERGENCHY/PARKING BRAKE POPS OUT WHEN PARKING THE CAR AND PUTTING PARKING BRAKE ON, BRAKES FAIL TO PERFORM PROPERLY AND BRAKE PADS WEAR DOWN EXCESSIVLY, DASH BOARD (CHECK ENGINE, ABS, ETS, SEAT BELT LIGHT BLINKS WHEN WEARING AND DOESNT BLINK WHEN NOT WEARING OCCASSIONALLY, THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON BUT I DO NOT HAVE A THEFT SYSTEM)AND DOME LIGHTS COME ON SPARATICALLY, SOMETIMES THE DOME LIGHT COMES ON WHEN CAR OF OFF AND NO ONE NEAR CAR, RECALL WAS PERFORMED SINCE THAN IT ONLY HAPPENS ABOUT HALF AS MUCH. 5 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING CAR THE KEY WAS STUCK IN IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OR COME OUT, CALLED BUICK THEY TOLD ME TO JIGGLE THE STEERING AND MANUALLY PUSH THE CAR BACK AND FORTH THAN TRY IT, RECENTLY WHEN IT HAPPENED WE TRIED FOR 3 HOURS AND THEY SUGGESTED, AS I QUOTE GM ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE FOR US "TO POUND ON THE KEY ABOUT 20 TIMES LIKE YOU WERE POUNDING A NAIL WITH A HAMMER" WE WERE STUCK 50 MILES FROM HOME AND HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER. ON THE ELECTRICAL SOMETIMES THE CLOCK AND RADIO STATIONS WILL RESET WITHOUT BATTERY TOUCHED OR ANYTHING ELSE TOUCHED, WINDOW MOTORS GO BAD, WHILE UNDER WARRANTY DEALER REPLACED INSIDE DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR BEZEL (ONLY THE INSIDE PLASTIC TRIANGLE PART) CAUSE IT WAS COMING OFF, THE WORK ORDER SHOWS NEW PART PUT IN BUT THEY JUST STUCK A BUNCH OF EPOXY IN IT AND STUCK THE OLD ONE BACK ON. WHEN COMPLAINING CONSTANTLY TO THE SERVICE MGR ITS USUALLY "YOU HAVE A BAD BATTERY" "A FUSE" "MODULE" AT ONE TIME THEY CHANGED THE ALARM MODULE TWICE WITHIN A MATTER OF 4 - 6 MONTHS LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE LIGHTS ARE NOT ON ALL THE TIME, IT HAPPENS SPARATICALLY THAT THEY ARE JUST REPLACING SIMPLE PARTS TO SHOW THEY REPAIRED PROBLEM, SALES MANAGER SAID FUSES AND MODULES ARE COMMONLY BEING REPLACED. TWICE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPR, ENGINE TURNED OFF AND ALL LIGHTS CAME ON, STEARING LOCKED. I HEAR CLICKING AND/OR RUBBING SOUNDS COMING FROM FRONT WHLEFT S
NHTSA complaint #709641 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Long Beach, CA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #605659 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Gaffney, SC
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCES HESITATION AND LOSS OF ACCELERATION WHICH HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN VEHICLE COLLISION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE.
NHTSA complaint #539382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hamden, CT
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED TWICE DUE TO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. (QCAW)
NHTSA complaint #538157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fairfield, CA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE MAKES NOISE.
NHTSA complaint #525423 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.