1997 Buick Lesabre power train problems

“TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS BETWEEN 30 TO 40 MPH. ALSO AT 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. HAVE BEEN TOLD MAY NEED TRANSMISSION. CAR ONLY HAS 56,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS BEEN DRAINED. DID NOT HELP. PLEASE ADVISE”

“MY CAR JERKS LIKE A FISH TUGGING ON YOUR LINE AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND WHEN COMING UP AN INCLINE. IT ALSO HAS A VERY STRONG ODOR THAT I SMELL WHEN RUNNING THE A/C. I SMELL IT OUTSIDE THE CAR AND OCCASIONALLY I SMELL IT INSIDE THE CAR. *TR”

“I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY AND PUT THE SHIFT IN REVERSE, BUT IT DID NOT STAY THERE. INSTEAD IT WENT BACK TO DRIVE AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK ON MY 1997 BUICK LESABRE TRAVELED ABOUT 4 FEET AT HIGH SPEED AND STRUCK A SMALL TREE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE CAR. MY INSURANCE PREMIUM WENT UP FOR AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT. CAN YOU GIVE ME THE WEB SITE OF A SIMILAR CAR AND YEAR IN AN ACCIDENT IN 2003 IN CALIFORNIA? THANK YOU, NIKOLAOS (NICK) CARAVASOS *TR”

“THE CAR ACCELERATED ITSELF IN REVERSE AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO. I HAD STARTED THE CAR, DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL (THE BRAKE MUST BE ENGAGED IN ORDER TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR) AND THE CAR SHOT BACK AND WOULD NOT STOP. I WAS RATHER PANICKED AS I WAS LEAVING A CONVENIENCE STORE AND WAS TRYING TO AVOID HITTING THE GAS PUMPS, OTHER VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS. I MANAGED TO BACK THE CAR INTO THE STREET AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT IT IN PARK SO IT WOULD STOP. THE GEAR SHIFT WENT INTO THE PARK POSITION, BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. IT PROCEEDED ACROSS A BUSY STREET THROUGH A CONTROLLED INTERSECTION AT APPROX.20-30 MPH. AT IT STARTED ACROSS THE STREET, I SHUT THE CAR OFF. THE BRAKES WOULD STILL NOT STOP IT. IT FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AFTER ROLLING INTO A CURB. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR OTHER THAN TO STEER IT. I HAVE KNOWN THIS TO HAPPEN WITH SEVERAL OTHER GM CARS, BUT ALWAYS IN A FORWARD GEAR. I OWN A 1986 PONTIAC TRANS AM THAT HAS DONE THIS ON OCCASION. I HAVE HAD THAT CAR LOOKED AT BY SEVERAL MECHANICS, AND NONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. GM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS I CAN…”

“DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD FOR THE TRANSMISSION ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY COMPLETED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH SHOWED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. THE DEALER REPLACED TWO SOLENOID VALVES. THE INDICATOR LIGHT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS EMISSIONS TESTING WITH THIS LIGHT ILLUMINATING. *AK”

“HELLO, I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR HESITATING GOING UP A SMALL GRADE OR SOMETIMES JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A SPARK PLUG AND FIXED IT. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. BESIDES A NEW TRANSMISSION, THEY ALSO REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AND PUT NEW BRAKES ON THE FRONT WITH ROTORS. THE RECEIPT FROM THE GARAGE SAYS THE TRANSMISSION HAD AN 1870 TROUBLE CODE. MY CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW AND HAD 52,000 MILES ON IT. THE TOTAL COST WAS 4200.00. I ASKED THE GM PEOPLE FOR HELP WITH THIS EXPENSE AS I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WORKING 2 JOBS AND DID NOT GET A REPLY. I TOOK OUT ANOTHER LOAN TO PAY FOR THIS. NOW, WITH ALMOST 80,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THING AND MY FRIEND WITH A COMPUTER SAYS IT IS THE 1870 TROUBLE CODE (WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON). I CAN NOT AFFORD TO SPEND ANOTHER 4000.00 FOR ANOTHER TRANSMISSION.”