2000 Buick Lesabre service brakes, hydraulic problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY ALTHOUGH THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, BUT THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE FOUND. THE CURRENT MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 87,000.”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE CONSTANTLY ENGAGED TO SOME DEGREE; THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A GRINDING NOISE AND THE ROTORS WOULD GET HOT. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED LOOSE NUTS ON THE VACUUM BOOSTER AND EXHAUST FUMES WERE BEING EMITTED INTO THE CABIN. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND REFERENCED RECALL 99V238000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM) BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 43,000.”

“MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2000 BUICK LESABRE LTD HOME FROM WORK AND HER BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN SHE TRIED TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP, BUT THE BRAKES WERE BARELY THERE. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND I CHECKED IT OUT WHEN SHE GOT HOME. I FOUND THAT THERE WAS ALMOST NO BRAKE FLUID LEFT IN THE RESERVOIR. I TOOK MY OTHER VEHICLE TO THE STORE AND BOUGHT SOME BRAKE FLUID AND REFILLED THE RESERVOIR AND CHECKED UNDER THE VEHICLE FOR LEAKS. I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD ROTTED OUT IN THE CENTER OF THE VEHICLE BETWEEN THE REAR WHEELS, DIRECTLY BEHIND THE COMPRESSOR MOTOR FOR THE LOAD LEVELING SHOCKS THAT ARE ON THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL BUICK DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, AND THEY CONFIRMED WHAT I HAD FOUND, THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND ROTTED OUT. I ASKED ABOUT A SAFETY RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE BUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NONE. I FOUND IT VERY ODD THAT THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF CORROSION ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE OR ON THE BRAKE LINES OTHER THAN DIRECTLY BEHIND THE COMPRESSOR MOTOR FOR THE SHOCKS. THEY REPLACED BOTH REAR BRAKE LINES AT A COST TO ME OF $568.31. *TR”

“ON DECEMBER 12, 2009, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN. AT THAT TIME, MY CAR MADE A LOUD NOISE (MY HUSBAND THOUGHT I RAN OVER A TRASH CAN) THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY CAME ON AND THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT. I MOVED FORWARD AGAIN AND IMMEDIATELY THE BRAKES CAME ON AGAIN AND PULLED THE RIGHT. THE STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVATED CAME ON. I HAD TO DRIVE VERY SLOW TO GET MY CAR HOME AND THIS HAPPENED THE WHOLE WAY. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO MY HOME. A COMPUTER HAS BEEN PUT ON THE CAR AND THE CODES DON'T MAKE SENSE TO THE MECHANIC. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO THE GARAGE, HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 12/17/09 AND THEY CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT ON THE HIGHWAY WE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. WHAT AUTO CO. WOULD PUT A SYSTEM ON YOUR VEHICLE THAT WOULD THROW YOUR BRAKES ON FOR NO REASON. *TR”

“I WAS DRIVING AND CAME TO A RED LIGHT. UPON PRESSING MY BRAKES, IT MADE A LOUD CRUNCHING/GRINDING NOISE AND THE CAR STARTED SKIDDING AS IF I WAS DRIVING ON ICE, BUT THERE WAS NO ICE ON THE GROUND. MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON. I ASSUMED IT WAS THE BRAKES THAT NEEDED CHANGING. TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND PUT NEW BRAKES ON THE CAR. ABS LIGHT STILL COMES ON AND IT IS NOT STOPPING CORRECTLY. I HAVE TRIED RESETTING THE BATTERY, AS SUGGESTED ON THE BUICK WEBSITE. THAT DIDN'T HELP THE SITUATION. LIGHT STILL IS ON, AND CAR IS NOT STOPPING CORRECTLY. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK LESABRE. THE MECHANISMS THAT ALLOW THE WINDOWS TO GO UP AND DOWN WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TWO MECHANISMS WERE REPLACED ON JULY 5, 2007 AND THE THIRD ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2007. THE MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED THE REPLACEMENTS GUARANTEED THE WORK FOR ONE YEAR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,176. THE CONSUMER STATED BUICK ONLY PROVIDED FREE OIL CHANGES FOR 1 YEAR AND NEVER REMEDIED THE WINDOW DEFECT. THE DEALER STATED PERFORMED FRONT BRAKE REPAIRS ON VEHICLE. UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR”