Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Buick Park Avenue problems

Owners filed 246 complaints about the 1998 Buick Park Avenue with NHTSA between Jan 1998 and Oct 2017. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (97).

Complaints
246
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
29
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling97
  2. Seat belts30
  3. Fuel system, gasoline26
  4. Electrical system25
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic15
  6. Steering12
  7. Suspension12
  8. Power train11
  9. Structure10
  10. Latches/locks/linkages7
  11. Vehicle speed control6
  12. Visibility5
  13. Fuel system, other5
  14. Tires4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199814
199918
200028
200126
200237
200336
200440
200513
20066
20076
20087
20091
20101
20114
20123
20131
20141
20152
20161
20171

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

97 reports21 fires
“LOSS OF COOLANT INTERNALLY TO COMBUSTION/COMPRESSION CHAMBERS, HYDRO LOCKED ENGINE, THICK SMOKE FROM ENGINE EXHAUST, COOLANT MIXING INTO OIL, UNSTABLE TEMPERATURE REQUIRING VEHICLE STOPPAGE TO AVOID OVERHEATING/FIRE, CAR WILL NOT RUN. INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE AND HEAD GASKET DAMAGE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 3, 2011Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10434115

Seat belts

30 reports1 crash1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WAS TWISTED. AS A RESULT, THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND BECAME JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 00V117000 (SEAT BELTS); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000. ...UPDATED 09/14/16 *BF CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT SEAT BELT FAILURE ON THE VEHICLE IS ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THE ATTACHED RECALL NOTICE YET GM ASSERTS THAT THIS RECALL DOESN'T APPLY TO VEHICLES VIN NUMBER. UPDATED 5/30/18*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 19, 2016Seat beltsODI 10837084

Fuel system, gasoline

26 reports2 fires1 related recall
“FUEL PRESSURE IS INCORRECT, STALLING, HIGH AND LOW RPMS, AT STOP SIGN, INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO START, DRIVING, ETC. PLEASE HELP!. [XXX] *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 17, 2012Fuel system, gasolineODI 10448378

Electrical system

25 reports8 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH IN A PARKING LOT WHEN THE HEATER AND REAR DEFROSTER WAS ENGAGED. THE CONTACT THEN SMELLED A BURNING ODOR FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED SMALL FLAMES EMITTING FROM THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW PANEL. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND DISCONNECTED THE DEFROSTER WIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FROM THE SCENE AND WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 13, 2012Electrical systemFire reportedODI 10488706

Service brakes, hydraulic

15 reports1 crash
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST PROBLEM INVOLVED COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED. UPON INSPECTION THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS FILLED WITH WATER AND THE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED. THE SECOND PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING ACROSS A PATCH OF ICE AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE TRACTION STABILITY AND ABS FAILED. THE V TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FRONT END STARTED TO SLIDE. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED,THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS RESET THEMSELVES AND WERE WORKING PROPERLY.*AK UPDATED 3/3/2006 - *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 5, 2006Electronic stability control, Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine coolingODI 10146973

Steering

12 reports
“DRIVING DOWN THE HIWAY, HAD JUST PASSED A SEMI; THANK GOODNESS IT WAS AFTER THAT THAT MY DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW MAKING THE CAR QUITE DIFFICULT TO STEER. TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE; HAD TO HAVE BOTH FRONT TIRES REPLACED AND INSTRUCTED TO BRING IT BACK THE WEEK AFTER FOR AN ALIGNMENT. AT THAT TIME I DISCOVERED THAT BOTH NEW FRONT TIRES WERE ALREADY RUINED DUE TO THE CRADLE/FRAME ASSEMBLY WHICH WAS RUSTED OUT. THIS COST ME $863. YESTERDAY - 08/12/2015 THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WENT OUT. UPON MY INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THIS WAS A RECALL ISSUE. I WAS TOLD IT HAD BEEN FIXED.. ALTHO THERE WASN'T ANY CONCRETE PROOF GIVEN TO ME THAT IT HAD AS THE DEALERSHIP I CALLED WAS NOT THE DEALERSHIP THAT SAID THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. NOW I HAVE A CAR THAT IS COMPLETELY INOPERABLE JUST WEEKS AFTER SPENDING $863 TO HAVE ONE ISSUE RESOLVED. I FIND IT PARTICULARLY APPALLING THAT NO ONE SEEMS TO WANT TO HELP RESOLVE ANY OF THESE ISSUES.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 13, 2015Steering, Suspension, WheelsODI 10748582
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.