1998 Buick Regal service brakes, hydraulic problems

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 BUICK REGAL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN PROCEEDING TO MAKE A TURN. THE CONTACT EXERTED MORE EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V527000 (STEERING;RACK AND PINION). THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED FAILURES IDENTICAL TO THE ONES MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 62,000. THE ABS MOTOR FAILED WHICH PREVENTED THE REAR BRAKES FROM WORKING AND ALSO THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHEN USING THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL. UPDATED 03/04/09. *JB”

“DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, AND WHEN HE TURNED IT BACK ON, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE AND BRAKE LIGHT WOULD BE ON. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AND HE FOUND THE GROUND ON THE SAFETY BRAKE MALFUNCTIONED. HE FOUND A RECALL ON WEB LINE, BUT ACCORDING TO BUICK, THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK”

“HAVE 1998 BUICK REGA GS. ONLY 55000 MILES. HAVE HAD SEVERAL ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS REPLACED OVER LIFE OF VEHICLE. SAME PROBLEM EVEN WHILE UNDER WARRENTY. DEALER ORIGINALLY TURNED ROTORS. DEALER APPEARED TO BE AWARE OF PROBLEM. PROBLEM RETURNED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AFTER SEVERAL ROTORS AND BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENTS OUT OF WARRENTY I FINALLY REPLACED ROTORS WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE CROSS DRILLED AND SLOTTED ROTOR (ASSUMING A HEAT PROBLEM) BUT TO NO AVAIL. VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLANTLY AT TIMES WHEN BRAKES APPLIED AND ROTORS ALWAYS WARPED. I BELIEVE GM WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM FROM ONSET BUT REFUSES TO RECALL VEHICLE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VEHICLE DID THIS FROM THE DAY I PURCHASED IT NEW IN DECMEBER OF 1997 BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A NEW FORM OF ANTILOCK BRAKED THAT PULSATED. FEAR THAT IF SOLD TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, VEHICLE BRAKES MAY FAIL.”

“THE CONSUMER'S ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING ON DRY CONDITIONS. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN HE STARTED TO BRAKE. THE ORANGE AND RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, AND IT WAS STILL ON. HE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER 2-3 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR, AND TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT HIS BRAKES WERE OK THAT THEY WERE NORMAL BRAKES. HOWEVER, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WERE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. THE CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES REPAIRED SINCE THE DEALER WAS CHARGING HIM $575.00. *AK *SB”

“THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END WHEN VEHICLE IS BACKING UP. *LA THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE NOISE APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE ABS. DURING A TEST DRIVE THE TECHNICIAN ALSO HEARD THE NOISE BUT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER CONTACTED THE REGIONAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHO INDICATED THAT THE ABS NOISE WAS NORMAL. *NM”

“I PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW AROUND DECEMBER 23, 1997. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON IT. I NOTICED THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE WAS A VIBRATION (FELT LIKE A PULSE) IN THE VEHICLE AND COULD SLIGHTLY FEEL THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. OWNERS MANUAL ADVISED ONE MAY FEEL THE ABS RELEASE AND REENGAGE WHILE APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS ONLY DRIVER ABOUT 6000 MILES A YEAR. AT ABOUT 8000 MILES THE VIBRATION BECAME SO SEVERE I HAD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THAT BRAKES WHERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY BUT THEY WOULD TURN THE ROTORS FOR FREE. AT ABOUT 15000 MILES (AND NOW OUT OF WARRENTY ALTOGETHER DUE TO PAST 3 YEARS OLDS) HAD TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED AGAIN. WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND MILES HAD TO HAVE NEW ROTORS AND BRAKES. WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED MILES OF NEW ROTORS AND BRAKES THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AND IS SEVERE BUT I CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP REPLACING ROTORS EVERY FEW HUNDRED MILES. THE BRAKE PADS ALWAYS APPEAR TO WEAR NORMAL BUT THE ROTORS ARE ALWAYS WARPING. THE VEHICLE STILL ONLY HAS 42000 MILES AND IS OVER 5 YEARS OLDS. THE VEHICLE FEELS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM WAS POSSIBLY KNOWN TO GM PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE AND THAT GM STILL…”