1997 Buick Park Avenue Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster around three long-running themes: front shoulder belts that stop retracting or twist in the retractor, coolant loss tied to the plastic intake manifold and cooling components, and ABS/traction control systems that engage on their own. Mileage at the reported failures is broad, typically from roughly 45,000 to 150,000 miles, and many owners describe gradual symptoms noticed over several years rather than a single sudden event.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Coolant loss and plastic intake manifold failure

   • 19 complaints (9%)
   • median 90,712 mi at 7.6 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2011

   Complaints describe unexplained coolant loss with no puddle under the car, overheating, and white smoke from the exhaust. Owners report being told the plastic upper intake manifold cracked or melted near the EGR passage, letting coolant into the engine; in several cases the engine then hydrolocked or the bearings were damaged and the engine was replaced. Water pump, thermostat and gasket replacement alongside the manifold is commonly mentioned. Reported from roughly 47,000 up to about 140,000 miles, sometimes after repeated overheating episodes.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for crusty coolant residue or staining around the intake manifold and throttle body area; ask whether the intake manifold, water pump or gaskets have been replaced and whether coolant has ever been found in the oil.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “No engine failure yet....I am consuming almost as much antifreeze as I am gasoline. Just kidding, but in less than 1000 miles I have used 11/2 gallons of dexcool antifreeze. I can find no leakage on my garage floor, but it sure is going somewhere. Am I in eminent danger of engine failure?????”

   NHTSA complaint #10093571, filed 2004-10, 79,850 miles

   “After 20 miles of smooth driving with no indication of anything going wrong and while pulling into the parking lot of my office my check engine light came on, I always immediately shutoff my vehicle any time such thing happens to prevent any damage to the vehicle, I proceeded to walk into the parts store next to my office to get power steering fluid due to the low fluid level I had, however when I tried to turn over the motor the motor would not turn. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10377074, filed 2011-01, 140,096 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Front cradle / subframe rust-through

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the front engine cradle rusting through, in some cases letting the engine or a front wheel shift and causing loss of steering control or a wheel pulling away from its mount. Complaints mention the car wandering, hopping sideways over bumps and pulling to one side before the rust was found, and repair by replacing the cradle with a used or new part. Mostly reported between about 87,000 and 140,000 miles, in vehicles roughly a decade or more old.

   What to check: Have the front cradle inspected from below for rust perforation, especially around the mounting points and where the steering gear attaches, before buying in a rust-belt area.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The cradle of the frame of our 1997 Buick Park Avenue failed by rusting through. I've been driving the car for several weeks and it has been wallowing all over the road, hopping sideways when I hit bumps, pulling to the left when I braked and one of the front tires started squealing when I went around a corner. I've been trying to convince my husband that something was amiss with it and perhaps it needed an alignment. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10156560, filed 2006-05, 104,523 miles

   “My vehicle is a 1997 Buick park ave with 140,000 miles. I'm the second owner. My in-laws were the original owners. I got the vehicle from them in 1999 with approximately 9000 miles on the vehicle. Therefore, I know the complete car care history of this vehicle. Yesterday, september 1, 2008 my granddaughter was driving this car and she lost control of the vehicle due to lost of steering capabilities. No one was injured nor body damage due to her low speed when this incident occurred. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10240688, filed 2008-09, 140,000 miles
3. 3
   Seat belts

   Front seat belt will not retract or jams in the retractor

   • 39 complaints (18%)
   • median 93,500 mi at 8.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1997–2012

   Owners describe front shoulder belts that stop retracting and leave a foot or two of slack webbing hanging, or webbing that twists and jams inside the retractor so the belt cannot be pulled out. Several say the belt was replaced once and the same behavior returned, and some report being told by the dealer that nothing more could be done or that the repair was not covered. Complaints also describe work done under the earlier seat belt campaign on only one of the two front belts. Reported across a wide mileage span, from under 90,000 to about 156,000 miles, often after several years of use.

   Recall 00V117000Recall 97V036000

   What to check: Pull each front belt out fully and let it retract several times, checking for slack, twisting or slow return. Ask whether the shoulder belt campaign work was performed and on which belts, and get it in writing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Several years ago the front passenger seat belt ceased working on my 1997 Buick Park Avenue. Since the car was no longer under warranty, I paid for a new seatbelt assembly and installation. Then, on august 6th (two weeks ago) 2007, the driver side seatbelt became inoperable(the seatbelt will not retract), therefore making it useless. I have been driving another vehicle until I can get this repair done.”

   NHTSA complaint #10200163, filed 2007-08, 90,000 miles

   “The consumer complained that the passenger's front seat belt did not retract. The dealer replaced the seat belt at the consumer's expense of $545.00. Refer to recall#77955”

   NHTSA complaint #10059487, filed 2004-03, 156,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   ABS and traction control engage when not needed

   • 15 complaints (7%)
   • median 68,500 mi at 10.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2012

   Owners report the ABS and traction control lights coming on while driving, followed by the system cycling or grinding when no hard braking is happening, and longer stopping distances as a result. Some describe a grinding noise even when the brake pedal is not applied. Complaints mention dealers being unable to find a fault, and at least one owner was told the vehicle identification number was not covered by the ABS campaign. Reported from about 47,800 to 119,000 miles, at various speeds in ordinary driving.

   Recall 97V064000

   What to check: Watch for ABS and traction control lights during a test drive and feel for pedal pulsing or grinding at low speed. Ask whether the ABS control module campaign applies to the specific vehicle and whether the module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The ABS light illuminated while driving. When the light came on the consumer had to apply more pressure to the brakes to get the vehicle to stop. The manufacturer and the dealer are aware of the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10057582, filed 2004-02, 78,800 miles

   “The contact owns a 1997 Buick Park Avenue. While driving at various speeds, the antilock brake and traction control lights illuminated. Currently, the antilock brakes will engage during braking. Occasionally, they engage by themselves. In addition, the contact hears a grinding sound when she is not braking. The dealer could not find any failures and advised the contact to call the manufacturer. The current mileage was 48,000 and failure mileage was 47,800.”

   NHTSA complaint #10243075, filed 2008-09, 47,800 miles

Buying note. These are older cars, so condition matters more than the model's reputation: a pre-purchase inspection should focus on the front cradle for rust, the intake manifold and cooling system for coolant loss, and the front seat belts and ABS lights. Records showing past cooling-system or transmission work are worth asking for.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.