1998 Buick Park Avenue Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Park Avenue years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 246 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Buick Park Avenue. That is the most of any Park Avenue model year in the database (11 years). The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (97 complaints, 39%), typically at around 77,000 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 29 fires, 4 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
- 246owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Buick Park Avenue problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 97 | 39% | 77,000 | “intake manifold” (30%) | $1,750 |
| Seat Belts | 32 | 13% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 28 | 11% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 27 | 11% | 68,179 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 17 | 7% | 74,342 | — | — |
| Suspension | 13 | 5% | 128,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 5% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 5% | 48,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 4% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 4% | 48,161 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 6 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 2% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 2% | 41,593 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 1% | 98,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 106,934 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 143,960 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Buick Park Avenue recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3800 v6 (l36) engines and certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, the regulators have a much higher than usual rate of fuel leaks. A leak can allow fuel to enter the intake manifold through a vacuum line. If the engine does not start when cranked, the fuel from the leaking regulator and a mistimed spark can cause a backfire.
Risk: The backfire can rupture the intake manifold. The rupture of the intake manifold can displace a fuel line, pulling an injector out of place, and causing a fuel leak and possible fire.
Fix: Dealers will install new fuel pressure regulators with improved diaphragms. The recall will be conducted in phased mailings. Phase 1 began on june 30, 2004, and phase 2 began on september 30, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
Seat belts:front:webbing
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles have front seat shoulder belts that may twist, allowing the webbing to become jammed in the retractor.
Risk: When the shoulder belt webbing becomes jammed in the retractor, the belt may be unusable.
Fix: Dealers will inspect for the presence of updated front shoulder belt bezels and where necessary, install new front seat shoulder belt opening bezel kits.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Power rack and pinion steering failure (RQ03001) — opened Jan 2, 2003, closed Sep 15, 2003.
- Engine compartment fires (EA02030) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 9, 2004, led to recall 04V090000.
- Engine compartment fires (PE02050) — opened Jun 13, 2002, closed Oct 22, 2002.
- Front shoulder belt malfunction (EA00002) — opened Jan 6, 2000, closed May 2, 2000, led to recall 00V117000.
- Front shoulder belt malfunction (PE99056) — opened Sep 2, 1999, closed Jan 6, 2000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
TAKATA RECALL. RECEIVED POST CARD FOR AIRBAG RECALL. I CALLED THE 888 NUMBER & WENT ON THE INTERNET AS DIRECTED. NO ONE CAN IDENTIFY MY VEHICLE. THAT'S THE PROBLEM. CALL DORIS AT 1-[redacted] WHERE DO I GO FOR THIS RECALL LIVE IN ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO I'M AFRAID SOMETHING TERRIBLE WILL HAPPEN.
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…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 buick park avenue. The contact stated that the driver and front passenger side seat belts were not properly retracting and detracting. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign…
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…
I BROUGHT THE RECALL PRINT OUT FROM THE NHTSA # 00V117000 AND THE DEALER SAID GM DOESN'T LIST MY VEHICLE, BUT WHEN YOU RUN THE VIN MY VEHICLE IS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I'VE HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT FOR YEARS AND IT NEED TO BE FIXED. THE LOCAL GM DEALER IN THE HOUGHTON…
Other Buick Park Avenue years
← 1997 Park Avenue · 1999 Park Avenue →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Park Avenue | 8 | 0 |
| 2004 Park Avenue | 12 | 0 |
| 2003 Park Avenue | 33 | 1 |
| 2002 Park Avenue | 32 | 1 |
| 2001 Park Avenue | 57 | 2 |
| 2000 Park Avenue | 81 | 3 |
| 1999 Park Avenue | 140 | 3 |
| 1998 | 246 | 2 |
| 1997 Park Avenue | 219 | 3 |
| 1996 Park Avenue | 59 | 3 |
| 1995 Park Avenue | 117 | 1 |
See all Buick Park Avenue problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.
Similar Buick models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Buick Park Avenue?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, seat belts, electrical system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 97 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Buick Park Avenue?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Buick Park Avenue a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Park Avenue model years, the 1998 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.