2002 Buick Park Avenue Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Park Avenue years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 9th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 32 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Buick Park Avenue. That ranks 9th out of 11 Park Avenue model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (7 complaints, 22%), typically at around 119,500 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 4 fires, 2 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 32owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 7 | 22% | 119,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 19% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 13% | 29,884 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 6% | 81,564 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 6% | 11,776 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 6% | 9,298 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 6% | 2,886 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 6% | 2,886 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% | 10,780 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% | 7,117 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Buick Park Avenue recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:trunk lid:lock
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the emergency trunk release handle may be installed or forced out of the proper position.
Risk: If the cable is out of the proper position, it could increase the force required to activate the emergency trunk release handle and a person trapped in the trunk may not be able to release the trunk latch using the emergency trunk release handle.
Fix: Dealers will secure the emergency trunk release cable to ensure that the emergency trunk release handle operates properly. Owner notification began december 19, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300.
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
- Engine compartment fire (EA07008) — opened Jun 12, 2007, closed May 1, 2008, led to recall 08V118000.
- Engine compartment fires (EA02030) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 9, 2004, led to recall 04V090000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Rust got to the back end of this car it is completely detached this car is not safe in any shale or form. The backend could fall apart at any moment and completely make the tires and everything else fall right off. It has only been inspected by me and I am 100%sure it is rusted through and through…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick park avenue. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle failed to start-up. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
My car started smoking by the manifold gaskets upon me starting it..i left it parked in driveway appox 2 -3 weeks , while i drove my 2nd vehicle...this is the second time i had this problem whenever my vehicle sits 2- 4 weeks ...this do not make sense to my cus it had no problems before i parked…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick park avenue. While driving approximately 35 mph, the contact heard a chime twice and the vehicle shook violently. The vehicle lost acceleration and a burning odor was present. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic (richie's auto repair in chicago…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick park avenue. While driving 45 mph, the steering wheel began to move independently from left to right without warning, causing the contact to crash into a ditch. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained whiplash and bruises that…
Other Buick Park Avenue years
← 2001 Park Avenue · 2003 Park Avenue →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Park Avenue | 8 | 0 |
| 2004 Park Avenue | 12 | 0 |
| 2003 Park Avenue | 33 | 1 |
| 2002 | 32 | 1 |
| 2001 Park Avenue | 57 | 2 |
| 2000 Park Avenue | 81 | 3 |
| 1999 Park Avenue | 140 | 3 |
| 1998 Park Avenue | 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
Embed this 2002 Buick Park Avenue badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Buick Park Avenue?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 7 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Buick Park Avenue?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.