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1998 Buick Park Avenue Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

327 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.56 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical04V090000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery

THE BACKFIRE CAN RUPTURE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Moderate00V117000

Seat Belts:Front:Webbing

WHEN THE SHOULDER BELT WEBBING BECOMES JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR, THE BELT MAY BE UNUSABLE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF UPDATED FRONT SHOULDER BELT BEZELS AND WHERE NECESSARY, INSTALL NEW FRONT SEAT SHOULDER BELT OPENING BEZEL KITS.

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.

Complaint volume

327 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

8Crashes
46Fires
7Injuries
0Deaths

Across 327 complaints. Severity Index 0.56.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine And Engine Cooling…41 · 13%Engine And Engine Cooling…23 · 7%Engine And Engine Cooling…21 · 6%Engine And Engine Cooling17 · 5%Fuel System, Gasoline14 · 4%Seat Belts11 · 3%Unknown Or Other9 · 3%Electrical System9 · 3%
  1. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 41 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe — 23 reports
  3. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 21 reports
  4. Engine And Engine Cooling — 17 reports
  5. Fuel System, Gasoline — 14 reports
  6. Seat Belts — 11 reports
  7. Unknown Or Other — 9 reports
  8. Electrical System — 9 reports
  9. Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch — 8 reports
  10. Seat Belts:Front:Webbing — 8 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (3) · 1997 (3) · 1998 · 1999 (3) · 2000 (3) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (1) · 2003 (1) · 2004 · 2005

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.