Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Buick Park Avenue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 1999 Buick Park Avenue was parked under our pole barn in front of our home. My neighbor came over to borrow my car with my permission. It was cold that day. She turned the key. The car backfire & the hood jumped. The car made a loud noise & smoke started rolling out from under the hood of my car. She popped the hood & got out of the car. By the time she got in front of the car flames were shooting out of the front of the car. She called the peru fire department who came out & pulled my car out to the driveway saving our house from burning to the ground. The got the car put out eventually but it is destroyed. Entire engine compartment is burned out. Parts of the inside are melted. The car is a total loss. We contacted Buick. They offered us $1000. For a car we were offered $3000.00 for that summer. …
Tl the contact owns a 1999 Buick Park Avenue. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated while backing out of the driveway and failed to brake. When the vehicle was started, the contact heard a loud popping sound and noticed a lot of smoke coming from the tailpipe. As a result, the vehicle crashed into the neighbor's yard and a telephone guide wire. An independent mechanic was called to have the vehicle towed and diagnosed. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 152,000.
1999 Buick Park Avenue. Consumer writes in regards to defective plastic manifolds and requests reimbursement for two engine repairs. The consumer stated on July 28, 2003, the vehicle stopped running and again on November 13, 2014. The consumer stated both times, the manifold had to be replaced. Updated 09/09/15 updated 03/7/16. Updated 11/01/2017
My 1999 Buick Park ave caught fire under the hood and was damaged beyond repair. This occurred without warning less than five minutes after it had been parked six and a half hours and then driven for less than 5 minutes at low city speeds.
1999 Buick Park ave v6=3800 3 8l shot fire apx. 6 feet per firemen on duty that witnessed this. The motor shook. Upper intake, intake set, valve cover set, pcv, oil pressure switch, both converters and still not fixed.
Sudden engine failure. I own a 99 Buick Park Avenue ultra that has about 65,000 miles on it and is well maintained. The car is only utilized about 6 months out of the year since we are snow birds having returned from the east 2 months ago. Last evening as I drove north and up one of the long hills on the toll rd 73 in orange county, ca I experienced the sudden and total loss of engine power while traveling between 65 and 70 MPH. All electrical systems, headlights, dash lights etc stayed on and appeared normal. Fortunately the traffic was such that I was able to pull over to the side of the road, stop and turn on my hazard warning lights. I sat for a moment and then tried to restart the engine. The cranking appeared normal and the engine immediately started and the engine parameters, temperature, volts, etc appeared normal. …
Plastic intake manifold failure occurred on 1999 Buick Park Avenue with approximately 45,000 miles. Coolant leaked into the engine and resulted in a misfire code in multiple cylinders. Symptoms experienced by the driver were a rough idle at start for 30 seconds, and the service engine soon light would come on, sometimes staying on and sometimes extinguishing after 15 seconds. The car was immediately driven for service. The dealer initially diagnosed the problem as a combination of dirty fuel injection system (cleaned regularly, but still needed to be cleaned again to convince dealer to rule out this problem). When problem persisted in cylinder #6, the problem was then diagnosed as a faulty fuel injector which was replaced. When the problem persisted, it was noticed that coolant had gotten into cylinder #6 in small amounts and cause a misfire. …
My 1999 Park Avenue suddenly started to run ruff, causing me to take the vehicle to a GM dealer who replaced the spark plugs and wires, as well as two ignition coils. He stated that the plugs had indication of burns that are attributed to anti freeze coming in contact with the plugs. During the repair he also indicated that he noticed anti freeze on the outside of the engine in the area of the plenum. The repairman stated that this is a common problem with the 3800 motor, that the plenum leaks causing associated problems due to the anti freeze coming in contact with engine components. He also stated that this problem can lead to engine failure if not corrected by replacement of the plenum and the intake gasket.
Dt: the 1999 Buick Park Avenue has a plastic plenum that fails while the vehicle is in motion unannounced, causing antifreeze to enter the engine compartment, locking the engine up. Consequently, there is a total power failure. Power steering and power brakes do not work, and the car has no power. Can't coast or anything else. Consumer has been in contact with Buick, but, there was no recall. Consumer considered this vehicle very unsafe. Car just stopped in the middle of the road. This was instantaneous, and with no prior problems. Consumer took the car to his mechanic, and they replaced the plenum from GM products.
Consumer concerned that auto safety data won't be released to the public. The consumer believed that the public had the right to know about defects regarding all vehicles. The consumer purchased a vehicle which had numerous problems, such as a molding rear door, a broken door handle and a new engine and fuel pressure regulator was needed. After the consumer was told the fuel pressure regulator needed to be replaced, he sold the vehicle and another couple endured problems such as an ongoing problem with the battery dying. The other couple was told in jan 2004 the regulator had been recalled.
NHTSA investigations
Engine compartment fires
Engine compartment fire
By letter dated March 12, 2008, general motors corp. (GM) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by NHTSA recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 Buick regal gs and Pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of GM's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from August 1996…
Engine complaints in other Park Avenue years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1999 Buick Park Avenue?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1999 Buick Park Avenue, 31% of the model year's 140 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Buick Park Avenue engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1999 Buick Park Avenue, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Buick Park Avenue engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 45,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 11 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.