Problems with 2006 Buick Lucerne ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. while the vehicle was parked in the contacts driveway, it caught fire. the vehicle was destroyed. when the fire department arrived, they filed an incident report, which concluded that the battery had caused the fire to occur. he determined that a gold post had placed a hole in the battery, that should have had a cap on it. the dealer was notified and a report was filed. the current and failure mileage was 74,000. updated 3/11/11 *cn the consumer stated the gold post created a hole in the underside of the hood. the fireman indicated a cap should have been on the gold post. updated 04/27/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. while the vehicle was parked the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition. the contact stated the gear shift had to be moved back and forth between gears and eventually the key could be removed. the failure began to occur intermittently and over time occurred more frequently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians stated a shift mechanism needed to be added to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 43,000. updated 07/18/11

2006 buick lucerne, traveling 70 mph on the freeway, engine stops, dash gives reduced engine power check throttle and then gives a check traction control warnings, no power steering or brakes. engine will not restart until battery has been disconnected to reset system, problem appears to be caused by a grounding problem or high resistance connection some where. no error codes stored. car has done this so many times i do not feel safe driving it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition or turn the key to start the vehicle. the failure began to recur intermittently. the contact stated the gear shift lever had to be moved back and forth between various gears before removing the key from the ignition. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the technicians stated the battery needed to be replaced. the battery was replaced but the failure continued. the dealer was contacted a second time and the contact was informed the gear shift switch in the steering column needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 38,000.

2006 buick lucerne xl - bought new 2006 - the instrument panel is unreadable during daylight hours on a bright day. have talked to buick about this and they say nothing can be done about it. other buick owners i have talked to have indicated the same problem. *tr

On 4 separate occasions my '06 buick lucerne (3.8 l)went into uncontrolable excelleration. on long road trips, with the cruise control engaged and doing approximately 70 mph, when i excelleratedhard, instead of returning to the cruise speed it seemed to lock into a passing gear. braking didn't stop it, putting it into did not slow the engine revs., however turning off the key and restarting after coasting a little while worked once or twice to stop the revs.. the other times i hit the brakes really hard and it disengaged the cruise and excelleration problem. fortunately there was no accident or damage, since i had room on the highway to do this. the buick dealer where i bought the car said they never heard of this before and could not duplicate when they tried. there was approximately 60,000 miles on the car when the last incident ocurred. ps turning off the cruise switch didn't help either.

The instrument panel is very difficult to read during daylight hours. you can only read the odometer. you can't read the tach and the fuel and engine temp gauges. at night with the dash lights on everything is fine. the 2008 chevrolet malibu has the same type of instrument panel but does not have this problem due to lighting in the gauges during the day and night. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. the contact stated that the instrument panel illuminates, but is very dim. the failure has caused him to lose focus while driving because he is trying to read the gauges. the dealer acknowledges the failure, but stated that a remedy is unavailable. the current and failure mileages were 400. updated 6/16/08 *cn updated 06/16/08 *jb

The factory repair kit improved the daytime visibility of the message center but still not as bright as the gauges and needles. the center glass lens reflection of the steering wheel bathed by the sun from the windows still overwhelms the message display and when driver is wearing sunglasses is completely unreadable. this could lead to an accident while trying to read it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. the contact stated that he was unable to see the left side of the speedometer, while driving between 10-50 mph during the daytime. the dealer replaced the remote sensor, but the failure continued. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was designed that way and nothing could be done. the current mileage is 5,430 and failure mileage was 2,700. the cuise control looses speed. updated 07/19/07. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. while driving 35 mph, the check engine light illuminated. the dealer made repairs and the light dimmed, however, it illuminated intermittently shortly after the repair. a mechanic stated that a wire to the transmission failed and caused the illumination. the powertrain was unknown. the current mileage was 25,000 and failure mileage was 16,000.

I purchased a new 2006 buick lucerne cxl, the dash board data showing the speedometer, odometer, etc., is lighted at night and inclement weather. on sunny days the lights go out, all the items mentioned are not visible. it creates a hazard since it is not possible to tell the speed. my husband got a speeding ticket for traveling at 9 mph above the posted limit. the potential for an accident is exacerbated because reading any of the data while driving is impossible. also the passenger's view of these items is obscured so that the ability to act as a co- pilot is eliminated. it seems to me that the device that turns these lights off could be modified to keep them lit. i entered a complaint the same week i purchased the car and nothing has been done, nor can i get any information from buick to indicate they are working on a solution. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's gauges were intermittently difficult to read due to sun glare. the vehicle was taken into the dealer, who determined the same thing and attempted to repair the problem, but was unsuccessful. the contact noticed a similar complaint odi id # 10150699 concerning the interior lighting.*ak

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's instrument panel had poor illumination during the day. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the illumination was normal. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that their were other consumers experiencing similar problems via the nhtsa website odi #10150699. updated 10/31/2006 - the consumer feels that the poor illumination is a safety issue. *nm

Instrument gauges do not give accurate readings. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the dashboard lights were dim during the day and the instrument panel was not readable. the dealership determined that was how the vehicle was manufactured.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. whenever the vehicle is driven at any speed during the daytime, the contact cannot read the instrument panel gauges, mainly the speedometer. the dealer has not been notified. the current mileage was 9,200 and failure mileage was 200. the dealer informed the consumer they had a module that would increase the intensity of the dash lights. updated 11/06/07.

Dash instruments and gauges are not visible in daytime. run off road trying to see speedometer to set cruise control. dash lights are completely off in daylight, making it impossible to see dash instruments. contacted dealer and was told that there is nothing they can do. contacted gm and they tell me that it is a design flaw and it is not covered by warranty. i have found out that others have had same problem. it is on buick lucerne 2006, also understand 2007's have same problem. it is not on all cars as i understand it. it is dangerous to operate car. may cause to run off road or cross center and have wreck trying to figure out what speed car is going. needs to be fixed. *nm

I have had an ongoing issue with our inability to view the instrument panel at various times and in varying light conditions. this is a known issue with buick and i have contacted them many times over the last 24 months (or so) for a resolution. to date none is forthcoming, only promises of a future fix. this is a safety issue because it is distracting and can lead to driver inattention causing an accident. cannot determine vehicle speed at times. buick is aware of this serious safety defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. the entire instrument panel was difficult to read in the day light because the lights were white. at night, the lights are green and very clear. the dealer was unable to make any repairs. the failure mileage was 200 and current mileage was 13,700. updated 01/02/08. *lj updated 12/12/07

Dt*: the contact stated, the backlighting for the instrument panel is not sufficient enough to read the instruments in daylight hours which takes ones attention from the road. the manufacturer was contacted. 08/04/06 contact called buick customer service 7-18-06, they said there was a problem but probably would not be corrected until the 2007 model vehicles came out. 1-800-521-3300. *tt

Instrument panel (speedometer, gas gauge, temp gauge tach) are not back lighted during daylight driving. when it is cloudy but not dark enough for the light sensor to turn on the night mode, it is difficult to see these instruments and when you have sunglasses on it is impossible. this is a driving hazard because you do not know how fast your are driving or the state of your fuel. this is the 2006 buick lucerne. *jb

Unable to see instrument panel, speedometer, gas gauge during the day. lack of lighting during the day. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. the contact stated that the vehicle's dashboard indicator lights were not visible while driving in sunny conditions. however, the dashboard indicator lights illuminated in the evenings. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. approximately four months later, the vehicle was brought to another dealer. the dealer replaced the lighting panel as a correction issued by buick in technical servic ebulletin #189. the contact stated that the panel replacement did not solve the failure. the current and failure mileage were 5,800.*qak spoke with consumer 10/16/07 was told to disregard complaint , vehicle has been repaired. *lj

Dt*: the contact stated, the back lighting for the instrument panel is not bright enough to see the display during daylight hours.

Buick lucerne speedometer is impossible to read**cc the consumer stated the speedometer was impossible to read during daylight hours. when the consumer did get a new speedometer, the consumer still could not see it. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 5 mph the 6 inch pillar/posts between the windshield and both front doors obscured driver visibility, nearly causing several crashes. the manufacturer was contacted. the backlighting of the instrument panel did not illuminate properly which caused poor visibility of the speedometer and other gauges. updated 9/13/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated that the backlighting for the instrument panel darkened making it difficult to read the dash gauges. the contact must focus on the instrument panel, while trying to read the gauges since they are poorly illuminated. the service dealer agreed there was a problem and the manufacturer was contacted. updated 8/16/2006 - the instrument dose not have a light that illuminates the panel during the day. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling various speeds during the day, the interior lights in the vehicle did not work properly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined the instrument panel was working properly by the manufacturer's design. there were no repairs made. the manufacturer was contacted and expressed that there were many complaints in regards to this problem and this matter would be looked into. the manufacturer did not provide further assistance. the consumer stated after the vehicle is in the sunlight for a period of time, the dash lights dim, he is unable to read the intrument panel, such as the speedometer and other insturments. updated 12/12/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated during daylight hours, the instrument panel was difficult to see. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined the panel was set at high intensity, however the gauges remained difficult to view during daylight hours. the contact mentioned that the speed and fuel gauges were some examples of gauges that could not be viewed. the manufacturer was contacted, and offered three oil changes due to inconveniences. *nm updated 10/02/06. *jb, updated 11/28/2006. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated during the day, the dashboard is not visible. the dealership is aware of the problem, but no repair is available. 06/02/06 updated buick claims dashboard was designed as it is. speedometer and gas gauge cannot be read. *tt

My 2006 buick lucerne dash instruments are also unreadable during sunny days. i had a repair kit installed several years ago but it did not fix this problem. no more buicks for me. *tr

Dash board gauges are not visible in the day time. they are properly illuminated at night. consulted darby buick in venice florida and was told there is no correction. safety defect. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 buick lucerne. during the daytime hours, the components on the instrument control panel could not be seen because they were too dark. the dealer and manufacturer kept putting him off and would not assist. the current mileage was 15,000 and failure mileage was 500. updated 04/03/08. *lj

Total instrumental panel is not readable in the daylight. no way to increase the lighting. it is a safety hazard to not know how fast you are going. no accident is involved - at this time. *nm

Failure info unknown. the panel instruments are not visible during daylight hours while the headlamp switch is in the "auto" position. in "park" and "headlight" position the panel lamps are on. a very simple wiring change can correct this and make the speedometer and gauges visible. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the dash board gauges are not readable during the day. the contact must shield the area with an object to be seen. the salesman at the dealership suggested the parking lights be used during the day. updated 3/9/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated when the daytime running lights are on; the dashboard panel is unable to be read. the dealership determined the headlights could manually be turned on and the dashboard will illuminate so the gauges can be read.

2006 buick lucerne csx received delivery january 2006 - safety issue - impossible to read speedometer, computer readout or any other gauges on instrument panel on a bright sunny day. dash lights controlled automatically and light up at night but not in daytime. totally unable to read vehicle speed.*jb

Impossible to read speedometer & other gauges during sunlight. gauges light up at twilight,but, not during daylight hours. this is a safety problem and cannot be corrected at the dealership. this condition has existed since the time the new vehicle was driven from the showroom. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated during daylight hours the illumination on the dash could not be seen and the gauges were not visible. the dealer was alerted. updated 09/05/06. *jb

You can not read the dash board instruments in the day time. you can not see how fast your going, how much fuel you have or if you are over heating. which makes for unsafe driving. at night the dash board instruments are well lit and you can read every thing. i've reported this to the buick dealer with no results. this defect is on my new 2006 buick lucerne lxs. *jb