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2003 Buick Park Avenue

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2003 Park Avenue.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2003 Buick Park Avenue is a passenger car featuring a 4-speed automatic transmission and an engine requiring 4.5 qt of 10W-30 API oil. This model delivers an EPA-rated fuel economy of 16/25/19 mpg. Within a model history spanning 1994 to 2005, this year's 36 owner complaints and single recall place it well below the 1997 peak of 301 complaints but above the 2005 low of 8, with most issues concentrated in the engine and engine cooling area.

Model year2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy16/25/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 34 · 690 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter and cabin air filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 34 · 690 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP225-60R16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6.5;7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175
Engine air filter	19259030
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	12681664
Front wiper blades	15214346
Serpentine belt	12588414 alt 19355282
Thermostat	24505924 alt 24506985
Cabin air filter	52482839 discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	206.7 in
Overall width	74.8 in
Overall height	58.3 in
Wheelbase	113.8 in
Curb weight	3801 lb
Track (front / rear)	62.6 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	63/37

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	16 / 25 / 19 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	111 cu ft
Cargo volume	19 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Park Avenue of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.5–7.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.50 sec — 1997 Ultra Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1997	Ultra Sedan 3.8L Supercharger V6	7.50 sec	15.70 sec	240 hp	FWD
1997	Ultra Sedan 3.8L Supercharger V6	7.70 sec	15.80 sec	240 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Lower: 11 ft-lbs; Upper: 7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	22 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.5 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	118 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-6-5-4-3-2
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	AC 41-921
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.20 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	34
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	690 cca
Optional BCI Group Number	34

Service checks

Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	48-55
RPM	38-52 @ Idle rpm
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	53-59
RPM	43-56 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 @ 70 degreesF ohms

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	133 ft-lbs / 32 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	100 ft-lbs / 8 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.27 in / 0.43 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.27 in / 0.43 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.224 in / 0.39 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

111 ft. lbs., step 2: 76

111 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Supercharger Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2003 Buick Park Avenue represents a significant improvement point within its generation. Complaints peaked dramatically in 1997 (301) and 1998 (277), then steadily declined each year—by 2003, complaints had fallen to just 36, down from 44 the prior year, and would continue dropping to only 12 by 2004. Investigations, which had plateaued at 3-4 annually from 1997-2000, dropped to 0 in 2003 and remained there, indicating NHTSA had closed its inquiries into the model. The single recall in 2003 matches the minimal recall activity of recent years, and the crash complaint count is negligible at 1 with zero fire complaints. The top complaint areas—Engine & Engine Cooling (8), Tires (5), and Electrical System (4)—are relatively modest in volume. This data suggests the 2003 model sits near the tail end of a quality improvement arc, with fewer formal complaints and no open federal investigations, making it a comparatively solid choice within this generation.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

426

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02’03’04 ’05

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 36 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling8

Tires5

Electrical System4

Engine2

Suspension2

Power Train1

Electrical System,Engine1

Electronic Stability Control (Esc),Service Brakes1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

02V328000Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:LockReported 09/12/2002

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE MAY BE INSTALLED OR FORCED OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION. Remedy: 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 426 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D	2025-02-19	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Park Avenue. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 34 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 19259030 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 12681664

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2003 Park Avenue take?

4.5 qt of 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2003 Park Avenue have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Park Avenue get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 25 highway / 19 combined mpg.