1997 Buick Lesabre Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 110 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Buick Lesabre, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 88,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “intake manifold” (27% of reports).
- 110engine and engine cooling complaints
- 88,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 27%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 30 of 110 complaints (27%)
- Claim slc: mentioned in 6 of 110 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1997 Buick Lesabre at $1,200, and half of them between $970 and $2,350.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2008), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 33 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 110 complaints, 19 a fire, 1 an injury.
Buick Lesabre engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Lesabre | 1 | 1% | 65,500 |
| 2004 Lesabre | 8 | 5% | 17,695 |
| 2003 Lesabre | 8 | 5% | 56,500 |
| 2002 Lesabre | 18 | 6% | 44,000 |
| 2001 Lesabre | 28 | 9% | 78,536 |
| 2000 Lesabre | 78 | 12% | 48,528 |
| 1999 Lesabre | 69 | 33% | 66,486 |
| 1998 Lesabre | 196 | 49% | 67,212 |
| 1997 Lesabre | 110 | 28% | 88,000 |
| 1996 Lesabre | 18 | 18% | 90,000 |
| 1995 Lesabre | 14 | 8% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Buick Lesabre. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, an abnormal sound emitted from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the upper intake manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was…
This will be 4th time intake manifold gasket is being replaced. By far the worst & most expensive used car ever to own. Gm's black eye. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. While attempting to start the vehicle, it exhibited a no-start condition. She replaced the battery and then smoke engulfed the front-end of the vehicle. A mechanic concluded that the intake manifold failed. She was in the process of having the vehicle…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Buick Lesabres have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 110 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Buick Lesabre (28% of the 394 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Buick Lesabre engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 88,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Buick Lesabre?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,200 (half paid between $970 and $2,350), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Buick Lesabre?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold”, in 30 of 110 complaints, followed by “claim slc” (6).
See all 1997 Buick Lesabre problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Lesabre years.