2002 Buick Lesabre Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lesabre years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 310 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Buick Lesabre. That ranks 5th out of 12 Lesabre model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (115 complaints, 37%), typically at around 53,000 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 12 fires, 18 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 310owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Buick Lesabre problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility problems | 115 | 37% | 53,000 | “window regulator” (30%) | $800 |
| Structure problems | 51 | 16% | 71,500 | “concerned passenger” (18%) | — |
| Air Bags | 37 | 12% | 75,370 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 24 | 8% | 50,874 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 6% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 16 | 5% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 4% | 50,874 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 4% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 4% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 4% | 57,145 | — | — |
| Tires | 9 | 3% | 149,539 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 3% | 107,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 2% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 2% | 39,650 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 2% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 2% | 147,049 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 2% | 28,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 2% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 1% | 38,100 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 9,101 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 95,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Buick Lesabre recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Risk: Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
Steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles were built with missing or under-torqued steering gear attachment bolts. If a bolt is missing, the driver may notice uneven steering response or unusual noises during turns.
Risk: If the left bolt is missing and the right mounting strap fails, steering control is lost and a vehicle crash could result.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicles for presence and proper torque of both steering gear bolts. Owner notification began april 5, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300 or cadillac at 1-800-458-8006.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine compartment fires (EA02030) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 9, 2004, led to recall 04V090000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
On May 2, 2026, I received a letter by mail from Kumho Tires regarding a set of tires that I purchased, in December 2023; DOT # 2222 and 2223, size, 225/60 R16 98T. In their letter they state that tires with DOT #'s ranging from 0421-0523 were recalled. They go on to state the following: tires…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick lesabre. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle smoke was present coming from under the hood and a burning odor was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. Upon inspection it was determined the engine valve cover was faulty and oil had leaked onto the…
The frame of my car fell out while i was driving on a high way after i had already reported the problem and had been denied services to get it fixed.
When i was getting ready to stop, i took my foot off of the gas pedal and was moving my foot over to the brake, the car suddenly speed up; i had to step on the brake extra hard to stop it. This has happened to me more than once. It doesn't happen all the time. I had one parking lot accident because…
Cpsc: the heated seat in my vehicle has burned a hole through the seat.*dt the consumer stated the manufacturer was notified but, did not offer any assistance. *js
Other Buick Lesabre years
← 2001 Lesabre · 2003 Lesabre →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Lesabre | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 Lesabre | 77 | 0 |
| 2004 Lesabre | 162 | 0 |
| 2003 Lesabre | 164 | 1 |
| 2002 | 310 | 2 |
| 2001 Lesabre | 328 | 0 |
| 2000 Lesabre | 669 | 5 |
| 1999 Lesabre | 209 | 2 |
| 1998 Lesabre | 400 | 1 |
| 1997 Lesabre | 394 | 2 |
| 1996 Lesabre | 98 | 2 |
| 1995 Lesabre | 178 | 1 |
See all Buick Lesabre problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.
Similar Buick models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Buick Lesabre?
Owners most often report visibility, structure, air bags problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 115 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Buick Lesabre?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Buick Lesabre a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Lesabre model years, the 2002 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.