2003 Buick Lesabre Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lesabre years
- Fewer complaints than other years 8th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 164 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Buick Lesabre. That ranks 8th out of 12 Lesabre model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (57 complaints, 35%), typically at around 60,063 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 4 fires, 9 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 164owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 57 | 35% | 60,063 | “air bag” (35%) | — |
| Air Bags | 21 | 13% | 73,490 | — | — |
| Power Train | 18 | 11% | 48,946 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 15 | 9% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 12 | 7% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 7% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 6% | 17,720 | — | — |
| Engine | 8 | 5% | 106,388 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 5% | 56,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 4% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 4% | 29,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 3% | 25,034 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 3% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 3% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 3% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 2% | 72,705 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 15,350 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 1,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Buick Lesabre recalls (1)
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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The transmission doesn't shift correctly even after it's warmed up it is erratic and rough while connecting the transmission gears and jerks very hard at most times. The power steering is not working correctly and makes it difficult to drive at all with the combined issues I'm very concerned about…
On [XXX] original Steering Rack and Pinion was replaced at 138974 miles by established reputable garage with NAPA part which was remanufactured. That part failed [XXX] at 141443 miles. That part failed [XXX] at 145999 miles and was replaced with NAPA part which was remanufactured. That part failed…
215/70R15 98T Tire purchased 10 days prior blew-out , resulting in total loss of vehicle.
The contact owns a 2003 Buick LeSabre. The contact stated that their trunk failed to remain in the open position when needed. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was…
The contact owns a 2003 Buick LeSabre. The contact stated that after his friend drove the vehicle to his residence, there was a burning oil odor detected. The contact opened the hood and there was smoke coming from the engine. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic as a valve cover…
Other Buick Lesabre years
← 2002 Lesabre · 2004 Lesabre →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Lesabre | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 Lesabre | 77 | 0 |
| 2004 Lesabre | 162 | 0 |
| 2003 | 164 | 1 |
| 2002 Lesabre | 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 2003 Buick Lesabre?
Owners most often report structure, air bags, power train problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 57 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Buick Lesabre?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.