Buick Lesabre Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 188 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Buick Lesabre across 11 model years. The 1997 model year has the most (33). The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (10% of reports).
- 188power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 35%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.
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 18 of 188 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 86 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 188 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury.
Buick Lesabre power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Lesabre | 8 | 10% | 48,000 |
| 2004 Lesabre | 12 | 7% | 87,497 |
| 2003 Lesabre | 18 | 11% | 48,946 |
| 2002 Lesabre | 13 | 4% | 50,874 |
| 2001 Lesabre | 31 | 9% | 50,000 |
| 2000 Lesabre | 24 | 4% | 63,165 |
| 1999 Lesabre | 15 | 7% | 42,000 |
| 1998 Lesabre | 20 | 5% | 98,000 |
| 1997 Lesabre | 33 | 8% | 75,000 |
| 1996 Lesabre | 6 | 6% | — |
| 1995 Lesabre | 8 | 4% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 1999
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 4t65e automatic transmissions. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence." a retaining clip, which secures the manual valve to the linkage of the transmission detent lever, can become loose under a combination of possible driver shifting maneuvers and allow the link to become disconnected from the manual valve.
Risk: If the link disconnects, the driver's indicated prndl state may differ from the hydraulic state of the transmission. If the driver selects 'drive' and the transmission is actually in 'reverse', a vehicle crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the manual valve/link assembly with a replacement manual valve/link kit, featuring a spring-type fastener.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are 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…
Car has hard shift's that get worse when the car is up to temperature. Fuel gauge show's false reading. Two window regulators failed.
Fuel gauge false reading. Hard shift's
Drove to the store, transmission was hard shifting and then wouldn't hardly move at all. Almost got hit three x!! Very tramatized. How is it that on just one of many web pages 400 people had this problem 140 complained about it! that's just one website! how has this problem not been fixed and…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick lesabre. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled with several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure recurred intermittently. The contact believed that the failure was related to the power train. The vehicle…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Buick Lesabres have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 188 owner complaints about power train for the Buick Lesabre. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Buick Lesabre power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Buick Lesabre?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 18 of 188 complaints.
Other Buick Lesabre problems
See all Buick Lesabre problems.