Buick Lesabre Steering Problems
Owners have filed 165 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Buick Lesabre across 11 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (47). The words owners use most often: “tie rod” (12% of reports).
- 165steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 24%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.
- Tie rod: mentioned in 20 of 165 complaints (12%)
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 14 of 165 complaints (8%)
- Steering pump: mentioned in 12 of 165 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 80 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 165 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Buick Lesabre steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Lesabre | 4 | 5% | 49,505 |
| 2004 Lesabre | 5 | 3% | 26,560 |
| 2003 Lesabre | 5 | 3% | 29,000 |
| 2002 Lesabre | 13 | 4% | 49,000 |
| 2001 Lesabre | 29 | 9% | 38,308 |
| 2000 Lesabre | 47 | 7% | 50,000 |
| 1999 Lesabre | 8 | 4% | 65,850 |
| 1998 Lesabre | 15 | 4% | 49,635 |
| 1997 Lesabre | 25 | 6% | 141,502 |
| 1996 Lesabre | 4 | 4% | 98,500 |
| 1995 Lesabre | 10 | 6% | 128,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Model years: 2002
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.
Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly
Model years: 2000
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The inner tie rod nuts are loose and can result in separation of a tie rod.
Risk: Separation of a tie rod can cause unexpected steering input increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will check and adjust the vehicle toe-in and tighten the inner tie rod nuts to the specified torque.
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…
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…
The contact owns a 2000 Buick LeSabre. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the front end of the vehicle started shaking uncontrollably. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle at a slower speed. The vehicle was taken…
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…
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.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Buick Lesabres have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 165 owner complaints about steering 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 steering?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Buick Lesabre?
The most frequent phrase is “tie rod”, in 20 of 165 complaints, followed by “rack pinion” (14).
Other Buick Lesabre problems
See all Buick Lesabre problems.