Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 Buick Lesabre problems

Owners filed 402 complaints about the 1997 Buick Lesabre with NHTSA between Mar 1996 and Feb 2024. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (108).

Complaints
402
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
26
Reported by owners
Fires
32
Reported by owners
Injuries
24
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling108
  2. Electrical system40
  3. Fuel system, gasoline37
  4. Power train34
  5. Air bags33
  6. Service brakes, hydraulic27
  7. Visibility26
  8. Steering24
  9. Seat belts20
  10. Suspension19
  11. Tires16
  12. Structure15
  13. Latches/locks/linkages11
  14. Vehicle speed control11

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199617
199750
199831
199954
200040
200128
200240
200329
200425
200515
200611
20075
20089
200911
20109
20111
20122
20134
20146
20156
20162
20173
20182
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20241

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

108 reports19 fires
“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 REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 31, 2014Engine and engine cooling, EngineODI 10651641

Electrical system

40 reports3 fires
“THE HORN WILL SOUND WITHOUT PRESSING THE HORN BUTTON(S) WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION OR UNOCCUPIED. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ONLINE AND IT IS APPARENTLY AN ISSUE FOR MANY OWNERS. PART OF THE AIR BAG CONTRACTS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS PRESSING ON PART OF THE HORN BUTTON. THE ONLY WAY TO SHUT IT OFF IS TO PULL THE HORN FUSE. I AM CONCERNED THIS MAY LEAD TO AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IF THE HORN SOUNDS FOR TOO LONG OR AN AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. ALSO, THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE DRIVEN WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO USE THE HORN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 21, 2018Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11121343

Fuel system, gasoline

37 reports9 fires1 related recall
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY BACKFIRED AND WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND REFERENCED RECALL 96V116000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM) BUT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 146,874.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 14, 2010Fuel system, gasolineODI 10360550

Power train

34 reports1 crash1 fire
“TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS BETWEEN 30 TO 40 MPH. ALSO AT 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. HAVE BEEN TOLD MAY NEED TRANSMISSION. CAR ONLY HAS 56,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS BEEN DRAINED. DID NOT HELP. PLEASE ADVISE”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 6, 2018Power trainODI 11109928

Air bags

33 reports17 crashes2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ALSO DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED FACIAL CUTS, BRUISES, A FRACTURED CHEEKBONE AND WHIPLASH THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 197,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 23, 2015Air bagsODI 10811861

Service brakes, hydraulic

27 reports2 crashes
“I HAVE DISCOVERED A BRAKE FLUID LEAK FROM THE ABS MODULATOR ASSEMBLY IN MY 1997 BUICK LESABRE. THERE IS A RECALL (#00V114000) FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM IN 2000 LESABRES. THIS CAN CAUSE THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION! THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO COVER EARLIER YEARS. IN THE MEAN TIME I AM GOING TO PURCHASE A NEW ABS MODULATOR ASSEMBLY. I FEAR THE NEW VALVE ASSEMBLY WILL DEVELOP THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 24, 2006Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10171701
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.