Problems · by component
1997 Buick Lesabre visibility problems
26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 Buick Lesabre cite visibility, 6% of all 402 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
26
6% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the visibility
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“CAR CLOUDED UP. OBSTRUCTING VISION. MECHANIC REPLACED HEATER CORE WITH GM PART. SAME THING HAPPENED IN DAYS. REPLACED WITH ANOTHER...SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. SUPPLIER TO MECHANIC INDICATED A COMMON FAULT WITH THAT PART. A THIRD PART (AFTERMARKET) HAS BEEN INSTALLED. IF THESE GM PARTS WERE KNOWN BY SUPPLIER TO BE FAULTY, WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN RECALLED AND WHY DID HE NOT INFORM MECHANIC BEFORE THE INSTALLATION? MECHANIC HAS INSTALLED PART THREE TIMES, AND ONLY BEEN PAID ONCE. I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT, HIT A CURB TO AVOID BEING HIT. AND LOST A PERFECTLY GOOD TIRE AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF VISIBILITY. I HAVE NO COMPLAINT WITH THE ORIGINAL PART...THE CAR HAS HIGH MILEAGE (BUICK LESABE, 1997,) JUST THE TWO REPLACEMENT PARTS THAT WERE PRESSURE TESTED AND FAILED WITHIN DAYS OF USAGE. *TR”
“DT: CONSUMER OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE SHUT OFF. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST A LITTLE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO GET COMPLETELY OUT OF TRAFFIC. SHE WAS STUCK IN VEHICLE BECAUSE EVERYTHING ON VEHICLE SHUT DOWN DUE TO THE GROUND CABLE COMING LOOSE, NOT LOOSE FROM THE MOTOR BLOCK. VEHICLE HAS BEEN WORKED ON, SHE DID NO FEEL THAT CABLE COMING LOOSE WAS DUE TO A DEFECT. SHE WAS MORE CONCERNED THAT WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER SHE WAS STUCK IN VEHICLE WITH NO WAY TO ESCAPE. THE DOOR LOCKED AND POWER WINDOWS DID NOT WORK. THE BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THAT THERE WAS NO MANUAL LOCK THAT COULD BE USED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR WHEN POWER FAILED. SHE WAS STUCK IN VEHICLE WITH VEHICLE IN THE ROAD AND IN DANGER OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. SHE STAYED IN VEHICLE ONE HOUR ON A VERY HOT DAY UNTIL SHE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT A FRIEND ON CELL PHONE, AND HE CAME TO HELP HER. *AK”
“WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE TO WORK ON HIGH SPEED FOR A WHILE BEFORE THEY CAN OPERATE ON NORMAL SPEED. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK”
“THERE IS A BAR IN THE FRONT WINDOWS, THIS BAR REQUIRES MOUNTING OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IN A FOWARD POSITION, WHICH CONSUMER BELIEVES IS TOO CLOSE TO THE DRIVER, WHICH CREATES A BLIND SPOT FOR THE DRIVER.*JB”
“WINDSHIELD WIPERS OCCSAIONALLY FAIL TO OPERATE AT LOW SPEED OR SINGLE SWIPE MODE DUE TO WIPER STICKING ON WINDSHIELD AND MOTOR HORSEPOWER/TORQUE INSUFFICIENT TO BREAK "SEAL."”
“REARVIEW MIRROR, WHILE DRIVING, IS LOOSE AND TILTS VERY OFTEN. NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED, IT WILL DANGLE, GO BACK AND FORTH, IT IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE WIRE AND SWINGS. CAN EVENTUALLY HIT THE DRIVER IN THE HEAD. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT REPAIR THE MIRROR. ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND MIRROR HIT WINDSHIELD,AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS SHATTERED. *AK”
Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.