Problems · NHTSA complaints
1999 Buick Lesabre problems
Owners filed 215 complaints about the 1999 Buick Lesabre with NHTSA between Jan 1999 and Apr 2019. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (70).
Complaints
215
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
19
Reported by owners
Fires
20
Reported by owners
Injuries
19
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine and engine cooling70
- Electrical system29
- Fuel system, gasoline22
- Suspension19
- Service brakes, hydraulic17
- Power train15
- Air bags13
- Visibility9
- Vehicle speed control9
- Steering8
- Structure7
- Seats6
- Tires5
- Fuel/propulsion system4
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 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
22
34
16
22
26
34
12
6
8
4
2
1
8
0
2
9
3
1
3
1
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 22 |
| 2000 | 34 |
| 2001 | 16 |
| 2002 | 22 |
| 2003 | 26 |
| 2004 | 34 |
| 2005 | 12 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine and engine cooling
70 reports1 crash10 fires
“ANTIFREEZE LEAKING INTO ENGINE THROUGH INTAKE MANIFOLD PLENUM CAUSING EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT ENGINES AND OR PARTS. DANGEROUS IF ENGINE LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING. *TR”
Electrical system
29 reports2 crashes6 fires
“1999 BUICK LESABRE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH- ANTI THEFT WIRING ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE ANTI-THEFT WIRES WAS BROKEN AND THE SECOND WIRE HAD THE PROTECTIVE INSULATION COATING CRACKED THROUGH TO THE COPPER WIRE. IT APPEARED THAT ROTATION OF THE CYLINDER HAD CHAFED OVER TIME AND COMPROMISED THE INTEGRITY OF BOTH WIRES AND THE CAUSE THE SECURITY DASH LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. *JB”
Fuel system, gasoline
22 reports2 crashes5 fires1 related recall
“THE CAR WOULD OCCASIONALLY SMELL LIKE GAS DURING ACCELERATION. IT ALSO SKIPPED FREQUENTLY WHEN GOING UP HILL. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN THE CAR STALLED. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ERUPTED IN FLAMES. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE FIRE THAT WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL SYSTEM RECALL IN SEPT. 2004. I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A GM DEALER IN OCT. 2004 AND NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE NOR WAS I MADE AWARE THAT THERE WAS SUCH A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. *JB”
Suspension
19 reports2 crashes
“AS I WAS DRIVING FROM THE GAS STATION I TOOK A LEFT AND AS I ACCELERATED, THE ENGINE STARTED TO VIBRATE. I I HAD NEVER NOTICED THIS BEFORE THAT DAY. SO PROCEED TO TAKE MY TIME CAREFULLY BACK TO WORK. I EXAMINED THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF MY 99 LESABRE CUSTOM AND THAT'S WHERE I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE SUBFRAME BUSHINGS HAVE ALL BUT FELL OUT DUE TO SEVERE RUST. THANKFULLY THE PASSENGER SIDE IS STILL FIRMLY ATTACHED. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM CARS OF THIS ERA AND THE DORMAN REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE READILY AVAILABLE. HAD THIS COMPONENT FAILED ON BOTH SIDES THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE FALLEN OUT AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE. I AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE OR JUST A BAD CHOICE OF VEHICLE DESIGN BY GM AND THEIR LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE PUBLICS WELL BEING. THESE SUBFRAME BUSHINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OR SHOULD BE A VIABLE RECALL CONCERN TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER.”
Service brakes, hydraulic
17 reports1 crash
“WHILE PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WITH MY SON HE NOTICED ALL THE FRONT BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND CLOSE TO FAILURE. THIS VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY ENCOUNTERED A BURST REAR BRAKE LINE ON 5-19-09, MILEAGE AT THAT TIME WAS 143,304. SEE NHTSA ODI #: 10269462. ALL METAL BRAKE LINES FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER AND TO/FROM THE ABS UNIT AND FRONT WHEELS WERE REPLACED TO AVOID IMMINENT BRAKE FAILURE. SILENTLY RUSTING BRAKE LINES ARE A POTENTIAL FOR SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED BRAKE LOSS, ONLY GIVING THE DRIVER SECONDS TO REACT. *TR”
Power train
15 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“I TOOK MY 1999 BUICK LESABRE TO THE LOCAL BUICK DEALER, HANCOCK BUICK-COLUMBIA,S.C. FOR RECALL WORK THAT YOU LISTED. MY CAR WAS PERFECT BEFORE THEY DID THE RECALL WORK AND AFTER THEY DID THE RECALLS MY CAR JUMPED AND SKIPPED BETWEEN 32 MPH AND 38 MPH. THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR TWO WEEKS AND WHEN I GOT IT BACK ON OCT. 11 THEY MADE ME PAY $282.00 TO GET MY CAR. GENERAL MOTORS HAVE NOT HELPED ME. THEY DID THE RECALL WORK YOU ORDERED, MADE MISTAKES AND CHARGE ME FOR THE MISTAKES THEY MADE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU COULD GIVE ME. MY VIN #[XXX] AND MY GM FILE # [XXX], I TOLD GENERAL MOTORS THAT THE DEALER I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM WOULD VERIFY THAT MY CAR WAS FINE BEFORE THEY WORKED ON IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. *AK *SC *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.