Problems · by component
2001 Buick Lesabre air bags problems
29 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Buick Lesabre cite air bags, 9% of all 335 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
29
9% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
11
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED, THE AIR BAG SENSOR WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 206,889.”
“THE DASH BOARD IS MELTING AWAY AN IT HAS LIFTED UP THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAD AN I THINK THATS A SAFEY HAZARD CAUSE IF I WAS TO GET INTO A FINDER BENDER OR A BAD CAR WRECK THE PASSENGER AIR WILL NOT COME OUT. AN I HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON OTHER MAKE AN MODELS JUST LIKE MINES”
“I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR POWER WINDOW MOTORS, THE DASH IS COMING APART AND IS RAISED BLOCKING SOME VISIBILITY AND POTENTIALLY AFFECTING THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN AN ACCIDENT. IN ADDITION, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BRAKING VIBRATION / PULSATION HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ON ALL FIVE OF MY BUICK LESABRES”
“FRONT / TOP OF DASHBOARD SEPARATING AND DELAMINATING FROM THE INTERIOR CABIN OF VEHICLE AND EXPENDING TO A POINT WERE THE ONE PIECE EXPOSING OPEN VOID SPACE AND SETTING OFF SENSORS ON AIR BAGS BY PINCHING AND SENDING A MESSAGE THAT THE AIR BAGS ARE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE SEEN NO OF SAME MODEL BUICKS WITH SIMILAR DEFECTS AND PROBLEMS FROM 2000 TO 2004 AND NEWER MODELS ON THE ROAD. WHEN REQUESTED FOR EVALUATION FROM TWO BUICK / GM DEALERS THEY HAD NO SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE OR OFFER A SOLUTION TO THE SAFETY ISSUE. REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION TO GM FOR SOLUTION AND NOTICE TO THE OWNERS OF SIMILAR CARS TO REPORT SAME OR SIM. PROBLEMS. *TR”
“DASHBOARD TOP IS SEPARATING AND BUCKLING IN AREA BETWEEN STEERING WHEEL AND WINDSHIELD. IT STARTED SLOWLY WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE WITH TIME. WHILE RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE. I'M WORRIED THAT AS THE DASHBOARD SEPARATION GETS WORSE, IT WILL AFFECT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AND/OR VEHICLE ELECTRONICS IN THE DASHBOARD AREA LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT. *TR”
“THE DASH PAD ON MY 2001 BUICK LE SABRE HAS SEPARATED AND BUCKLED UP APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES IN HEIGHT AND MOSTLY IN FRONT OF MY STEERING WHEEL, HOWEVER IT IS LIFTED 3/4 OF THE WAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE DASH. IT IS NOW OPEN IN THE FRONT ALONG WHERE IT MEETS THE WINDSHIELD. IT HAS LIFTED ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. UPON READING ON LINE, I SEE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR 2001 THROUGH 2005 BUICKS AND I AM JUST ANOTHER COMPLAINT TO ADD TO THE LIST. THE RISE IN THE DASH CERTAINLY EFFECTS MY VIEW WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE PLACED A THICK PAD ON TOP OF MY DRIVERS SEAT TO RAISE MY BODY. THIS ASSISTS ME, SO I AM ABLE TO PEER OVER THE RAISED DASH WHILE DRIVING. I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT THE SEPARATION, IS GOING TO SUDDENLY DEPLOY MY PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. *TR”
Showing 6 of 29 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.