1986 Buick Lesabre Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1986 Buick Lesabre, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine633.3%
- Brakes211.1%
- Seat belts211.1%
- Steering211.1%
- Tires & wheels211.1%
- Transmission15.6%
- Driver assistance15.6%
- Other / unspecified15.6%
- Visibility15.6%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAD TAKEN MY USED CAR TO TODDS TOWING AT 3867 HIGHWAY 87 REIDSVILLE NC 27320 ON THE FOLLOWING DATES 11-20-2000, AGAIN THREE DAYS LATER 11-23-00 AND AGAIN ON 13-4-00. EACH TIME HE CLAIMED TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE. I PAID 280.00, 218.00 AND $177.00. ALMOST $700.00 WITHIN A MONTHS TIME. FIVE DAYS AFTER THE LAST TIME. 12-4-00 I BROKE AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED TO A DIFFERENT GARAGE, WHERE I WAS PROPTLEY INFORMED THAT THE MOTOR WAS SIEZING UP. I TRIED TO TALK TO TODDS TOWING ABOUT THIS AND WAS TOLD TO LEAVE THE PREMISES. I DON'T FEEL THIS MAN "TODD" IS A LICENSED MACHANIC. AND IF INFACT HE IS THEN HE NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED. I BELIEVE HE SWINDLED ME OUT OF ALMOST $700.00 AND WOULD HAVE CONTINUED IF I HADN'T GONE ELSE WERE. I AM DEBATING IF I SHOULD/COULD TAKE HIM TO CIVIL COURT ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRICIATE THANK YOU , TAMARA SEGUIN. *AK
ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. DEALER CONTACED AND WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE MASTER CYLINDER KIT HAS FAILED ON 4 OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING, AS THE DRIVER STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT DID NOT WORK, THE DRIVER HAD TO DEPRESS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK TO GET IT TO STOP. NLM
THE POWER MASTER BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED PRIOR TO/AFTER SERVICE RECALL (87C-013). *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
BUCKLE TO FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOESN'T LATCH. SPRING IN BUCKLE IS BROKEN. PART IS COMMONLY USED IN ALL GMC VEHICLES. *AK
SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LOCK IN PLACE. WHEN PUTTING THE LATCH IN IT, IT SLIPS RIGHT OUT. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY DON'T SELL THE PART ANYMORE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TILT STEERING COLUMN BOLTS WORK LOOSE OVER TIME. *DSH
TIMING GEAR FAILED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING LEFT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE RAN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON.VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE INJURED IN ACCIDENT, THE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TRIUMP I TIRES, TUWSRS, DOT NUMBER 00061298 ONLY HAD 1200 MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT, CONSUMER HIT A VEHICLE HEAD ON AND THEN ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE SIDE, CONSUMER STATED THE TREAD SEPARATED. *SLC
TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
ORIGINAL/REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SKD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVATING ON ITS OWN WHILE SWITCH IS IN OFF POSITION, CAUSING VEHICLE TO INCREASE IN SPEED UNEXPECTEDLY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
NOTICE SOME WEAR AT THE MOUNTING HOLES RESULTING IN IMPERFECT CENTERING. BUICK REFUSES TO TELL ME IF THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM REPLACING THE LUG NUTS THAT CAM WITH THE RIMS WITH STANDARD CENTERING LUG NUTS. THE ORIGINAL LUG NUTS AND RIMS WERE MADE WITH LARGE FLAT AREAS AND RELYING ON THE DIAMETER OF THE LUG NUTS TO DO THE CENTERING.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE POWER MASTER BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED PRIOR TO/AFTER SERVICE RECALL (87C-013). *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .