Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Buick Lesabre submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK LESABRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR A TUNE-UP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKETS, UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND THE OIL PAN GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, HE HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE, THE ENGINE DROPPED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE AND BUSHING WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 140,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK LESABRE. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT COULD HEAR THE VEHICLE BACK FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE REPAIRS WERE MADE TO STOP AN EVAPORATOR LEAK. THE REPAIR DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE FROM BACK FIRING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OLDER THAN 10 YEARS OF AGE, THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
1996 BUICK LESABRE CUSTOM SUDDENLY STARTED SMOKING,OVERHEATED AND SHUT OFF ON INTERSTATE AT 60 MPH. OWNER HAD CAR TOWED AND CHECKED BY MECHANIC. CRACKED MANIFOLD LEAKING COOLANT WAS THE CAUSE, ENGINE BLOWN IS DIAGNOSIS. *TR
TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 1996 BUICK LESABRE WHICH HAS A HOLE IN THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE GENERAL MOTORS DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. HE THEN CALLED THE BUICK DEALER WHO CONCERURED. THE CONTACT FOUND RECALL 96V116000 ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. *AK
A LOUD CLANKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE WARPED INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
THE UPPER MANIFOLD HAD DETERIORATED OR CRACKED ALLOWING COOLANT FLUID TO ENTER THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. VEHICLE'S ENGINE SEIZED. *PH *MR
ENGINE STOPPED UNEXPECTEDLY AND SUDDENLY AT 25 MPH. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS A CRACKED MANIFOLD. *AK
CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE.*AK
NAR 9-8-03. MINOR KNOCK NOISE IN ENGINE. ENGINE WAS REPLACED IN THE AMOUNT OF $4200.00 ON 71000 MILE VEHICLE. *CB
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE GOT OVERHEATED AND COOLANT WENT INSIDE THE ENGINE DUE TO PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD. DEALER CHANGED TWICE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, THERE WAS ANTIFREEZE LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE MANIFOLD, THE DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED, PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*JB
ENGINE SUSTAINED DAMAGE DUE TO OIL SLUDGING (GELLING). OIL PRESSURE WAS INFLATED,KNOCKING SOUND WAS NOTICED. PENZOIL 10W30 WAS BEING USED AT REGULAR INTERVALS. DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS----770781. *AK *NLM
THE UPPER MANIFOLD CRACKED AND LEAKED ANTIFREEZE.TS *JB
CONSUMER NOTICED ANITFREEZE ON THE DRIVEWAY UNDER THEIR VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT SERVICED. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE UPPER MANIFOLD, WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK. THERE'S A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PART, THE EGR VALVE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE HEAT. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *TS *JG *NLM
A DETERIORATING PLENUM WAS CAUSING COOLANT TO GET INTO ENGINE CYLINDERS. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPAIRS MADE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK THE HEAT FROM THE EGR VALVE BURNS A HOLE INSIDE THE WALL OF PLANAM ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO SUCK COOLANT INTO CYLINDERS AND CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. *YH
ONE CYLINDER LEFT BANK FAILED. MJS
SEALS WITHIN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM FAILED.
ABS/TRACTION CONTROL LOCKED UP AND MADE LOUD GRINDING NOISE SEVERAL TIMES. CAR ALSO ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND DID NOT SLOW DOWN WITH APPLICATION OF BRAKE.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .