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1998 Buick Lesabre Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Jul 5, 2005
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 400 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
6
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Buick Lesabre submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.

Owner reports naming airbag

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Airbags
Filed Jul 5, 2005
Fire reported1 injury reported

DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 60-75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THERE WERE NO POTHOLES OR BUMPS IN THE ROAD THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIR BAGS TO ENGAGE. AFTER THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH BROWN SMOKE AND FIRE WAS COMING OUT OF BOTH AIR BAGS. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED THE DRIVER PUT OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG FLAME. THE DRIVER SIDE FLAME WENT OUT BY ITSELF. THERE WERE ONLY ONE INJURY. THE PASSENGER SUFFERED BRUISING TO THE LOWER PART OF THE STOMACH AND THE THIGHS. THERE WERE NO MARKS LEFT ON THE VEHICLE. DRIVER PUT THE AIR BAG BACK IN THE DRIVER AIR BAG COMPARTMENT AND DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE ONLY THING BURNT WAS THE AIR BAGS AND THAT WAS THE ONLY DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. MANUFACTURER SENT OUT AN INSPECTOR TO CHECK OUT THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND TAKE PICTURES. THE MANUFACTURER THEN REFERRED THE CONSUMER TO INSURANCE CARRIER. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT GM SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE AIR BAGS. CONSUMER WANTED TO KNOW WHY THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE BURNING. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT FILED. CONSUMER HAS NO MAILING ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER FOR THE DEALERSHIP.*AK

NHTSA ID
10127491
Incident
Jun 18, 2005
Mileage
40,050 mi
Airbags
Filed Feb 7, 2005

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AT 55 MPH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. VEHICLE WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID
10110940
Incident
Jan 23, 2005
Mileage
71,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 16, 2004

INTERMITTENTLY THE HORN WOULD SOUND OFF AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE. THE HORN SOUNDED OFF TWENTY TIMES SINCE LAST JUNE.*AK *NM

NHTSA ID
10079382
Incident
Jun 17, 2003
Mileage
40,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 8, 2002
Crash reported

WHILE DRIVING AT 25-35 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK

NHTSA ID
8015813
Incident
Jul 26, 2002
Airbags
Filed Jun 26, 2001
Crash reported

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 50 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION I WHICH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID
891293
Airbags
Filed Oct 26, 2000
Crash reported

WHILE DRIVING 45 -50 MPH HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND DID NOT PROTECT OCCUPANT IN THIS CRASH. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
873877
Incident
Oct 23, 2000
Airbags
Filed Oct 17, 2000

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING VEHICLE COLLISION UNTIL CONSUMER EXITED THE VEHICLE TO REMOVE CHILD FROM REAR CAR SEAT, BODYSHOP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO OBTAIN A REPLACEMENT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. NLM

NHTSA ID
556239
Airbags
Filed Jul 28, 2000

MY PROBLEM IS A REPLACEMENT ONE IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME TO COMPLET THE REPAIRS MADE TO MY CAR AFTER MY ACCIDENT ON 6/23/00 WHEN I STRUCK A DEER & THE AIR BAGS BOTH EMPLOYED.

NHTSA ID
9001453
Airbags
Filed Sep 7, 1999
Crash reported

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 40 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
847032
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Dec 2, 1998

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND TRYING TO USE THE HORN, THE HORN DIDN'T MAKE ANY SOUND. CONSUMER CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A SAFETY DEFECT. THE DEALER REPLACED PARTS OF THE AIR BAG. THE CONSUMER VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP SIX TIMES AND THEY CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
831586
Incident
May 12, 1998
Airbags
Filed Oct 2, 1998
Crash reported1 injury reported

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT TRAVELLING 15-20 MPH, FRONTAL IMPACT, AND NEITHER DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE TO VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
827607
Incident
Aug 20, 1998

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .