RoadVitals

1999 Buick Lesabre Visibility Problems

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

Data refreshed

Visibility 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.
9
Latest Dec 15, 2011
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.
4%
of 209 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.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Buick Lesabre submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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 visibility

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

Visibility
Filed Dec 15, 2011

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY STOP WORKING. MULTIPLE AND CONTINUING FAILURES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10440091
Incident
Aug 16, 2006
Mileage
92,000 mi
ElectricalVisibility
Filed Jul 22, 2011
Fire reported

THE EVENT LEADING TO THE INCIDENT INVOLVED TURNING ON THE REAR DEFROSTER. AFTER TURNING ON THE REAR DEFROSTER I SMELT SMOKE AND BURNT ELECTRONICS. THE REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT DEFROST. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND PULLED OFF THE PANEL NEAR THE WIRE RUNNING TO THE REAR WINDSHIELD AND DISCOVERED THE "POWER RADIO AMPLIFIER" HAD MELTED AND CAUGHT FIRE, RESULTING IN BURNS TO THE PANEL AND COMPLETE LOSS OF RADIO AND REAR DEFROSTER. THIS OF COURSE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DEFROST THE REAR WINDSHIELD. A REPLACEMENT PART WAS BOUGHT AND INSTALLED BY MYSELF (THE WIRING HARNESSES AND CABLES NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO SEVERE BURNING AS WELL). I STILL OWN THE OLD BURNT PART. *TT

NHTSA ID
10414645
Incident
Dec 10, 2010
Mileage
140,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistanceEngine+2 more
Filed Oct 24, 2005

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL IT HESITATED. ALSO, REAR SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN. THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WILL NOT GO ALL THE WAY UP AND IT WILL NOT SEAL. ALSO ,THE HEADLIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE DEALERSHIP REPROGRAMMED THE LIGHT AND IT CAME BACK ON. THE MANIFOLD INTAKE BLEW OUT, COSTING THE CONTACT $150 TO REPLACE THE INTAKE GASKETS. THE BRAKES WERE NOISY ALL THE TIME. WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN THE FLAP WILL RUB THE TIRE, AND IT CAUSED THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT .*AK

NHTSA ID
10140633
Incident
May 15, 1999
Visibility
Filed Jan 19, 2005

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE'S INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING ON ROUGH STREETS. *NM THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MIRROR COULD NOT BE TIGHTENED. *NM

NHTSA ID
10111007
Incident
Jan 1, 2005
Visibility
Filed Feb 1, 2002

POWER WINDOWS WILL NOT WORK IF VEHICLE IS NOT WARMED UP. AFTER 4-10 MINUTES WINDOWS OPERATE AS NORMAL. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT PROBLEM CAN'T BE DUPLICATED. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
8003409
Incident
Nov 1, 2001
Visibility
Filed Apr 17, 2001

CONSUMER STATES DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK WHEN HE TURNED THEM ON, WHEN HE TURNED WIPERS ON HIGH THEY STARTED, BUT ONLY AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE ROAD, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE MOTOR AND SWITCH, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY DEALER THAT CONDITION WOULD LEAD TO A COMPLETE FAILURE BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM THIS IS A ONGOING PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID
785407
Visibility
Filed Oct 27, 1999

WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH IS APPLIED, FLUID COMES OUT ONTO THE WINDSHIELD AND THE WIPERS DO NOT COME ON, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE ROAD AHEAD. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ID
851905
Visibility
Filed Sep 29, 1999

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY. 25-40MPH, WOULD HEAR NOISES COMING THROUGH DOORS & WINDOWS WHEN THEY WERE CLOSED. WOULD NOT HEAR NOISE AT LOWER SPEEDS. CONTACTED 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS & EACH MECHANIC HAD TEST DRIVEN VEHICLE. INFORMED BY 1 MECHANIC THE PROBLEM CAN NOT BE CORRECTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
849297
Incident
Jan 29, 1999
Visibility
Filed Apr 5, 1999

MATERIAL THAT THE DASH BOARD IS MADE OUT OFF, AND THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD BLIND CONSUMER'S VISION WHEN A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF LIGHT HITS THAT PART OF THE WINDOW. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
836456

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

Engine73Fuel system28Electrical27Brakes20Suspension19Transmission15Airbags13Driver assistance9Steering8Interior & seats8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .