RoadVitals

2002 Buick Lesabre Steering Problems

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

Data refreshed

Steering 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.
13
Latest Nov 27, 2020
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 309 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.
0
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 the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Buick Lesabre submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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 steering

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

BrakesPowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Nov 27, 2020

THE FRAME OF MY CAR FELL OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGH WAY AFTER I HAD ALREADY REPORTED THE PROBLEM AND HAD BEEN DENIED SERVICES TO GET IT FIXED.

NHTSA ID
11376540
Incident
Nov 25, 2020
Mileage
100,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jul 9, 2017

12-1-10 86587M, BOTH OUTER TIE ROD ENDS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. 1-21-15 119486M, RIGHT FRONT OUTER TIE ROD REPLACED.

NHTSA ID
11003873
Incident
Dec 1, 2010
Other / unspecifiedSteering
Filed Dec 31, 2015

TRIP CHECK SHOWED: FUEL LEAK UNDER ENGINE COVER, FRONT WHEEL DRIVE SHAFT OIL LEAKING FLUID, POWER STEERING LEAKING FLUID. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE HORN WAS HIT HARD, AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES IT WENT OF, TECHNICIAN COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT.

NHTSA ID
10817144
Incident
Oct 6, 2015
Mileage
59,290 mi
BrakesEngineSteering
Filed Oct 8, 2015

BEGINNING ABOUT AUGUST OF 2015 UNTIL NOW, OCT 2015, THE ENGINE OF MY BUICK LE SABRE HAS BEGUN TO STOP RUNNING WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THAT OCCURS I LOSE MY POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. TONIGHT (OCT 7, 2015) IT HAPPENED FOUR TIMES ON THE WAY HOME. I MADE IT HOME SAFELY FORTUNATELY BUT I WILL NOT DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN UNTIL IT IS FIXED. LAST WEEK I HAD BOTH A MOBILE MECHANIC AND AN AUTO SHOP (PURCELL) LOOK AT IT AND THEY CAN NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY CALL IT AN INTERMITTENT DEFECT. WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE THE DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPERIENCE OF THE AUTOMOBILES THAT GM HAS RECALLED, ALTHOUGH MY YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL ARE NOT ON THE LIST THAT I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. MY EXPERIENCE IS SO SIMILAR THAT I WANT MY IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED BY GM BEFORE I WILL DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS.

NHTSA ID
10780703
Incident
Oct 7, 2015
Mileage
230,711 mi
Powertrain (other)SteeringSuspension
Filed Sep 16, 2015

TRANSMISSION SHIFT SOL AND PRESSURE SENSORS ARE MELTING ON VALVE BODY TRANNY HEAT IS FRING THE CONNECTORS AND DAMAGING THE TRANNY . U CAN SMELL THE PLASTIC BURNIGBURNING

NHTSA ID
10764363
Incident
May 13, 2015
AirbagsEngineSteering
Filed Mar 15, 2015

THE ENGINE KEEPS STALLING AND SHUTTING OFF IN TRAFFIC AFTER LURCHING FORWARD. DEFECTIVE ENGINE BURNED PART OF ENGINE HOOD, AND SEVERED ABS BRAKE LINES BURNED OFF BY HEAT, GM MANUFACTURER DEFECTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10694387
Incident
Mar 15, 2015
Mileage
7,200 mi
Steering
Filed May 21, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 02V067000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

NHTSA ID
10593170
Incident
Apr 10, 2013
Mileage
25,000 mi
Steering
Filed Dec 30, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CRUNCHING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. HE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HIS DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED AND NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO CURRENT RECALLS AND ADVISED HIM TO REGISTER HIS COMPLAINT ON THEIR WEBSITE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

NHTSA ID
10253259
Incident
Nov 7, 2008
Mileage
79,000 mi
Steering
Filed Apr 11, 2005

VIBRATION: DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CAUSED VIBRATION WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON MY 2002 BUICK LASABRE. FOUND THAT TIE RODS WERE WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONLY ON MAIN ROADS AND HAD NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING THE FRONT END. *AK

NHTSA ID
10116764
Incident
Apr 11, 2005
Mileage
30,000 mi
Steering
Filed Nov 25, 2003

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER HEARD A RUMBLING NOISE. THE NOISE GRADUALLY GOT WORSE AS TIME PROGRESSED. THE NOISE WAS CAUSED BY THE TIE ROD ENDS BEING WORN. THE CAUSE OF THE WORN TIE ROD ENDS IS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *NLM CONSUMER HEARD AN UNUSUAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO CONKLIN CARS AND THEY REPLACED THE TIE ROD ENDS.*MR

NHTSA ID
10048672
Mileage
26,000 mi
BrakesSteeringTransmission
Filed May 10, 2003

I HAVE A 2002 BUICK LASABRE, WITH 49000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE BAD ON IT, THE TIE RODS ARE WORE OUT AND NOW, THE ROTORS HAVE RUSTED AND ARE FALLING APART. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10018496
Incident
May 9, 2003
Mileage
49,000 mi
Steering
Filed Nov 13, 2002

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MISALIGNED. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE BUT THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE RACK AND PINION COULD BE THE POSSIBLE CAUSE. *YH

NHTSA ID
568267
Steering
Filed Oct 15, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE STEERING WHEEL WILL PULL TO THE LEFT AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR

NHTSA ID
8020822
Incident
Oct 11, 2002

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 .