2002 Buick Lesabre Transmission Problems

WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT MY BUICK BACK IN 2002 WE HAVE HAD TRANNY PROBLEMS WITH NOISES AND HESITATION. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE VALVEBODY. THAT DIDN'T HELP THE NOISE BUT IT HELPED THE HESITATION. THE NOISE IS A WHINING NOISE IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR BUT WHEN YOU GET IN THIRD IT GOES AWAY. THAT IS DUE TO A BAD SUN GEAR. WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO THE DESTRUCTION OF MY TRANSMISSION. WE TRIED TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO HELP US BUT THEY JUST SAID IT WAS DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR (TYPICAL DEALER DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY). AFTER $3200 AND 4 DAYS WE HAD A NEW TRANNY. I DROVE IT FOR 3 DAYS AND THE WHINING NOISE CAME BACK. I AM GOING TO TAKE IT BACK AND TELL THE TO FIX IT BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL LIKE PAYING $3200 FOR ANOTHER TRANNY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10237606

Incident

Jul 29, 2008

Mileage

79,324 mi

TL* -THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HIS 2002 BUICK LE SABRE (FAILURE MILEAGE: 60000) AT 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE. WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR THE VEHICLE HESITATES AND DIDN'T SEEM TO INCREASE SPEED. *JB UPDATED 02/16/07. *JB

NHTSA ID

10178922

Incident

Jan 10, 2007

Mileage

65,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A WHINING NOISE WAS HEARD AFTER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED AND REPRESSED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ALERTED. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM GM DROVE THE VEHICLE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME WAS MAY 2005 HOWEVER THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AGAIN JUNE 14, 2006. THE REPRESENTATIVE HEARD THE NOISE HOWEVER STATED IT WAS TOO FAINT. THEY WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR MAKE ANY REPAIRS UNTIL THE NOISE GETS LOUDER. THE DEALERSHIP AND REPRESENTATIVE BOTH BELIEVE THE NOISE IS COMING FROM THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED A FAILURE COULD OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THE NOISE. 08/02/06 CONTACTED REQUESTED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT BE REPLACED; AT TIMES TRAC-OFF LIGHT COMES ON; AND THE GAS CAP LOOSE LIGHT COMES ON. NO CODES FOUND. *TT

NHTSA ID

10159814

Incident

Jun 14, 2006

Mileage

51,748 mi

MY 2002 BUICK LESABRE IS IN THE SHOP AT THIS MOMENT GETTING A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE INTAKE SYSTEM DUE TO THE USE OF THE RECOMMENDED FLUIDS. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWED ME THAT THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND BUICK REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WHAT CAN I DO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, AND WHY HASN'T A CLASS ACTION SUIT BEEN STARTED TO RECTIFY THIS ABOMINABLE SITUATION? THANK YOU. DR. GERALD M. LEVITT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10152378

Incident

Mar 8, 2004

WHILE DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO A SCHOOL EVENT ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, MY 2002 BUICK LE SABRE'S SPEED STARTED SLOWING DOWN. PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DID NOT SPEED UP THE CAR. REALIZING THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT, I PANICKED BUT WAS ABLE TO STEER THE CAR THROUGH TRAFFIC AND FINALLY STALL AT AN EXIT RAMP. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AGAIN BUT IT DID NOT WANT TO START. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT THE CAR WAS OUT OF GAS EVEN THOUGH THE FUEL GAGE SHOWED THE CAR DID HAVE GAS. THINKING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL A GAS ISSUE, I CALLED A FRIEND TO BRING SOME GAS. AFTER A 45 MINUTE WAIT I POURED TWO GALLONS INTO THE FUEL TANK. AT THIS TIME I RESTARTED THE CAR BUT WHEN TRYING TO SHIFT, THE SHIFTER FELT VERY LOOSE AND WAS NOT CATCHING ANY GEARS. THE SHIFTER WOULD JUST FALL THROUGH. AFTER TRYING TWO MORE TIMES THE CAR STILL FAILED TO MOVE IN EITHER DIRECTION. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP. AT THE REPAIR SHOP, I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD AN INTERNAL MECHANICAL FAILURE. I MENTIONED TO THE SHOP MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS NEVER ANY TYPE OF INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. EVERYTHING CAR WAS WORKING FINE BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE BECAUSE IT OCCURRED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IT COULD HAVE TURNED INTO A LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE. IN RESEARCHING THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION MODEL #4T65E FOR MY LESABRE, I NOTICED NUMEROUS MECHANICAL FAILURE COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME TYPE OF TRANSMISSION AND THAT MANY FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED BEFORE THE CAR IS THREE YEARS OLD. EVEN THE SHOP TECHNICIAN WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON A FAIRLY NEW TWO YEAR OLD CAR. THE CAR HAS ONLY 50000 MILES ON IT.*AK I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THERE BE A RECALL FOR THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE BEFORE A SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH OCCURS. I DO NOT WANT MY FAMILY TO BECOME A STATISTIC. PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOON AS TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REMEDY MY SITUATION.

NHTSA ID

10093337

Incident

Sep 27, 2004

Mileage

50,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GAIN ANY SPEED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK INTO GEAR OR PERFORM ERRATICALLY. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10074181

Incident

Jun 24, 2004

Mileage

56,000 mi

WHATEVER ILLUMINATES THE GEARSHIFT POSITION IS SOMETIMES TOO DULL TO MAKE OUT THE LETTERS. THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY REFER ME TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. *LA

NHTSA ID

10043317

Incident

Oct 21, 2003

Mileage

15,000 mi

FRONT END VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE HAD BEEN BALANCED/ WHEEL BEARINGS HAD BEEN REPLACED, AND A STEERING DAMPENER WAS INSTALLED. NONE OF THESE REPAIRS REMEDIED THE PROBLEM; CAUSE NOT DETERMINED. TSB# 000310007A DID NOT REFERENCE THIS PROBLEM. *AK THE AREA REPRESENTATIVE CONCLUDED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION. HE ALSO STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TS *NLM

NHTSA ID

10037960

Incident

May 1, 2002

Mileage

1,825 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN SHIFTING DOWN TO A LOW SPEED VEHICLE MADE CLUNKY NOISE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED TRANSMISSION FOUR TIMES, AND STILL PROBLEM RECURRING. *AK

NHTSA ID

10022838

Incident

Jun 11, 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