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 2004 Buick Lesabre submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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
THE ENGINE STALLS AND JERKED WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND TRYING TO GO THE GEARS DIDN'T SHIFT LIKE USUAL. DRIVING LONG DISTANCES IT DOESN'T DO THIS UNTIL YOU'RE DRIVING AND STOPPING EVERY SO OFTEN. SOMETIMES TURNING INTO A PLACE THE ENGINE WOULDN'T GO AND ALMOST CAUSED CRASHES.
TAKATA RECALL WIRE HARNESS AND BACK SEAT BELT NOT WORKING ,LOCKING IN MOTION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD AND DEEMED DESTROYED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY VIBRATE WHILE THE OIL INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATED FROM EMPTY TO FULL, BUT NEVER FULLY DISPLAYED THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTAKE GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,718. UPDATED 8/10/15*CN THE FUEL SENDING UNIT WAS REPLACED TWICE. UPDATED 10/29/15.*JB UPDATED 03/29/16.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD ALWAYS INDICATE IT WAS FULL. HOWEVER, THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE. UPDATED 05/17/16.*JB
MY 2004 BUICK LESABRE KEEPS LOSING POWER WHILE I AM DRIVING. THIS IS THE 4TH INCIDENT IN 2 MONTHS! THE VEHICLE DIES AND THE POWER STEERING LOCKS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS I WAS ON HWY 190 AND THERE IS MAJOR WORK BEING DONE. I WAS DRIVING OVER A BRIDGE AND THEIR ARE BARRIERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HIGHWAY. EACH TIME THE INCIDENT OCCURS I GET A CRANK BUT NO START. MY VEHICLE IS THEN TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR AND IGNITION MODULE ARE BAD. THE SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE WITHIN A WEEKS TIME AND NOT THREE WEEKS AFTER THE MODULE WAS REPLACED IT IS BACK AT THE SHOP TODAY. I HAVE NO LEVERAGE UNDER TEXAS LEMON LAWS BECAUSE IT IS USED VEHICLE AND UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE TO PUT MY JOB BEFORE MY SAFETY BECAUSE I HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES. I AM IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION RIGHT NOW! *TR
PARKED CAR, TURNED OFF ENGINE AND LOCKED CAR. SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, THEN A SMALL EXPLOSION AND A RAGING FIRE. CAR WAS TOTALED IN 5-8 MINUTES. FIRE ENGINES CALLED AND PUT OUT FIRE. *TR
OWNER PURCHASED A 2004 BUICK LESABRE, VIN [XXX] (?BUICK?), WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL MOTORS. ON OCTOBER 14, 2010, OWNER DROVE THE BUICK FROM THE GROCERY STORE, RETURNED TO HER HOME, AND PARKED THE BUICK IN THE ATTACHED GARAGE OF HER HOME AND PROCEEDED TO RETRIEVE HER GROCERIES FROM THE TRUNK OF THE BUICK. AFTER SHE RETRIEVED HER GROCERIES FROM THE TRUNK OF THE BUICK, OWNER NOTICED A FIRE AT THE FRONT OF THE BUICK. THE FIRE SPREAD FROM THE BUICK TO THE OWNER'S HOME, AND IT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE BUICK AND TO THE HOME. THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE BUICK. ON MARCH 12, 2008, GENERAL MOTORS ISSUED A RECALL, IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V118000, IN RESPONSE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE TO OCCUR IN 207,542 AUTOMOBILES MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL MOTORS FROM 1997 TO 2003 AND CONTAINED A 3.8L ENGINE (?2008 RECALL?). OWNER'S BUICK WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2008 RECALL. ON APRIL 21, 2009, GENERAL MOTORS ISSUED ANOTHER RECALL, IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V116000, IN RESPONSE TO THE POTENTIAL OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN 1,497,516 AUTOMOBILES MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL MOTORS FROM 1997 TO 2003 (?2009 RECALL?). OWNER?S BUICK WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2009 RECALL. A DEFECTIVE ROCKER COVER GASKET IN THE BUICK ALLOWED ENGINE OIL TO LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, AND THE HEAT OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS SUFFICIENT TO IGNITE THE OIL AND CAUSE THE FIRE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH AND EXITING A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ABNORMALLY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE FUEL. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED. HE THEN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC FITTING HAD BECOME MOIST ON THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE O-RING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE ONLY OTHER OPTION OF REPAIRING THE FAILURE WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL LINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000. UPDATED 02/09/11*LJ UPDATED 04/29/11
THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, THE THEFT SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AND BATTERY PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *TS THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING: STALLING, GAUGES DYING OUT, ENGINE LIGHT AND SECURITY LIGHT ILLUMINATING, HARD TIMES STARTING THE ENGINE, RATTLE IN THE MIDDLE VENTS WHEN SET ON LOW, THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR LIGHT HAD GONE OUT, AND THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CALIBRATION. MOST OF THE PROBLEMS WERE INTERMITTENT OCCURRENCES AND WERE HARD TO DUPLICATE. *SC
DT: CONTACT STATES THERE IS AN ODOR COMING FROM THE VENT WHILE THE HEAT OR AIR CONDITION IS IN USE. THE SERVICE DEALER INSTALLED AN ELECTRONIC DEODORIZER FAN. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER TWICE SINCE THEN, AND THEY INSTALLED AN INTERIOR BOX FOR AN HOUR, AND SPRAYED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEODORIZER, AND CHECKED THE RECALL FAN.*AK
WHILE DRIVING A LOUD CLANKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. WHILE ACCELERATING THE NOISE GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER. THE NEXT DAY CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE, THEN IT STALLED. CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER BUT THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT HE WAS UNSURE IF THE ENGINE WAS NEW(AS ORDERED) OR REBUILT. *BF *NM
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE VIBRATED WHEN STOPPING OR BACKING UP. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS WORSE WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 2-3 TIMES AND THE LAST TIME HE WAS TOLD THAT MANUFACTURING ENGINEERS WERE INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM. THE ENGINE FELT LIKE IT WAS SKIPPING. *AK THE VIBRATION COULD BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL, SEAT'S AND FLOOR BOARDS. WHEN IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUTTER. THE REAR SEAT MIDDLE ARM REST CUP HOLDER HAD COME APART. *SC *JB
CAR STALLS OUT WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE, THIS HAS HAPPENED 25-30 TIMES IN THE 5 MONTHS SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW. THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING U-TURNS OR BACKING OUT INTO TRAFFIC.*AK
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 .