U.S. public vehicle records

2001 Buick LESABRE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

328 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

61,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 201 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls is the most frequently named component, appearing in 74 of 328 complaints (22.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	35	10.7%
Transmission and shifting	27	8.2%
Braking behavior	19	5.8%
Electrical and battery issues	17	5.2%
Engine operation	15	4.6%
Fuel system concerns	4	1.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls

Structure

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Electrical System

Air Bags

Engine

Unknown Or Other

Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls	74
Structure	32
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	24
Electrical System	23
Air Bags	21
Engine	19
Unknown Or Other	16
Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly	13

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls: 74; Structure: 32; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 24; Electrical System: 23; Air Bags: 21; Engine: 19; Unknown Or Other: 16; Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly: 13

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 30; 25,000 to 49,999: 40; 50,000 to 74,999: 57; 75,000 to 99,999: 25; 100,000 to 149,999: 34; 150,000 and above: 15

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (57). 127 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2000: 3; 2001: 23; 2002: 24; 2003: 26; 2004: 32; 2005: 19; 2006: 18; 2007: 34; 2008: 23; 2009: 8; 2010: 17; 2011: 23; 2012: 16; 2013: 10; 2014: 18; 2015: 13; 2016: 9; 2017: 5; 2018: 1; 2019: 1; 2020: 1; 2021: 3; 2022: 1

Pattern summary

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 35 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 27 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 19 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10067355 · 2004-05-11 (May 11, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP DUE TO THE RACK AND PINION FAILURE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK FIRST FAIKURE OCCURRED WHEN CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH, VEHICLE HAS 12,409 MILES ON IT. SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 70 MPH, VEHICLE HAS 17,067 MILES ON IT. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 12,409 miles reported. Look up ODI 10067355 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10124783 · 2005-06-03 (June 3, 2005)

2001 BUICK LESABRE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT SET, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD NO REVERSE ABILITY, WATER LEAKING FROM THE COOLANT PUMP, SES LIGHT ILLUMINATED, LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *MR THERE WAS A WHISTLING SOUND COMING FROM AROUND THE WINDOW AREA DUE TO A REVEALING MOLDING PIECE, THE STEERING FELT FUNNY AND WAS NOISY WHEN TURNING, THERE WAS ALSO A CLUNK IN THE STEERING, THERE WAS EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE RIGHT AND LEFT TIE ROD END, THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT, THE RIGHT REAR CENT…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,276 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124783 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000623 · 2002-12-28 (December 28, 2002)

POWER TRAIN - TRANSMISSION. 3.8 LITER ENGINE, TRANSMISSION GEAR FAILURE AT 40,610 ACTUAL MILES ON THE ODOMETER, RESULTING $2,993.00 REPAIRS AT BUD AND RAY'S TRANSMISSION, 237 WEST LAKETON AVENUE, MUSKEGON, MI 49441. ENGINE NUMBER [XXX]. I NOTED THAT THERE ARE A FEW OTHER COMPLAINTS, ON THE RECALL WEB SITE, RELATING TO THE TRANSMISSION (POWER TRAIN). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 40,610 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000623 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005101 · 2003-02-02 (February 2, 2003)

2/9/2001 PURCHASED BUICK LESABRE 1/19/2003 TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ITSELF FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE WHEN EXITING OWNERS GARAGE. 34,000 MILES ON CAR 1/27/2003 ADVISED BY BUICK DEALER THAT TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION. RETURNED TO OWNER AT THIS TIME. 1/28/2003 "NEW" TRANSMISSION SELF DESTRUCTED AT 25 MPH. BUICK DEALER ADVISED THAT A FOREIGN OBJECT HAD CAUSED DAMAGE. 1/31/2003 CAR WITH THIRD TRANSMISSION RETURNED THIS DATE. WE'RE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE GIVEN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 33,831 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005101 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016185 · 2003-04-18 (April 18, 2003)

BUICK LOST THE BBB DECISION AND DID NOT PERFORM WITHIN THE 40 DAYS ALLOTTED TO REPLACE THE CAR. THE CAR HAS MULTIPLE SAFETY DEFECTS (AIR BAG, TRANSMISSION, BRAKING) THAT THE BBB SAID COULD CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. THEY WANT TO BUY BACK THE CAR AND INSPECT IT SO IT CAN BE RESOLD. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 22,069 miles reported. Look up ODI 10016185 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10024075 · 2003-06-16 (June 16, 2003)

BRAKE ROTORS ARE WEARING OUT AND WHEN APPLIED VEHICLE WILL HAVE A HEAVY VIBRATION AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10024075 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006258 · 2003-02-03 (February 3, 2003)

CONSUMER WOULD TOUCH THE DOOR AND RECEIVE A STATIC ELECTRICAL SHOCK. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM WHICH THE MECHANIC CAN NOT CORRECT. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006258 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10055489 · 2004-01-20 (January 20, 2004)

BATTERY ACID LEAKED OUT OF THE POSITIVE TERMINAL ONTO THE FLOOR PAN. *PH (NAR) *CB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10055489 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10025483 · 2003-07-06 (July 6, 2003)

VOLT LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, "CHECK CHARGE SYSTEM" NOTICE WAS DISPLAYED. CAR BEGAN TO STALL. JUST MADE IT TO NEAREST GM (CHEVY) DEALER BARLOW CHEVROLET INC RT 130 & FAIRVIEW ST,DELRAN, NJ 08075. HAD TO WAIT 3 HOURS WHILE NEW ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR WAS LOCATED AND INSTALLED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 12,145 miles reported. Look up ODI 10025483 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10059802 · 2004-04-20 (April 20, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. A FEW DAYS LATER THE SAME EXACT THING OCCURRED. EACH TIME, AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE COULD BE RESTARTED. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR AND IGNITION WIRES *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 61,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10059802 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10099750 · 2004-11-10 (November 10, 2004)

THE KEYS TURNED IN THE IGNITION BUT VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. THERE WAS A GAS SMELL. ALSO, ENGINE FELT LIKE IS WAS FLOODING. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10099750 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10627324 · 2014-08-21 (August 21, 2014)

WHEN I TRY TO START SOME TIMES IT WONT START I HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE KEY FOR 10 MIN I DON'T GET ANY POWER AT ALL I CAN HERE THE FUEL PUMP TURN ON AND NOTHING HAPPENS THEN STARTS I PLAY WITH IT STARTS RIGHT UP THEN THE OTHER THING I NOTICE IS WHEN IT RAINS IT MAKES AN AWFUL SQUEALING NOISE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 63,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10627324 at NHTSA ↗