FaultScore report
Owners have filed 22 complaints about the 1988 Buick Lesabre with NHTSA between 1995 and 2007. The largest single group is the steering.
22
Complaints
0
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 60,000 miles
Median failure at 48,245 miles
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
BRAKE FAILURE
ANTI LOCK BRAKES
===
THROTTLE NON-RETURN
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Brakes
THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC UNIT MOUNTING BOLTS ON THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN UNDERTORQUED. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL AND/OR POOR PEDAL FEEL IF THE ATTACHMENT LOOSENS. IN ADDITION, THIS CONDITION COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO SEPARATION OF THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC UNIT FROM ITS MOUNTING BRACKETS RESULTING IN BRAKE LOSS AND A POSSIBLE VEHICLE CRASH. CORRECTION: HYDRAULIC UNIT MOUNTING BOLTS WILL BE REPLACED ON INVOLVED VEHICLES.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
SEAT BELTS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE VIN AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.
NHTSA complaint #10204264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:WHEEL CYLINDERS
RECURRING BRAKE REPAIRS: REPLACEMENT OF REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS, BRAKE SHOES, MACHINE DRUMS. MILEAGE AT EACH REPAIR 10,953, 17,124, 25642, 37,753, 48,245.
NHTSA complaint #10193543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
THE STEERING HAS BEEN HARD SINCE DAY ONE AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN PATCHING UP VEHICLE TO KEEP IT RUNNING. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MANUFACTURER MADE AN ALUMINUM ROD FOR THAT YEAR VEHICLE. IT IS RACK AND PINION STEERING. *AK *CB *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10022982 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
AMERICAN GENERAL GVS AFTER MARKET TIRES, P205/75R14 SIZE. TREAD ON LEFT FRONT TIRE HAS STARTED TO SEPARATE FROM INSIDE.*AK CONSUMER STATED LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD SEPARATING LUMPS IN THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE, DOT NUMBER ACKC2Y6308.
NHTSA complaint #896773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT CLASP FAILED. MANUFACTURER NO LONGER CARRIES THAT PART. DEALER IS UNABLE TO REPAIR DUE TO LIABLILITY. STATE REQUIRES SEAT BELTS, BUT VEHICLE OWNER IS UNABLE TO GET REPAIRED TO ORIGINAL CONDITION. DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT NOR ACCEPTABLE!!
NHTSA complaint #737680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
NHTSA complaint #864272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
THE ROOF OF MY 1988 BUICK LESABRE IS PEELING AND I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM?
NHTSA complaint #723619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING COLUMN IS EXTREMELY LOOSE, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL.
NHTSA complaint #834860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING COLUMN IS EXTREMELY LOOSE, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #832903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
WHILE DRIVING LEFT INNER TIE ROD SEPARATED, WHEEL TURNED OUT, REMAINED OUT; LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, COULD HAVE WHEEL COMPLETELY FALLEN OFF.; INNER/OUTER TIE ROD REPLACED BY DEALER. PARTS AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #809259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
'COLD POWER STEERING'.
NHTSA complaint #485484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
'COLD POWER STEERING'.
NHTSA complaint #480792 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
'COLD POWER STEERING'.
NHTSA complaint #483973 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR MOUNTED SEAT BELT BUCKLE CANNOT BE LATCHED.
NHTSA complaint #982581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
WHEN IT'S COLD OUTSIDE, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT TURN. THE MACHANIC SAID IT WAS A RACK AND PINION PROBLEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #980847 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
STEERING FREEZES UP DUE A DEFECTIVE BALL MECHANISM IN RACK AND PINION STEERING.
NHTSA complaint #500570 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #485793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #485793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
WHEN COLD THE CARS STEERING ABILITY IS DECREASED AND DOES NOT GO BACK TO NORMAL UNTIL IT IS WARMED UP. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
NHTSA complaint #970459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
STEERING STIFFNESS DURING MORNING STARTUP. TT
NHTSA complaint #965590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.
NHTSA complaint #963428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE STALLS OUT AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN COMING TO STOPS, REPLACE CONTROL MODULE TO NO AVAIL. TT
NHTSA complaint #960632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.