FaultScore

1994 Buick Lesabre acceleration problems

11 of the 220 complaints about the 1994 Buick Lesabre are about the throttle and cruise control — 5% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 104,522 miles.

F

11

Complaints

3

Crashes

1

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Vehicle Speed Control 9 81.8%
Linkages 1 9.1%
Accelerator Pedal 1 9.1%

Acceleration & Cruise Control across every Buick Lesabre year

1993 14 18.9%
1994 11 14.9%
1997 12 16.2%
2000 26 35.1%
2001 11 14.9%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 104,522 miles Mesquite, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

BUICK LASABRE DIES ON HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING. LOOSES ALL POWER CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HAVE TO TRY TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHILE UNDER NO POWER. NO BRAKES, POWER STEERING . HAPPENS ABOUT 8 TO 12 TIMES A DAY. I DRIVE 47 MILES TO WORK. ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED 8 TIMES, HAD TO MAKE UNSAFE TURNS TO KEEP FROM HAVING A DEAD CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD TO GET TOTALED. REPLACED COIL PACKS PER DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDATION. STILL DIES. NOT EVEN THE DEALERSHIP CAN DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. SEEMS ALL MECHANICS WANT TO PICK A PART TO REPLACE AT RANDOM TO SEE IF IT FIXES THE ISSUE. THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY HERE. ALOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE DRIVE THESE VEHICLES AND THEY CAN'T NEGOTIATE THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. WHEN THIS BEGINS TO HAPPEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES THEN SPUTTERS AND DIES. WHEN THIS STARTS, IF YOU KEEP PATTING THE ACCELERATOR IT SOMETIMES HELPS TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING BUT NOT ALWAYS.

NHTSA complaint #10353894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 132,000 miles Selma, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

MY 1994 BUICK LESABRE HAS A RUNAWAY ACCELERATOR PROBLEM, DURING A SLOW DOWN OR BRAKING CONDITION IN GEAR AT RANDOM TIMES THE ENGINE ACCELERATES THE CAR FORWARD, YOU MUST STAND ON THE BRAKES WITH HIGH FORCE TO BRING THE CAR UNDER CONTROL AND THEN KILL THE IGNITION TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THIS CONDITION HAS OCCURRED AT CROSS WALKS WITH PEOPLE CROSSING, AND APPROACHING STOP LIGHTS, PULLING INTO GAS STATIONS ECT. REPAIR SHOPS INCLUDING BUICK DEALERS SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS. I HAVE ELIMINATED THE FOOT ACCELERATOR AND THE CRUISE CONTROL AS THE PROBLEM. I WENT ONLINE TO A TROUBLESHOOTING SITE AND TALKED TO A BUICK SPECIFIC TECH WHO HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES BEFORE AND SAID THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FAILURE WAS THE PROBLEM PART, AND THAT A DIAGNOSTIC SCAN WOULD HELP IN IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER AFTER SEVERAL SCANS AND DRIVE TESTS THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER DUPLICATED OR IDENTIFIED. THE PROBLEM IS REPEATABLE AT LEAST ONCE A DAY. I HAVE STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE IDENTIFIED AS A SAFETY ISSUE. BECAUSE TO DATE I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE FIND ANY RECALLS OR DEALERS WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10260836 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 66,000 miles Carbondale, IL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE IT ACCELERATED WITHOUT THE CONSUMER GIVING THE VEHICLE GAS. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT.

NHTSA complaint #10117527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Denton, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE TRAVELING 60MPH THROTTLE STUCK OPEN, AND WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. AFTER VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK RPMS WOULD NOT DECREASE UNTIL VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF.

NHTSA complaint #880591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fairfield, NC Crash

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

VEHICLE WAS LEFT RUNNING AND THEN PLACED INTO PARK. SUDDENLY ENGINE REVVED, GEAR JUMPED INTO REVERSE, AND VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY UNTIL IT HIT SOMTHING AND STOPPED.

NHTSA complaint #862990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wall Mask, MA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITHIN THE COOLING SYSTEM. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD THERE IS STEAM COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THERE IS AN ODOR IN VEHICLE. ALSO, THROTTLE BODY SEAL MAY BNOT BE SUFFICIENTLY COMPRESSED TO PREVENT COOLINT FROM LEAKING.

NHTSA complaint #833064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mission, TX Fire

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLISION AND MINOR FIRE.

NHTSA complaint #543199 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Auburn, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL PRE-SET-SPEED CHANGES WHEN TRAVELING DOWNHILL.

NHTSA complaint #507761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bradenton, FL Crash

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE SURGED WHEN PUT IN GEAR, CAUSING ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint #489315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Georgetown, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SUDDEN ACCELERATION VEHICLE GOES INTO HIGH IDLE WHEN AT STOP LIGHT. TT

NHTSA complaint #973244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hamburg, NY Crash 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT INJURY.

NHTSA complaint #968349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1994 Buick Lesabre problems

← Full 1994 Buick Lesabre report