FaultScore

2003 Buick Lesabre brake problems

15 of the 209 complaints about the 2003 Buick Lesabre are about the braking system — 7% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 27,000 miles.

F

15

Complaints

3

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 5 33.3%
Service Brakes 4 26.7%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 2 13.3%
Pedals AND Linkages 1 6.7%
Disc 1 6.7%
Rotor 1 6.7%
Caliper 1 6.7%

Brakes across every Buick Lesabre year

1992 91 21.2%
1993 83 19.3%
1994 36 8.4%
1995 22 5.1%
1996 17 4.0%
1997 42 9.8%
1998 28 6.5%
1999 20 4.7%
2000 44 10.2%
2001 14 3.3%
2002 18 4.2%
2003 15 3.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 31,500 miles Wales, ME

SERVICE BRAKES

BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED & WAS REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #10648965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dallas, TX

SERVICE BRAKES

I NOTICED THE DASHBOARD WAS COMING APART FROM THE WINDSHIELD TOWARDS THE DRIVERSIDE..I ALSO STARTED EXPERIENCING MY CAR CUTTING OFF,,&A WEIRD NOISE WHEN I PRESS MY BRAKES..MY CAR ALSO GETS HOT&SMELLS LIKE SOMETHINGS BURNING..I'VE REPLACED NUMEROUS THINGS,,BUT YET TO COME TO A RESOLUTION..I REALLY NEED HELP BECAUSE THIS IS SCARY..I'VE TALKED TO BUICK&YOU ALL WANNA CHARGE ME JUST TO LOOK AT MY CAR??THAT'S NOT HELP AT ALL...

NHTSA complaint #10627343 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 75,200 miles Littleton, CO

SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE DRIVING ON A 40MPH ROAD, THE ENGINE SPONTANEOUSLY LOST POWER - THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES ALSO CEASED TO FUNCTION AS A RESULT. THE RADIO AND LIGHTS WERE STILL ON. AFTER GUIDING THE STRICKEN CAR TO A SAFE AREA, I TURNED THE ENGINE BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AS NORMAL. THE ISSUE REPEATED ROUGHLY A WEEK LATER AT LOWER SPEED WHILE GOING OVER A SPEED-HUMP IN A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT. NOTE: THE ISSUE OCCURRED FOLLOWING THE ADDITION OF APARTMENT AND MAIL KEYS TO THE KEYRING. I SEPARATED THE ADDITIONAL KEYS FROM THE CAR'S KEY FOLLOWING THE SECOND INCIDENT. THE ISSUE HAS NOT REPEATED SINCE.

NHTSA complaint #10617806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 40,000 miles Front Royal, VA

SERVICE BRAKES

FRONT DISC BRAKE PADS DO NOT WEAR EVENLY. THE INBOARD PAD (ON BOTH WHEELS) WEARS FASTER THAN THE OUTBOARD PAD. PROBLEM IS, ONLY THE OUTBOARD PADS HAVE THE WEAR ALERTER. SO, IF YOU DON'T INSPECT YOUR FRONT BRAKES FREQUENTLY, THE INBOARD PAD LINING CAN WEAR COMPLETELY AWAY WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE, CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT BRAKE ROTOR AND REDUCE BRAKING TO AN UNSAFE LEVEL. I HAVE SEEN THIS CONDITION ON MORE THAN ONE BUICK LESABRE.

NHTSA complaint #10579325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,000 miles Anmory, MS

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK LASABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASH DETACHED FROM THE WINDSHIELD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. UPDATED 01/18/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DASH HAS CONTINUED TO PEEL TO THE RIGHT OF THE AIR BAG AND THE LIGHT HAS STARTED TO FLASH INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SUNVISOR BROKE OFF. THE ABS LOCKED-UP WHEN THE CONSUMER HIT A POTHOLE. UPDATED EVOQ 03/02/11

NHTSA complaint #10368708 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 67,000 miles Boscovel, WI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED TO FUNCTION . THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME. THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 030525008, DATED OCTOBER 2003, FOR THE ABS JUMPER HARNESS (PART # 103141677). THE SERVICE BULLETIN STATED THAT BOTH WIRING JUMPER HARNESS' SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED AT THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 67,000.

NHTSA complaint #10344570 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 36,000 miles Lawrenceville, GA

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

NOISE HAD OCCURRED UPON SLOWING AND BRAKING, SO I TOOK IT TO A DEALER. A PERSON FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT RODE WITH ME BUT THE PROBLEM DID NOT HAPPEN (PERHAPS DUE TO THE LIGHT RAIN). TWO DAYS LATER I MADE A TRIP INTO ATLANTA. THE FRONT BRAKES SOUNDED AS THOUGH THEY WERE GRINDING AT ALL SPEEDS. A TIRE DEALER IN DECATUR (NEAREST MY LOCATION AT THE TIME) REPLACED BOTH FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS (36,000 MILES). THE PROBLEM IS BACK. EXAMINATION OF ALL FOUR BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS SHOWS NO GOUGING OF THE ROTOR AND PLENTY OF PAD REMAINING ON ALL 8 PADS; THEY APPEAR TO BE PRACTICALLY NEW (48,000 MILES).

NHTSA complaint #10202213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 27,000 miles ST. Agatha, ME

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

BRAKE PEDAL PULSATION CAUSED BY SEVERELY WARPED REAR BRAKE ROTORS. VEHICLE HAS 27,400 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #10153605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 27,000 miles ST. Agatha, ME

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

BRAKE PEDAL PULSATION CAUSED BY SEVERELY WARPED REAR BRAKE ROTORS. VEHICLE HAS 27,400 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #10153605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oklahoma City, OK

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

2003 BUICK LESABRE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH A BOLT LOOSE ON THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THE A DEALERSHIP AND THE REP ASSURRED THE CONSUMER THE BOLT WAS TAKEN CARE OF AND THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE, HOWEVER ON MAY 1, 2005 WHILE DRIVING, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE MADE THE WORST NOISE WHICH WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. UPON LOOKING UNDER THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMERS HUSBAND DISCOVERED THE RIGHT FRONT BOLT WAS MISSING, WHICH ALLOWED SOME PART OF THE BRAKE TO SWING DOWN AND HIT THE WHEEL.

NHTSA complaint #10124771 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,000 miles Danbury, CT Crash 1 injured

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AND VEHICLE SPED ACROSS THE ROAD INTO ANOTHER LANE, CAUSING A HEAD ON COLLISION. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. CONSUMER WAS INJURED AND ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. INFORMATION FURNISHED BY AN UNIDENTIFIED INDIVIDUAL, FRIEND OR RELATIVE.

NHTSA complaint #10119124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 12,440 miles Brea, CA

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT STOP LIGHT, TIRES SEEMED TO SKID, SHUDDER AND FINALLY STOP. WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGED, THE CAR DIDN'T WANT TO GO ACTING LIKE THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED UP. CONTINUED PRESSING THROTTLE AND IT FINALLY BROKE FREE AND STARTED MOVING NORMALLY. THE INITIAL STOP WASN'T A FAST STOP, JUST NORMAL SPEED.

NHTSA complaint #10091154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 23,000 miles Asheboro, NC Crash

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THIS CAUSED LOST OF BRAKING POWER. THE CONSUMER PLACED BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. CONSEQUENTLY THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONSUMER THAT A REPRESENTATIVE WOULD COME DOWN TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10072282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Liverpool, NY

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

THE DRIVER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, STOPPED, TOOK HIS FOOT OFF OF THE PEDAL AND THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY SWUNG FREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED BRAKE PEDAL BECOME DISCONNECTED. THE CLIP, SPACER, AND RETAINER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA complaint #10059499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,902 miles Atlanta, GA Crash

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

WHILE THE DRIVER EITHER ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD ALMOST TOUCH THE FLOOR. THIS PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN TWO ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK *PH *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10026196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2003 Buick Lesabre problems

← Full 2003 Buick Lesabre report