12 of the 212 complaints about the 2004 Buick Lesabre are about the transmission — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 87,497 miles.
12
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
POWER TRAIN
Car has hard shift's that get worse when the car is up to temperature. Fuel gauge show's false reading. Two window regulators failed.
NHTSA complaint #11493411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
Drove to the store, transmission was hard shifting and then wouldn't hardly move at all. Almost got hit three x!! Very tramatized. How is it that on just one of many web pages 400 people had this problem 140 complained about it! that's just one website! how has this problem not been fixed and recalled?
NHTSA complaint #11437729 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE POWER TRAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #11397606 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I CONTINUE SMELLING AN OIL-BURNING SMELL AND MY RIGHT TURN SIGNAL CONTINUE TO GO OUT AND I HAVE REPLACED TO BLUB OVER AND OVER
NHTSA complaint #11319438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
WITHIN THE PASSED 2 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING "HARD SHIFTS". VERY PRONOUNCED JOLT/JERK WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER A FULL STOP OR DECELERATING TO COME TO A STOP. JUST RESEARCHED ON THIS SITE AND FOUND MANY OTHER CONSUMERS WITH 2004 LESABRE'S EXPERIENCING SAME SITUATION. HAS TO DO WITH INFERIOR PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID AND/OR SHIFT SOLENOIDS. APPARENTLY GM HAS REFUSED TO RECALL AND REPLACE DUE TO THE COST. CAN CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION AND THEY SAY THEY ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO MAKE IT RIGHT!!! ALSO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH SPEEDOMETER AND TACHCOMETER. MY TACH IS FROZEN AT 2 AND SPEEDOMETER STARTED GIVING FALSE READINGS ABOUT 3 YRS. AGO. DID NOT ADDRESS BECAUSE MY MECHANIC TOLD ME ITS VERY COSTLY. I HAVE TO USE MY GARMIN TO TELL ME HOW FAST I AM GOING. HAPPENED FIRST TIME IN EXTREME HEAT TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY. THEN AGAIN WHEN IT W AS RAINING. VERY UNSAFE SITUATION AND AGAIN A VERY COSTLY FIX THAT GM WILL NOT ADDRESS.
NHTSA complaint #10846233 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
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!
NHTSA complaint #10693121 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
VERY COMMON KNOW PROBLEM OF THE 4T65E TRANSMISSION EQUIPPED IN THESE CARS IS A PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID AND/OR THE SHIFT SOLENOIDS FAIL PREMATURELY DUE TO A POORLY CONSTRUCTED PARTS. A SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED BY MANUFACTURER WARNING OF THE PROBLEM AND TO USE A MUCH MORE SUPERIOR PART TO REPLACE THE BAD ONES. THIS HAPPENS ACROSS A NUMBER OF VEHICLES AND GM REFUSES TO RECALL SAID PART EVEN AFTER KNOWING IT IS A FAILED PART. THE PROBLEM IT CAUSES IS THE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO HIGH PRESSURE MODE AND CAUSES HARD UP SHIFTS. THERE IS A UNOFFICIAL WORK AROUND THAT INVOLVES INSTALLING AFTER MARKET PARTS TO STOP THE HARD SHIFTS.GM HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS PERSONALLY TOLD ME THEY WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL DUE TO COST OF RECALLING AND REPAIRING. ESPECIALLY IN CARS THAT THIS HAS CAUSED PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. AND THEY SAY THEY ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO DO SO. THE SAD THING IS I JUST ASKED FOR THE UPDATED PART SO I COULD PERSONALLY INSTALL IT BECAUSE I DO BETTER WORK THAN THEIR GARAGES AND WOULDN'T TRUST THEM TO CHANGE A TIRE LET ALONE TOUCH A TRANSMISSION. I AM CAPABLE OF INSTALLING THE PARTS I JUST WANT THE UPDATED ONE FOR FREE SINCE IT IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED ON THEIR PART TO BEGIN WITH. THIS PROBLEM IS MUCH LIKE THE COOLANT PROBLEM GM CLAIMS DIDN'T EXIST UNTIL THEY WERE SUED FOR IT.
NHTSA complaint #10607251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FUNCTIONING ERRATICALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 06/05/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN ON MAY 11, 2012. ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES WERE LEAKING. UPDATED 06/06/12.
NHTSA complaint #10453591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
2004 BUICK LESABRE PURCHASED WITH 1K MILES. AT ABOUT 60K MI THE GAS GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED. AT 110K THE ENGINE TEMP GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED AND THE DASH LIGHTS FADED ON AND OFF. ALSO, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. NOW WITH 120K, THE TACH AND ODOMETER HAVE QUIT. ONLY REMAINING FUNCTIONING DASH INSTRUMENT IS THE SPEEDOMETER. CAR ALSO AT TIMES EXHIBITS UNPREDICTABLE ELECTRICAL BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS NOT STARTING AFTER A BRIEF INTERVAL WITH CAR OFF AND RADIO ON. MECHANICS ADVISED EARLY ON THAT ISSUE WAS A DEFECTIVE GAS GAUGE, WHICH NOW APPEARS TO BE INCORRECT. FAULTY DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL APPEARS CONFIRMED. THERE IS ALSO A VERY STRANGE AND IRRITATING NOISE THAT ORIGINATES DIRECTLY IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH, LIKE SMALL ANIMALS UNDER THE DASH.
NHTSA complaint #10352552 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK LESABRE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED. THE FRONT WHEEL OF THE VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION CASING BROKE IN HALF. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEGAN TO SLIP PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER HAD PREVIOUSLY ADJUSTED THE COMPUTER ON THE VEHICLE; YET THAT DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THIS THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE TRANSMISSION HAD CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 118000.
NHTSA complaint #10342199 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
2004 BUICK LESABRE HAS FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 60 MILES PER HOUR. SEEMS VERY WOBBLY.
NHTSA complaint #10269582 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE NOISE LIKE STUCK VALVE LIFTER IT KEEPS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER DEALER CHECKED AND FOUND "FLYWHEEL CRACKED' REPLACED SAME ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER THE SAME THING OCCURRED WITH ANOTHER FLYWHEEL REPLACEMENT. SOUNDS LIKE THIS COULD BREAK APART AND POSSIBLY INJURE SOMEONE.
NHTSA complaint #10268398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.