2001 Buick Lesabre: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 328 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is visibility (27% of complaints); the 1999 and 2003 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
328
owner complaints
22
fire reports
61,973
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No recall campaignsOne of the most complained-about Lesabre years (#4 of 16, age-adjusted)Weak spot: visibility (27%)22 fire reports
Common problems
Computed from 328 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Visibility (windshield, wipers, defroster, mirrors)27% · 85 complaints
Structure (body, frame, doors, rust)12% · 37 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)8% · 25 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)8% · 24 complaints
Air Bags (airbags and crash sensors)7% · 22 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling (engine, radiator, overheating)6% · 19 complaints
“Turned the key in ignition just past click and heard a loud bang in engine under hood. I looked under the car and seen flames. Within 18 minutes the whole car was in totally on fire. The volunteer fire department came and put it out. We did a search on the internet and discovered we are not the only ones to experience this.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2022
“Tl* the contact owned a 2001 buick lesabre. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, he saw smoke emerging from the engine of the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, the engine was up in flames. There was no crash or injuries due to the fire. The air bags did not deploy. The fire department was contacted and could extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. The contact had not notified a local dealer. The vehicle had been not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 buick lesabre. The contact stated that when her husband turned the ignition on, the vehicle made a loud popping noise that was coming from the engine. The contacts husband noticed smoke was coming from under the hood and when he lift the hood, it was engulfed in flames. The contacts husband was able to extinguished the fire. The contact also mentioned that the engine was fractured and that the cover had blown off due to the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,060.*dt*jb”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2021
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl* the contact's father owns a 2001 buick lesabre. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the garage for approximately 5 weeks, when his father was attempting to jump start the battery when on the second attempt there was an explosion in the engine compartment. The contact and his father was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The fire department was contacted however, they did not extinguish the fire and a fire department report was filed. The contact stated no one was injured. A dealer had not been aware of the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,348.”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2020
“The car was off and parked in our driveway. When the key was put in the ignition and turned on, a large explosion under the hood occurred. The car was immediately turned off and smoke started coming out from under the hood. After opening the hood, saw the engine was on fire so put it out with a fire extinguisher. Really heavy gas smell inside the car today (1 day later)”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2018
“The vehicle in question is equipped with the 3800 series engine. The vehicle caught on fire while starting the engine. Family member owned a 2003 chevy impala with identical engine which caught on fire while he was driving home for work. Gm settled with them for a recall that was placed on the engine. I believe there is a major design flaw with this engine.”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2017
“I went out to start the car to go to work and I heard a backfire, my husband came out wondering what that bang was. Smoke started coming out from the hood. He popped the hood to see what the problem was and flames came shooting out from under the hood. He closed the hood to smother the fire, we had to call the fire department' to put the fire out. The car is a total loss. Now we are without a car. Now what!!!! This car was well maintained and great working order before this happened.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2017
“Rear window falls down. Known problem in bucks. Very costly temporary fix as window will not stay up for long and will fall down again. My daughter had to drive the car home from school in 10 degree weather after the window fell down. Buick and government protection agency should be ashamed.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2017
“Tl* the contact owned a 2001 buick lesabre. When the contact inserted the key in the ignition to start the vehicle it made a popping sound and smoke appeared underneath the hood. Momentarily the vehicle burst into flames without warning. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. There were no injuries. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 03/16/17*lj updated 08/11/2017*js”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 buick lesabre. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being operated, the air bag sensor warning light suddenly illuminated. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 206,889.”Owner report · Air Bags · Dec 2016
When filing, owners marked a crash in 10 of these complaints and injuries in 14 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Buick Lesabre reliable?
NHTSA has 328 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2001 Buick Lesabre. The most complained-about area is visibility (27% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2001 Buick Lesabre problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 61,973 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.