2004 Buick Lesabre: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 162 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (35% of complaints); the 2005 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
162
owner complaints
5
fire reports
67,000
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No recall campaignsWeak spot: electrical system (35%)5 fire reports
Common problems
Computed from 162 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)35% · 55 complaints
Structure (body, frame, doors, rust)10% · 16 complaints
Air Bags (airbags and crash sensors)8% · 12 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)6% · 9 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling (engine, radiator, overheating)5% · 8 complaints
Exterior Lighting (headlights, taillights)5% · 8 complaints
“The backup camera will stay in 'night' brightness mode for 15 seconds while backing out of the garage into daylight. This makes the video screen usless until the 15 second delay is over. I have asked several times at the dealership since I purchased this vehicle new, and they say nothing can be done. Not only is this a huge safety issue but it also is an enviromental issue as may times I must wait in the driveway with the car needlessly idling until the 15 seconds is up. This is seems to be a simple software update to remove the delay when the car is in reverse.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2024
“fuel vapor system leaks gas fumes into car. Replaced all fuel lines, pulled tank, renewed canister. 10 months later fumes are again entering car cabin. 105,000 total miles.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Nov 2022
“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.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2022
Show 7 more owner reports
“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?”Owner report · Power Train · Oct 2021
“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.”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2021
“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”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Dec 2019
“When first starting up car and then press on the gas pedal, either in reverse or forward, there is a surge, like the cable is sticking. Not sure why, maybe due from age of car or an electronic control issue. The car has been garaged about 85% of its life.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2019
“The engine stalls and jerked when coming to a stop and trying to go the gears didn't shift like usual. Driving long distances it doesn't do this until you're driving and stopping every so often. Sometimes turning into a place the engine wouldn't go and almost caused crashes.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2018
“Tl* the contact owned a 2004 buick lesabre. While parked in the driveway, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that the fire started under the hood. The fire department was notified and was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and deemed destroyed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick lesabre. The contact stated that the dashboard fractured along the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the fracture had spread to the center of the dashboard. The contact was concerned that the fracture could impede visibility. Neither the dealer nor manufacturer were contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2017
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 12 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Is the 2004 Buick Lesabre reliable?
NHTSA has 162 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2004 Buick Lesabre. The most complained-about area is electrical system (35% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2004 Buick Lesabre problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 67,000 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.