Engine
3.8L 6-cyl
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.
Fault profile
Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.
When it fails
The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.
Vehicle age when the failure occurred
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 130 of 158 complaints with a usable failure date.
Known issues
The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.
Engine & cooling
39 complaint records2 fire reports2 crash reports
"THE VEHICLE LEAKED COOLANT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED. *JB..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse engine & cooling parts in the directory →
Brakes
36 complaint records7 crash reports
"ABS BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP DURING EMERGENCY STOPPING , RESULTING IN LONG STOPPING DISTANCE AND ACCIDENT. TT..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse brakes parts in the directory →
Electrical system
30 complaint records1 fire report2 crash reports
"VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, DEALER REPLACED THE STARTER (ANGELA PRIESTLY, P.O.BOX 3835, OAK PARK, IL 60303, 708-383-4353 IS WRITING ON BEHALF OF HER MOTHER). *YD..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse electrical system parts in the directory →
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIC4696E Nov 2019 | Equipment | This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. | |
| PIC4696D Sep 2019 | Equipment | This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. | |
| PIC4696C May 2018 | Equipment | This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. | |
| 130089009 Sep 2013 | Engine And Engine Cooling | Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules | |
| 990730030A Apr 2001 | Power Train | OWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN STANDING IN PARK ON A HILL OR SLOPE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE PARKING BRAKE NOT APPLIED. *TT |
Show 20 more bulletins
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 990730030 Dec 1999 | Power Train | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60 OR 4T60-E TRANSXALES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN IN PARK ON INCLINE. *TT | |
| 832006 Dec 1998 | Structure | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THERE IS CORROSION ( RUST ) APPEARING ON THE LEFT AND /OR RIGHT ROCKER PANEL(S). *YC | |
| 98833005 Oct 1998 | Suspension | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE VEHICLE | |
| 98839011 May 1998 | Visibility | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT ON A GAP BETWEEN THE PASSENGER SUPPLEMENTAL INFLATABLE RESTRAINT (PSIR) MODULE AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TRIM PLATE. *YC | |
| 10001 Apr 1998 | Power Train | INFORMATION ON GROWLING NOISE IN TRANSAXLE DURING FIRST FOUR MINUTES AFTER START UP. *YC | |
| 971101631041 Nov 1997 | Structure | COMMENTS ON INOPERATIVE POWER DOOR LOCKS (FRONT AND/OR REAR DOORS). | |
| 9709013202B Sep 1997 | Steering | EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT STEERING COLUMN SNAP OR CLICK NOISE WHEN TURNING. *YC | |
| 731608 Jun 1997 | Visibility | EXCESSIVE VIBRATION OF ELECTROCHROMIC INSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR. *TW | |
| 536506A Jun 1997 | Electrical System | DRIVELINE VIBRATION OVER 37 MPH (REPLACE PROM). *TW | |
| 577106A Feb 1997 | Power Train | COLD START RATTLE NOISE (DIAGNOSIS/SERVICE PROCEDURE). *TW | |
| 577106A Dec 1996 | Power Train | COLD START RATTLE NOISE. *TW | |
| 535014 Sep 1995 | Service Brakes | ABS ADN TRACTION OFF INDICATOR LAMPS COME ON. *SD | |
| 9573T4001 Aug 1995 | Power Train | GRINDING AND/OR GROWLING NOISE IN PARK ON INCLINE.*SD | |
| 576113 May 1995 | Engine And Engine Cooling | UNKNOWN | |
| 576104 May 1995 | Vehicle Speed Control | UNKNOWN | |
| 536401 Mar 1995 | Electrical System | DIM HEADLAMPS, SLOW WINDSHIELD WIPERS, ETC RESULTING FROM LOW/NO GENERATOR OUTPUT. *TW | |
| 538203 Feb 1995 | Visibility | WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE CHATTER. *TW | |
| 577106 Feb 1995 | Power Train | COLD START RATTLE NOISE. *TW | |
| 431108 Nov 1994 | Visibility | HVAC SYSTEM MAY INTERMITTENTLY TURN ON IN DEFOG OR DEFROST MODE BY DEFAULT. *TW | |
| 436302 Nov 1994 | Fuel System | FAINT BUZZING NOISE FROM FRONT OF DASH AREA. *TW |
Before you buy this vehicle
A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.
- Cold-start it yourself and listen for the first thirty seconds.Knocking, ticking that fades as it warms, or blue or white smoke on startup are the sounds of this vehicle's engine cluster. Check the oil level and the coolant color, and ask whether the engine or its head gaskets have ever been out.
- Brake hard once from speed on an empty road.A pull to one side, a pulsing pedal, a pedal that sinks at a stop, or an ABS light that stays lit are the brake complaints on this vehicle presenting themselves.
- Sit in it with the engine off and test everything that has a switch.Windows, locks, lights, the cluster, the radio. Electrical faults are this vehicle's story and the hardest to see on a drive: an intermittent no-start waits for the second week of ownership. Ask for the battery's age and whether any control module has been replaced.
- Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.
Parts search directory
The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.
Open the parts directory for this Buick Lesabre →