1987 Buick Lesabre problems & reliability
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Buick Lesabre. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1987 Buick Lesabre vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 15 | 38% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 15% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 8% |
| Power Train | 2 | 5% |
| Seats | 2 | 5% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The vehicle stalled many times while the consumer was traveling and the dealer fixed the problem. However, the service engine soon came on right after each service and the vehicle would stall. *yh”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 31, 2002
“Wheel column loose -- excessive play and steering wheel movement made steering difficult as wheel moved up and down and rocked at an angle to the left. Dealer contacted and gm contacted--neither considered this a safety concern. When I hit my brakes my body would move forward toward the windshield because the steering…”
Steering · filed Jan 21, 2000
“Opening the trunk lid the trunk pops up very hard, almost causing the owner to get hurt. Owner says that this is a safety defect. *ak”
Structure · filed Feb 17, 1999
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- BRAKE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA90017 · opened Mar 26, 1990 · closed Apr 22, 1991
- BRAKE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE89171 · opened Sep 26, 1989 · closed Mar 26, 1990
- REAR BRAKE PIN
Engineering Analysis EA89028 · opened Jul 28, 1989 · closed Jul 27, 1990
- REAR BRAKE PIN
Preliminary Evaluation PE89101 · opened Mar 15, 1989 · closed Jul 28, 1989
- ANTI LOCK BRAKES
Preliminary Evaluation PE89098 · opened Mar 10, 1989 · closed May 17, 1989
- THROTTLE NON-RETURN
Compliance Investigation C89001 · opened Mar 6, 1989 · closed Jan 16, 1990
- INSTRMNT LIGHT ON WINDSHLD
Preliminary Evaluation PE88021 · opened Feb 1, 1988 · closed Mar 15, 1988
- STALLING
Engineering Analysis EA87022 · opened Aug 27, 1987 · closed Nov 27, 1991
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Buick Lesabre in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1987 Buick Lesabre?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.