1994 Buick Lesabre problems & reliability
158 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1994 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.
19 complaints report injuries (21 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1994 Buick Lesabre vehicles were involved in 4 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 36 | 23% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 33 | 21% |
| Electrical System → | 24 | 15% |
| Air Bags → | 19 | 12% |
| Tires → | 14 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 11 | 7% |
| Steering | 9 | 6% |
| Structure | 9 | 6% |
| Wheels | 7 | 4% |
| Visibility | 6 | 4% |
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
“Tl* the contact owns a 1994 buick lesabre. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a loud banging noise. The vehicle veered to the left and drove over a median. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the contact's house. The engine subframe motor mounts fractured…”
Steering · filed Jul 21, 2016
“In cold weather car won't start checked the lights when I turn the car on it reads, volt and temp obviously battery problems. I got a new battery when I got the car... I got a jump from random person next to my job and car started right up in like 2 minutes and I went home.”
Electronic Stability Control (esc) · filed Feb 9, 2016
“I was cleaning my 1994 buick lesabre when I noticed a hole in the floor around the rear seatbelt. I'm very worried about this. Will the person sitting in the back seat get hurt or killed if the seatbelt doesn't hold in the event of a accident. Please check into this. I know this is a older veh,but its all I have.I…”
Structure · filed Sep 5, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
26 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1994 Buick Lesabre. The 10 most recent:
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. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
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. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
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. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
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…
990730030A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2001
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
990730030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1999
Some customers may comment that there is corrosion ( rust ) appearing on the left and /or right rocker panel(s). *yc
832006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1998
Some customers may comment that the vehicle
98833005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1998
Some customers may comment about on a gap between the passenger supplemental inflatable restraint (psir) module and the instrument panel trim plate. *yc
98839011 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 1998
Information on growling noise in transaxle during first four minutes after start up. *yc
10001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1994 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 1994 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.