1997 Buick Lesabre problems & reliability
394 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 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.
21 complaints report injuries (24 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Buick Lesabre vehicles were involved in 30 fatal crashes with 25 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 | 110 | 28% |
| Electrical System | 42 | 11% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 37 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 33 | 8% |
| Power Train | 33 | 8% |
| Visibility | 28 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 27 | 7% |
| Steering | 25 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 22 | 6% |
| Suspension | 20 | 5% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 97,000 miles (middle 50% between 57,000 and 130,104 miles), based on 105 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact's friend owns a 1997 Buick LeSabre The contact stated that the hood was difficult to open and close. The latch was in the correct location. The contact stated that while her roommate was driving at 45 MPH, the hood opened and detached. The driver pulled over, and a 2012 Chevrolet crashed into the rear of…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Feb 28, 2024
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. While reversing the vehicle at approximately 10 mph into the driveway, the contact noticed an abnormal cracking noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact stopped and looked underneath the vehicle. He noticed that the a-frame on the passenger side was hanging…”
Structure · filed Oct 23, 2019
“The horn will sound without pressing the horn button(s) when the car is in motion or unoccupied. This occurs when the weather is cold. I have researched this online and it is apparently an issue for many owners. Part of the air bag contracts during the winter months pressing on part of the horn button. The only way to…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 21, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA02030 · opened Oct 22, 2002 · closed Mar 9, 2004 · led to recall 04V090000
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE02050 · opened Jun 13, 2002 · closed Oct 22, 2002
Technical service bulletins
52 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Buick Lesabre. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.
19NA273 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 2, 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…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 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 warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 15, 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
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 15, 2017
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 1997 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 1997 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 97,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.