Vehicle Data Hub

1997 Buick Lesabre engine problems

Owners reported engine problems in 125 complaints for the 1997 Buick Lesabre, 24% of the complaints on file. It is the most reported problem area for this model year.

At a glance

Complaints
125 24% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
96,000 miles 40 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
1 and 28
Injuries and deaths
1 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When engine problems show up

Engine complaints by mileage, 1997 Buick Lesabre Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 96,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 2 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 3 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 4 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 3 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 10 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 4 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 5 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 4 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 4 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 1 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 96,000 miles
Based on 40 complaints that include mileage. 23% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles2
20k to 40k miles3
40k to 60k miles4
60k to 80k miles3
80k to 100k miles10
100k to 120k miles4
120k to 140k miles5
140k to 160k miles4
160k to 180k miles4
180k to 200k miles1
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Of the 40 engine complaints that report mileage, the median is about 96,000 miles, and 22% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 1 crash, 28 fires, 1 injury.

What owners wrote

The engine was shut off and parked for about five minutes. Consumer noticed smoke coming from the hood. The consumer was unable to extinguish the fire. By the time the fire department arrived, the vehicle was totally engulfed in flames. When the vehicle caught fire, it also damaged another vehicle that was parked beside it.

FireInjury

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick lesabre. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start and no warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. When the vehicle finally started, it backfired. Once the contact arrived home, he looked under the hood and noticed that the coolant was low. The dealer stated that the repair would cost approximately $600 and that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle has not been repaired. The recall number was unknown.

Reported at 93,500 miles, July 2008

Other problems reported for the 1997 Buick Lesabre

Engine problems in other years

Engine problems across all Buick models