1997 Buick Lesabre Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe coolant loss tied to the plastic upper intake manifold, which in many complaints led to rough running, overheating or a no-start condition. Secondary themes are fuel odors and leaks from corroded lines near the tank, and, at higher mileages, spontaneous airbag deployments and front-end or steering noise. Reports span from under 50,000 miles to well past 150,000.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Coolant leak from cracked upper intake manifold (3.8L V6)

   Mentioned in 14 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe coolant disappearing with no warning light, sometimes appearing as white smoke or a sweet smell, and sometimes seeping into the engine oil. Owners report rough running, misfires, overheating, stalling, and in some cases a no-start or hydrolocked engine after coolant entered the cylinders. Repair shops and dealers typically replaced the upper intake manifold or plenum and gaskets; several owners say they were told the VIN was not covered by campaign 96V116000 and were quoted several hundred to over a thousand dollars. Reported from about 13,000 to 155,000 miles, with many complaints clustered between roughly 45,000 and 100,000 miles.

   Recall 96V1160001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check coolant level and look for white residue or seepage at the upper intake and plenum, and have the oil inspected for coolant contamination. Ask whether the intake manifold and gaskets have been replaced and when.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While entering the interstate highway, car started losing power at 50mph. After getting car up to a safe speed, got the car home where it then stopped running and would not re-start. Mechanic checked and found that the head gasket failed at 130,000 miles. This car has always been well maintained. Nearly caused me to be rear-ended as I was on a70mph interstate highway! Also, your website keeps telling me I have an invalid VIN number! This is the only one ever issued for this vehicle. What's with this?”

   NHTSA complaint #10781951, filed 2015-10, 130,000 miles

   “While driving vehicle commenced to run roughly. Vehicle was pulled over, and found coolant missing because of design defect in part caused fluid to be drawn into engine. This caused the 3engine to seize and an overhaul to be needed. Possible recall scrapped because problem was not a saftey issue. Vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed consumer that the upper manifold needed to be replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #10089902, filed 2004-10, 100,570 miles
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Backfire on startup shattering the intake manifold

   • 52 complaints (13%)
   • median 81,000 mi at 11.3 yrs old (25 state mileage)
   • 21 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2017

   Owners describe a loud bang or pop when turning the key, after which the engine would not start; on inspection the intake manifold or engine cover was cracked or in pieces, and gasoline was present on the engine. Some complaints report a fire under the hood in this situation. Several owners state that campaign 96V116000 covers this symptom but that they were told their VIN was excluded. Reported from roughly 12,000 to 177,000 miles, often at the first start attempt of the day.

   Recall 96V116000

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has had the 96V116000 remedy applied and confirm by VIN with a dealer, and inspect the intake manifold for cracks or repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I turned the ignition to start my car on 1/17/2008 at approximately 8:30a and heard a very loud pop and smoke started coming out from under the hood. I looked under the hood and found that the engine cover and intake manifold were both shattered. I researched online and found a recall pertaining to this exact issue, recall number 96v116000; additionally, I found another recall pertaining to faulty safety belts, recall number 96v044000. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10215239, filed 2008-01, 177,364 miles

   “When consumer starting the vehicle there was a huge explosion, then fire broke out under the hood. When the fire department arrived the battery was still smoking, and the engine and wires were burnt. Recall 96v116000 was issued for the fuel carburetor manifold intake. But this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN.”

   NHTSA complaint #10065321, filed 2004-04, 55,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbags deploying without a crash

   • 32 complaints (8%)
   • median 115,000 mi at 13.2 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2024

   Owners report the driver or passenger airbag firing while driving or shortly after pulling away, with no impact involved; in some cases both bags deployed seconds apart, filling the cabin with smoke and obscuring the view. One owner attributed a deployment to water intrusion from a rusted trunk seam shorting a sensor. Complaints also mention the horn sounding together with airbag-related faults. Reported from about 45,000 to 235,000 miles, most often above 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Inspect the trunk floor, rear wheel housings and under the front passenger seat for rust or water damage, and ask whether any airbag or sensor work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving to work early in the morning on a paved town road when the driver's side air bag suddenly deployed. A few seconds later, the passenger's side air bag also suddenly deployed. The air bags obstructed my vision both in front and on the side. I was able to pull the car off the road without getting into an accident, but this could have caused a crash because of my obstructed vision there was no injury involved. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10310074, filed 2010-02, 168,702 miles

   “My boyfriend was driving my car. I was in the passenger's seat. We had just pulled away from the curb and were going about 20 MPH. For no reason, the passenger's side airbag deployed. We didn't hit anything, and nothing hit us. We pulled over and got out. The car was filled with smoke. I had pain in my abdomen and couldn't hear out of my right ear. The windshield on my side of the car(passenger's side) was broken from the impact. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10514485, filed 2013-05, 159,000 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and leaks from lines near the tank

   • 16 complaints (4%)
   • median 83,990 mi at 11.7 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2013

   Complaints describe a strong gasoline smell around and inside the car, often after filling the tank, with fuel found dripping or pooling under the rear or front of the vehicle. Mechanics identified corroded or leaking fuel lines and piping above the tank; owners report the dealer quoting fuel line replacement and declining goodwill help. Some owners linked the odor to the same recall campaign. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 105,000 miles.

   Recall 96V1160001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Smell around the filler neck and under the rear of the car after fueling, and have the fuel lines and tank piping inspected for rust.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a gasoline leak at the joint where the fuel line from the fuel tank sending unit join the fuel line that connects the fuel filtering front of the right side rear wheel. After discovering the odor of gasolione coming from the rear of the car, the only action I have taken is to take my vehicle to a Buick dealer for diagnosis. Even though the fuel line shows significate corrosion, Buick has denied responsibility because of the mileage on this car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10096015, filed 2004-10, 100,800 miles

   “The mechanic noticed fuel leaking from under the fuel tank while changing the consumers oil. The consumer noticed a strong smell of gas for two days. Two small children in child safety seats were overwelmed by fumes.”

   NHTSA complaint #10097238, filed 2004-10, 83,990 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Front-end collapse or steering loss from corroded mounts

   • 40 complaints (10%)
   • median 134,811 mi at 13.3 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2019

   Complaints describe a loud thump or cracking noise from the front end followed by loss of steering or the front of the car dropping; inspections found the engine cradle or subframe separated, a broken subframe bushing, or severely corroded frame washers. Owners report the vehicle was towed, and that repair cost assistance was limited. Other complaints describe power steering dropping out during a turn. Reported from about 120,000 to 167,000 miles.

   What to check: Have the subframe, cradle mounts and bushings inspected for corrosion and looseness, especially on cars from rust-belt areas.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 1997 Buick Lesabre. While traveling 15 MPH the contact noticed a loud thump noise coming from the front end, seconds later the vehicle lost all steering power. The vehicle had not been diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 120000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10354661, filed 2010-09, 120,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 1997 Buick Lesabre. While driving 10 MPH, the contact heard a noise and lost control of the steering. There were no warning indicators. The vehicle was towed and the dealer stated that the cause of failure was due to the engine mounting carriage disassembling from the vehicle. The manufacturer will not perform the repair free of charge due to the vehicle's age and mileage. The purchase date and engine size were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 167,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10191482, filed 2007-05, 167,000 miles

Buying note. On this model year, look closely at the intake manifold and coolant condition first, since that is what most owners write about, then check fuel lines for rust and the front subframe for corrosion. Asking for service records and confirming recall status by VIN gives a clearer picture than mileage alone.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.