2000 Buick Lesabre Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report power window regulator failures, typically described as a window dropping into the door and staying down, often at relatively low mileage. Fewer complaints cover stalling or no-start conditions tied to the fuel system, cooling and intake issues, steering and brake concerns, and assorted electrical problems. Many of the window complaints say the same part failed again on more than one door, sometimes within days or months of a repair.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Power window regulator failure (window stuck down)

   • 232 complaints (35%)
   • median 56,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (159 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $400 (median of 62 quotes)
   • filed 2000–2018

   Owners describe rolling a window down and hearing a pop or snap, after which the glass drops into the door and will not come back up. Complaints commonly say the regulator or cable broke and the dealer replaced the whole window mechanism; several owners report the same failure on two, three, or all four doors, sometimes soon after a prior repair. Complaints also mention paying for the repairs themselves once the vehicle was out of warranty. Mostly reported between roughly 20,000 and 90,000 miles, with several reports on vehicles only a few years old and at least one during freezing winter temperatures.

   What to check: Roll every window up and down and listen for popping or grinding; ask whether any regulator has been replaced and on which doors. Repeat failures on the same door are described in complaints, so check the repair records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “All four (4) window regulators in my 2000 Buick Lesabre custom have failed, driver's side first, then front passenger, then left rear, then right rear, and now the front passenger has failed again. I bought the car new in 2000, and have been very satisfied with everything else. All of these have been outside of the warranty period.”

   NHTSA complaint #10182584, filed 2007-02, 88,000 miles

   “During normal operation, my electric windows have stopped working due to faulty cords in the window regulator motors. The windows slide down into the car door and will not come back up. I 've had to drive to dealership with the windows down to get the part replaced. I have had to replace all four window regulators in my car at my expense. The latest incident occurring on april 18, approximately one month after the third of four to fail on march 27. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10188605, filed 2007-04, 110,330 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering looseness, tie rods, and power steering loss

   • 52 complaints (8%)
   • median 52,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2021

   Complaints describe the front end shaking at highway speed, tie rod nuts or bushings found worn or rusted, and in one case a wheel separating after the tie rods failed. Others report power steering dropping out during a turn and then working again after a restart; owners say dealers sometimes could not duplicate the problem. Spread from about 40,000 to 139,000 miles, with several reports above 79,000 miles.

   Recall 99V301000

   What to check: Ask whether the tie rod recall (99V301000) was completed, and have the front end inspected for play in the tie rods and tie rod nuts before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While traveling on the highway and without prior warning, the left wheel on the driver's side fell off. The tie rods had completely worn out. The front end sounded like it was going to fall. (had already been repaired) GM refused to do anything.”

   NHTSA complaint #10022573, filed 2003-07, 37,500 miles

   “Vehicle's right fender inside fiber splash protector shield had been cut away. Also there was a problem with the steering, the power steering pump and steering assembly had to be replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #10033664, filed 2003-08, 16,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Stalling, no-start, or fire at the fuel pressure regulator

   • 96 complaints (14%)
   • median 64,000 mi at 6.9 yrs old (55 state mileage)
   • 26 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $400 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2026

   Complaints describe the engine stalling while driving or failing to start, with owners having to shift into neutral to restart, and in some cases a popping noise followed by flames in the engine compartment. Several owners say the vehicle had already been through the fuel pressure regulator recall or that the failure was diagnosed as related to it; the intake manifold was also reported to crack or burst in a few cases. Reported from very low mileage up to around 130,000 miles, with several cases within the first 70,000 miles.

   Recall 04V0900001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pressure regulator recall (04V090000) was performed and keep the paperwork. Watch for a fuel smell under the hood, hard starting, or repeated stalling.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I turn the ignition over didn't it did not even start yet a loud went boom and up under the hood was blazing with fire than my doors locked I could not get out I had to kick the opposite side and then I got out I had to call sleep fire rescue squad the fire was so bad it was going up under my carport and almost caught my roof on fire and almost did and did a little bit”

   NHTSA complaint #11331285, filed 2020-06, 130,000 miles

   “Dt: bought used a used car, had it a year. There was a recall on the fuel line. And the engine blew up and caught the on fire. Gm offered to buy the car back because it was totaled and told her that her gap insurance would pay her the rest of the payoff. Gap insurance said if GM would pay a set amount they would take care of the rest. Then GM resended their offer. Gm told her that the offer was closed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10120332, filed 2005-05, 64,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Intake manifold coolant leak and engine stalling

   • 104 complaints (16%)
   • median 64,800 mi at 7.1 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • 24 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2025

   Owners report coolant leaks traced to the upper intake manifold, requiring manifold replacement at relatively low mileage. Related complaints describe the engine shutting off while driving, with one owner saying an ignition module replacement did not resolve it, and another describing a loud noise and fire in the engine compartment after turning the ignition. Reported from about 20,000 to 110,000 miles, with several cases under 45,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Look for coolant loss without an obvious external leak, and ask whether the intake manifold has been replaced. Check for a rough idle or an illuminated check-engine light.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2000 Buick Lesabre while driving the engine will abruptly shut down. The vehicle was taken tot he dealer but they were unable to duplicate the problem. The vehicle was taken to another repair facility who determine that the problem was the ignition module. Once the module was replaced the stall condition recurred.”

   NHTSA complaint #10137719, filed 2005-09, 26,214 miles

   “Upper intake manifold had to be replaced due to a coolant leak. This type repair appears to be very unusual for this age of automobile. Complaint submitted by family member.”

   NHTSA complaint #10010198, filed 2003-03, 24,223 miles

Buying note. Check the power windows carefully, since repeat regulator failures are the most common report, and confirm that the fuel pressure regulator, tie rod, and brake recalls were completed. A pre-purchase inspection covering the front end, brake lines, and cooling system is worthwhile on a vehicle of this age.

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.