2002 Buick Lesabre

Typical pattern

5.5% of complaints about the 2002 Buick Lesabre came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.5 yr in service. The most-reported system is visibility (116 complaints), typically at 6.0 yr or about 53,500 miles.

Complaints: 362
Median age at failure: 6.5 yr
Median mileage: 62,000 n=266
Crash / fire / tow: 10.8% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

02V222000 2002-08-09

Air bags:frontal

CERTAIN PASSENGER, MINI VANS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE AN AIR BAG INFLATOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT COULD FRACTURE AT A WELD DURING A DEPLOYMENT.

PIECES OF THE INFLATOR COULD STRIKE AND INJURE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND THE AIR BAG CUSHION WOULD NOT INFLATE FULLY, REDUCING THE CAPABILITY OF THE BAG TO PROTECT THE DRIVER.

02V067000 2002-03-06

Steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion)

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH MISSING OR UNDER-TORQUED STEERING GEAR ATTACHMENT BOLTS. IF A BOLT IS MISSING, THE DRIVER MAY NOTICE UNEVEN STEERING RESPONSE OR UNUSUAL NOISES DURING TURNS.

IF THE LEFT BOLT IS MISSING AND THE RIGHT MOUNTING STRAP FAILS, STEERING CONTROL IS LOST AND A VEHICLE CRASH COULD RESULT.

In owners’ own words

Structure mileage not reported 2 mo in service crash / fire / tow

WHEN THIS VEHICLE IS PARKED FORWARD ON A SLIGHT INCLINE THE TRUNK LID BOUNCES, WHEN OPENED BY THE REMOTE. BOTH MY WIFE AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN HIT ON THE HEAD, I RECEIVED A SLIGHT LACERATION. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. SOMEONE CAN GET A CONCUSSION. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL OF BUICK'S CHANNELS OF COMPLAINT.*AK

Structure mileage not reported 11 mo in service crash / fire / tow

CONSUMER OPENED TRUNK WITH REMOTE CONTROL. TRUNK LID OPENED, CONSUMER BENT OVER TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF TRUNK, AND LID CLOSED AND CAME DOWN ON CONSUMER'S HEAD. *AK *YH

Structure 4,086 mi 2 mo in service crash / fire / tow

THE TRUNK LID COLLAPSED ON TWO OCCASIONS WHILE ON AN INCLINE, AND CAUSED INJURY TO THE CONSUMER AND HIS WIFE. *SCC *JB

Electrical system mileage not reported 3 mo in service

AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR, CONTROL BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL FOR CRUISE CONTROL AND RADIO ARE VERY HOT TO BE TOUCHED. DEALER STATED MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT OFFERS NO SOLUTION.*AK *YD

Other Lesabre model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 Buick Lesabre

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Lesabre model years

How to read this