2003 Buick Lesabre

Typical pattern

9% of complaints about the 2003 Buick Lesabre came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2003 vehicle — around the middle of the 228 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 7.4 yr in service. The most-reported system is structure (55 complaints), typically at 8.8 yr or about 60,125 miles.

Complaints: 201
Median age at failure: 7.4 yr
Median mileage: 50,000 n=149
Crash / fire / tow: 9% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

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.

In owners’ own words

Structure mileage not reported 4 mo in service crash / fire / tow

WHILE TAKING GROCERIES OUT OF THE VEHICLE THE TRUNK LID FELL AND HIT CONSUMER ON HEAD. THIS INCIDENT CAUSED PAIN,SWELLING AND SCABS ON THE CONSUMERS FOREHEAD AND NOSE. *AK *NLM

Structure 85,000 mi 7.8 yr in service

2003 BUICK LESABRE DASH PAD SEPERATING FROM DASH ON DRIVERS SIDE AND BUCKLING. *TR

Structure 100,700 mi 8.2 yr in service

DASH PAD IS SEPARATING FROM THE DASH ON PASSENGERS SIDE NEAR AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT STATION. *TR

Power train 800 mi 7 mo in service

WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN REVERSE OR DRIVEN THERE IS NO INDICATION IN WHAT GEAR YOUR IN. THE LETTER DOESN'T LIGHT UP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

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.

2003 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