The backup camera will stay in 'night' brightness mode for 15 seconds while backing out of the garage into daylight. This makes the video screen usless until the 15 second delay is over. I have asked several times at the dealership since I purchased this vehicle new, and they say nothing can be done. Not only is this a huge safety issue but it also is an enviromental issue as may times I must wait in the driveway with the car needlessly idling until the 15 seconds is up. This is seems to be a simple software update to remove the delay when the car is in reverse.
Vehicle safety record
2004 Buick Lesabre Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 162 complaints about the 2004 Buick Lesabre with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system (66) and the body, doors & structure (19). Those complaints describe 4 crashes, 5 fires and 12 injuries. There are no recalls for it. For comparison, the 2003 has 167 and the 2005 has 77.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Lesabre year, for its age
#86 most complained-about 2004 vehicle
- Complaints
- 162
- Recalls
- 0
- Crashes
- 4
- Fires
- 5
- Injuries
- 12
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2004 Buick Lesabre problems
Share of all 162 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
No recalls for the 2004 Buick Lesabre
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Buick Lesabre. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.
What owners say
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162 complaints about the 2004 Buick Lesabre
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 7.
Car has hard shift's that get worse when the car is up to temperature. Fuel gauge show's false reading. Two window regulators failed.
fuel vapor system leaks gas fumes into car. Replaced all fuel lines, pulled tank, renewed canister. 10 months later fumes are again entering car cabin. 105,000 total miles.
Drove to the store, transmission was hard shifting and then wouldn't hardly move at all. Almost got hit three x!! Very tramatized. How is it that on just one of many web pages 400 people had this problem 140 complained about it! that's just one website! how has this problem not been fixed and recalled?
The contact owns a 2004 Buick LeSabre. The contact stated while driving 35 mph and depressing on the brake pedal, the brake pedal went straight to the floor and the vehicle gradually decreased in speed to a stop. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving to his residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake lines were leaking brake fluid. The independent mechanic repaired the vehicle however, the failure...
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reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic and three additional brake lines were replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the contact was concerned that after inspecting the vehicle himself, he became aware that one of the brake lines was rusted which might cause the failure to recur. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage approximately was 116,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick lesabre. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled with several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure recurred intermittently. The contact believed that the failure was related to the power train. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The vin was not available.
I continue smelling an oil-burning smell and my right turn signal continue to go out and I have replaced to blub over and over
When first starting up car and then press on the gas pedal, either in reverse or forward, there is a surge, like the cable is sticking. Not sure why, maybe due from age of car or an electronic control issue. The car has been garaged about 85% of its life.
The vehicle randomly accelerates as high as 50-60mph without touching the gas pedal. The car has to be thrown in neutral or stopped some place safe, at which point it revs up past 3000 rpm until the gas pedal is pressed to throttle it back down. The vehicle has done this in reverse while backing out of a driveway as well, which is extremely dangerous. It does not seem to do this upon starting or while it is warming up. It can be on any street or highway and at any speed when it starts revving high. The problem is...
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intermittent, but clusters sometimes several days in a row as constant and then going a month without doing it at all. It does seem to be more likely to accelerate after hitting a dip (like near where a drain is in a parking lot) but that may be just coincidental. The car has been taken to two different mechanics on three separate occasions with a tune up done and the throttle body cleaned along with some other trouble-shooting with the throttle at a cost (thus far) of several hundred dollars. The vehicle is doing this so frequently in the last few days that is has become unsafe to drive.
The engine stalls and jerked when coming to a stop and trying to go the gears didn't shift like usual. Driving long distances it doesn't do this until you're driving and stopping every so often. Sometimes turning into a place the engine wouldn't go and almost caused crashes.
Takata recall wire harness and back seat belt not working ,locking in motion
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 buick lesabre. While parked in the driveway, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that the fire started under the hood. The fire department was notified and was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and deemed destroyed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick lesabre. The contact stated that the dashboard fractured along the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the fracture had spread to the center of the dashboard. The contact was concerned that the fracture could impede visibility. Neither the dealer nor manufacturer were contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick lesabre equipped with copper mastercraft mc440 tires, size: 225/60/r16 (na). Upon inspection, it was discovered that the front passenger side tire experienced a bubble on the sidewall. The tire was sent back to the manufacturer who indicated that the bubble was caused by an impact. The contact indicated that there was nothing on the tire that would confirm the bubble was caused by an impact. The dot number and vin were not provided. The vehicle failure mileage was 86,000 and the tire failure mileage was 3,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick lesabre. The contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the vehicle began to violently vibrate while the oil indicator light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick lesabre. The contact stated that the dashboard separated from the sub structure of the vehicle, which exposed the air bags. The contact stated that while driving the dashboard would move backwards and forwards. The contact was concerned that the air bags could inadvertently deploy causing an injury or death. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be inspected. The contact was informed by the dealer that they were unaware of that failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
The gauges in the instrument panel stop working. The speedometer has stopped working I am driving a vehicle and not know how fast I am driving. The gas gauge has stop working I don't know how much gas is in my car I have to fill the tank and check it every two weeks so I will not run out of gas.
Three of four tires purchased had a belt separation - one lost a sizeable piece of tread. This occurred over a span of three months.
J & k mitchell casey, il.62420 Purchased on 4/11/2014, 98,104 mileage. Headlamps go off at nite driving, very unnerving, fuel gage, haywire from the start, while driving, engine would accelerate when turning right. Swaying/suspension, when turning, driving down the road, reported this many times and taken into dealer..However, never taken care of. Only thing fixed was solenoid. *Tr
Fuel gage not working properly. When needle gets between half and a quarter, it bounces back and forth from empty to full. Then at a quarter full, it goes to empty and stays there. You are never sure how much gas you really have and can cause the vehicle to stop suddenly.Happens when in motion and still on all roads.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick lesabre. While driving various speeds, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.
Brake line failure occured in my driveway. All other lines seem likely to fail as well. This is extremely concerning for me as a consumer because many other cars like this drive around everyday. I feel fortunate I was going slow enough not to get hurt.
Front calipers do not fully engage and the "check stability control" warning occurs, making turning/braking rather challenging. It seems to occur random. It does need the steering wheel position sensor and not sure if the sensor is causing this issues as well. This has occurred several times, but not enough for a definitive pattern.
Dashboard separated. I mentioned to dealer when I purchased in 2009. They pushed together but it came undone.I have a cover over dash so as not to see separation. My concern is my airbags. Will this cause a danger to annearly deployment. Was not concerned prior to recall of airbags.
Dash panel is separating--could cause airbags to deploy
Buick Lesabre: every year compared
All Lesabre years2004 Buick Lesabre vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Buick Lesabre | 162 | 0 | F | |
| 2004 Buick Rendezvous | 200 | 5 | D | Compare |
| 2004 Buick Rainier | 158 | 2 | D | Compare |
| 2004 Buick Regal | 66 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2004 Buick Century | 39 | 2 | D | Compare |
| 2004 Buick Park Avenue | 12 | 0 | B | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2004 Buick Lesabre
Does the 2004 Buick Lesabre have any recalls?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Buick Lesabre right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Buick Lesabre?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the electrical system (66), body, doors & structure (19), engine & cooling (14).
How many complaints has the 2004 Buick Lesabre had?
162 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on October 29, 2003 and the latest on June 13, 2024. Of these, 4 describe a crash and 5 a fire, and together they report 12 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2004 Buick Lesabre a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 10 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Buick Lesabre year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Buick Lesabre years have the most complaints?
2000 (680), 1998 (410), 1997 (402). See every Buick Lesabre year compared.
What should I do if my 2004 Buick Lesabre has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data