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#BS-1997-BUILES-3BBC

1997 Buick Lesabre

Based on reports from 514 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
514
Crashes
30
Fires
49
Recalls
2
TSBs
52
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 514 complaints, 30 crashes, 49 fires, and 2 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.3x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

intake manifold gasket failure

5 complaints • Severity 6.8/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission jerks

1 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineHIGH

45 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline issues — failures commonly reported around 97K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

9
0–30K
26
30–60K
24
60–90K
27
90–120K
20
120–150K
29
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (29 reports) • Median: 97K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (45 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline45 (9%)
Engine26 (5%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe22 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission21 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine20 (4%)
Airbags16 (3%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System14 (3%)
Fuel System14 (3%)

1997 Buick Lesabre: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Lesabre, with 45 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 97,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 97K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Lesabre, with 26 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Lesabre, with 22 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Lesabre, with 21 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

50
00
47
01
53
02
34
03
26
04
19
05
14
06
4
07
10
08
18
09
9
10
1
11
3
12
6
13
13
14
7
15
5
16
3
17
3
18
1
19
2
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Buick Lesabre. Recent trend: increasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

96V044000Mar 1996

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH ONE OR MORE INCORRECT SAFETY BELT AND/OR SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ENDS. THIS DOES NOT CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."

96V116000Jul 1996

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

A BACKFIRE DURING ENGINE STARTING CAN CAUSE BREAKAGE OF THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Buick Lesabre is the 2002 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is windows / windshield.

1997 Buick Lesabre vs. Class Average (Large Cars)

This vehicle

514

Class avg

219

2.3x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical large cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 514 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Buick Lesabre Model Years

2006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982198119801979197819771976197519741973197219711970196919681967
View all Buick Lesabre years →

1997 Buick Lesabre: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Buick Lesabre?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Buick Lesabre is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline, with 45 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Buick Lesabre reliable?
The 1997 Buick Lesabre has 514 complaints, 30 crash reports, and 49 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.3x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1997 Buick Lesabre problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1997 Buick Lesabre have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Buick Lesabre has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Buick Lesabre problems start?
Based on 135 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 97,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 514 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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