2001 Buick Lesabre

MY PARENTS PURCHASED A 2001 BUICK LESABRE FROM THE DEALERSHIP NEW. BOTH PARENTS (FATHER NOW DECEASED) RETIRED AND MOVED TO FLORIDA IN 2001, AND VERY RARELY DROVE THE VEHICLE. MY FATHER PASSED AWAY IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR (2012) AND MY MOTHER ASKED ME IF I WANTED THE CAR. I DROVE TO FLORIDA TO PICK UP THE CAR AND NOTICED THE DASH PANEL WAS ALL BUCKLED AND LOOKED HORRIBLE. I ASKED MY MOTHER WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THOUGHT PERHAPS IT WAS DUE TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA HEAT, BUT MY MOTHER SAID IT STARTED IN 2006 AND THEY HAD BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE AND WOULD COST OVER $1000 TO REPAIR. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE FOR REPLACEMENT DASH PANELS I DISCOVERED THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND HAS BEEN FOR SOMETIME, FLORIDA HEAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND WILL CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY CAUSING INJURY. *TR

THE DASH PAD UNDER THE WINDSHIELD IS STARTING TO BUCKLE AND SEPARATE FROM THE METAL CLAMPS. THIS SEPARATION IS CONTINUALLY GROWING AND MOVING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE DASH PANEL TO THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG IS LOCATED. WITH THIS MOVEMENT AND CHANGE I AM CONCERNED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT OR THE AIR BAG MAY INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY CAUSING INJURY TO THE PASSENGER, NOT TO MENTION HOW THE DRIVER MAY REACT SHOULD THE AIRBAG DEPLOY UNEXPECTEDLY. GENERAL MOTORS NEEDS TO FIX THIS TO INSURE NOBODY IS INJURED IF THAT HASN'T ALREADY HAPPENED. *TR

PASSENGER WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP JULY 2011. ONE WEEK LATER LEFT REAR PASSENGER WINDOW WOULD NOT FUNCTION. FEBRUARY 2012 RIGHT REAR WINDOW FAILED. APRIL 2012 LEFT REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT GO DOWN. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. SO FAR, THE WINDOWS HAVE COST ME $735.00 IN LESS THAN A YEAR. CATALYTIC CONVERTER RATTLES A LOT IN MORNING WHEN CAR IS COLD. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. WAS TOLD BY AAMCO CAN BE REPLACED AT BUICK'S EXPENSE, BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT COOLING FLUIDS WERE LEAKING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED UNDER AN EARLIER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

THE DASH PAD ON MY 2001 LESABRE, WHICH MY ELDERLY MOTHER PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND MAINTAINED WELL, HAS BUCKLED AND PULLED UP FROM THE DASH BOARD RIGHT ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. IT HAS PULLED OUT OF THE DEFROST PANEL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND CURLS UP AND IS BECOMING AN OBSTRUCTION TO MY VIEW. I AM UNABLE TO REATTACH IT AND WORRIED THAT AS IT CONTINUES TO PULL OUT TO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, IT WILL POSSIBLY ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THIS TO BE A PROBLEM FOR MULTIPLE YEARS OF THE LESABRE MODEL AND GM HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN WITH OTHER OLDER CAR MODELS AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THE LESABRE FOR SOME IN THE EARLY YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. *TR

ANOTHER VERY COMMON DEFECT WITH MULTIPLE YEAR BUICKS BESIDES THE WINDOW REGULATORS THAT BUICK REFUSES TO ADMIT FAULT AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. THIS IS ABOUT THE DASH COVERING PULLING AWAY FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND LIKELY CAUSE AIR BAG TO DISCHARGE AND SOON WILL OBSTRUCT VISION THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. BOTH OF THESE ITEMS ARE VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR AND GN/BUICK HAS OFFERED NOTHING AS FAR AS I KNOW TO ANYONE. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER ONE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE POWER STEERING HOSE AT 60,000 AND AN AXLE AT 90,000 AND A TIE ROD AT 50,000. AND THEY WONDER WHY SALES FROM JAPAN ARE BOOMING?? *TR

IN JUST A FEW WEEKS THE DASH BUCKLED UP ALMOST SIX INCHES BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE WINDSHIELD. CONTACTED GM/BUICK AND THEY GOT THE LOCAL DEALER ON THE PHONE WITH US. NEITHER WOULD DO A THING EXCEPT GIVE ME A QUOTE OF $1000 FOR REPLACEMENT. AFTER CHECKING SEVERAL FORUMS ON THIS ISSUE, IT APPEARS THERE IS A DEFINITE DESIGN/MANUFACTURING PROBLEM THAT GM REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE. PRIOR TO THIS THE CAR HAD BEEN GARAGE KEPT AND THE INTERIOR DETAILED TO KEEP THINGS LIKE THIS FROM OCCURRING. JUST WAIT UNTIL THE AIRBAG DEPLOYS WHILE SOMEONE IS DRIVING AND IS KILLED OR GRAVELY INJURED. SUCH A SHAME THIS KIND OF SITUATION NEEDS TO OCCUR BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE!

TL* THE DRIVER OWNS A 2001 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN THE REAR DRIVER'S WINDOW DROPPED DOWN INTO ITS DOOR PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.