Total Complaints
75 filings
BUICK LESABRE · model year
1990 BUICK LESABRE
75 NHTSA complaints, 8 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990BUICKLESABRE carries 75 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 8 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 LESABRE is electrical system:ignition with 6 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (5) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1990 LESABRE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
75
Complaints
8
Crashes
0
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
8 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 6 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 3 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SEATS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| INTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20061030SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
THE FRONT MOUNTING BRACKET NEAREST TO THE DOOR, FOR THE DRIVERS POWER SEAT FRACTURED AROUND THE MOUNTING BOLT. THIS ALLOWED THE SEAT TO ROTATE BACKWARD. *JB
Mileage: 212,900
20040905POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905STRUCTURE:BODY
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905WHEELS:HUB
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040905STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
THIS ALL HAPPENED OVER A PERIOD OF THE PAST 5 YEARS, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS SITE WAS AVAILABLE, SO SUBMITTING NOW. *JB
Mileage: 186,000
20040802ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING THERE IS A CONSTANT SOUND OF AIR ESCAPING. THERE IS AN ANTICIPATION OF THE VEHICLE BACK FIRING AT ALL TIMES. ALSO, INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL, AND USE TWICE AS MUCH FUEL.*AK
Mileage: 165,000
20040313STEERING:COLUMN
I HAVE A 1990 BUICK LESABRE THAT IS EQUIPPED WITH TILT WHEEL. ABOUT A MONTH AGO THE STEERING COLUMN BECAME EXTREMELY LOOSE...I HAD NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. ANYWAY, I THOUGHT "WELL, THE CAR IS JUST AGING" AND DIDN'T THINK TO MUCH ABOUT IT UNTIL YESTERDAY. MY SON WAS CLIMBING ACROSS THE DRIVERS SEAT AND ACCIDENTLY HIT THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR. WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, THE CAR WENT INTO REVERSE AND PROCEEDED TO ROLL DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. AFTER WE GOT THE CAR STOPPED, I DISCOVERED THAT EVEN WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, THE CAR CAN BE PLACED IN ANY GEAR WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND IS THE EQUIVALENT OF THE OLD POWERGLIDES THAT WOULD DO THE SAME. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN TO SOMEONE ELSE IS VERY LIKELY. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT SUDDENLY STARTED TO DO THIS. THANK YOU.*AK
Mileage: 179,000
20040121SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
THE BRAKES ON A 1990 BUICK LESABRE FAILED IN THE DEALER LOT WHEN I WENT TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR. THEY ASSURED ME THEY WOULD REPAIR THE BRAKES AND CALL ME WHEN THE CAR WAS READY FOR SALE. AFTER THE REPAIR, I PURCHASED THE CAR, BUT THE BRAKES SOON FAILED AGAIN. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LINE REPAIR HAD BEEN MADE WITH COMPRESSION FITTINGS INSTEAD OF HIGH-PRESSURE INVERTED-FLARE HYDRAULIC FITTINGS. I SUSPECT THIS WAS UNLAWFUL. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS, AND THE AGENT I TALKED TO DOESN'T SEEM TO COMPREHEND THAT THE USE OF COMPRESSION FITTINGS IN A BRAKE LINE IS UNLAWFUL, AND TRIVIALIZES MY CONCERNS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR "AS-IS".*AK
Mileage: 45,000
Compare 1990BUICKLESABRE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 BUICK LESABRE have?▼
The 1990 BUICK LESABRE has 75 NHTSA complaints, 8 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BUICK LESABRE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 BUICK LESABRE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1990 BUICK LESABRE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.