Your vehicle report
1999 Buick Lesabre
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 209
- Received Jan 1999 to Apr 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant23 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring19 complaints · 9.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving19 complaints · 9.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V090000On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3800 V6 (L36) engines and certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, the regulators have a much higher than usual rate of fuel leaks. A leak can allow fuel to enter the intake manifold through a vacuum line. If the engine does not start when cranked, the fuel from the leaking regulator and a mistimed spark can cause a backfire.
- Recall #99V089000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 4T65E automatic transmissions. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence." a retaining clip, which secures the manual valve to the linkage of the transmission detent lever, can become loose under a combination of possible driver shifting maneuvers and allow the link to become disconnected from the manual valve.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 19 crashes, 20 fires, 19 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Vehicle catches fire from wiring
- Ignition key sticks or will not turn
- Horn fails with airbag warning light
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 22 |
| 2000 | 32 |
| 2001 | 16 |
| 2002 | 22 |
| 2003 | 25 |
| 2004 | 34 |
| 2005 | 10 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 7 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 209 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 23 | 11% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 19 | 9.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 19 | 9.1% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 10 | 4.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 8 | 3.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 7 | 3.4% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 6 | 2.9% | – | NHTSA recall #04V090000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 2.4% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 2.4% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 1.4% | – | NHTSA recall #99V089000 |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 3 | 1.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V090000February 24, 2004910,873 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3800 V6 (L36) engines and certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, the regulators have a much higher than usual rate of fuel leaks. A leak Can allow fuel to enter the intake manifold through a vacuum line. If the engine does not start when cranked, the fuel from the leaking regulator and a mistimed spark Can cause a backfire.
The backfire Can rupture the intake manifold. The rupture of the intake manifold Can displace a fuel line, pulling an injector out of place, and causing a fuel leak and possible fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install new fuel pressure regulators with improved diaphragms. The recall will be conducted in phased mailings. Phase 1 began on june 30, 2004, and phase 2 began on september 30, 2004. Owners should contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080, Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, or Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
NHTSA recall #99V089000April 26, 199999,333 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 4T65E automatic transmissions. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence." a retaining clip, which secures the manual valve to the linkage of the transmission detent lever, Can become loose under a combination of possible driver shifting maneuvers and allow the link to become disconnected from the manual valve.
If the link disconnects, the driver's indicated prndl state may differ from the hydraulic state of the transmission. If the driver selects 'drive' and the transmission is actually in 'reverse', a vehicle crash could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the manual valve/link assembly with a replacement manual valve/link kit, featuring a spring-type fastener.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1999 Buick Lesabre.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN