How many recalls does the 1997 Buick Lesabre have?

2 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 1997 Buick Lesabre, alongside 514 owner complaints.

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1997 Buick Lesabre Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Critical

514 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.63 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical96V116000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System

THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A NO-START CONDITION AND POSSIBLY AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING. UNTIL THE CAMPAIGN REPAIR IS MADE, THE VEHICLE HOOD SHOULD BE SHUT WHENEVER STARTING THE VEHICLE TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF PERSONAL INJURY.

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

Serious96V044000

Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly

CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: IF AN INCORRECT PART IS USED, THE BELT MAY NOT LATCH PROPERLY, raises the risk of INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT SHOULD A VEHICLE CRASH OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT ALL FRONT AND REAR SAFETY BELT LATCH ENDS AND SAFETY BELT BUCKLES FOR CORRECT PARTS AND REPLACE ANY INCORRECT PARTS.

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."

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

30Crashes

49Fires

26Injuries

1Deaths

Across 514 complaints. Severity Index 0.63.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 45 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe — 22 reports
Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 21 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 20 reports
Air Bags — 16 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling — 16 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System — 14 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System — 13 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 12 reports
Air Bags:Frontal — 12 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (2) · 1997 · 1998 (1) · 1999 (2) · 2000 (5) · 2001 · 2002 (2) · 2003 (1) · 2004 · 2005 · 2006

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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