1990 Buick Lesabre: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 75 complaints
75
Total Complaints
186,000mi
Median Mileage
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
Top Issue
8
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

186,000 25th Percentile
186,000 Median Mileage
186,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
3
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
2
SEATS
2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
2

Severity Assessment

8
Crashes
0
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TRANSAXLE FAILED, CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO LOCK UP/LOSS OF CONTROL. *SKD"
"IGNITION COIL DEFECT, IN EXTREME COLD WEATHER VEHICLE WILL NOT START, IN FOR REPAIR REPLACE IGNITION COIL. TT"
"DOME LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO COME ON WHEN DOOR IS OPENED."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28