IllustrationI HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 3 1/2 YRS NOW AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD THIS TYPE OF BRAKE FAILURE. THE BRAKES WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR SLED, I WAS TRYING TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP TO MAKE A TURN. THE ABS LITE HAS BEEN ON THE CAR ALMOST EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT.
1993 Buick Lesabre
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Lesabre years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Buick Lesabre are substantially higher than the model-year median of 24.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Lesabre years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 14 of 194 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
12 crash reports21 fire reports7 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
69 reportsI RECENTLY BOUGHT A USED '93 BUICK LESABRE LIMITED WITH ABOUT 80,000 MILES ON IT. I DROVE IT FOR TWO DAYS WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THEN THE BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY, THE PEDAL SINKING TO THE FLOOR. I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER IS KAPUT. I CAN UNDERSTAND IF THE BRAKES FAIL IF THERE'S A LEAK IN THE LINES OR THE …
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I RECENTLY BOUGHT A USED '93 BUICK LESABRE LIMITED WITH ABOUT 80,000 MILES ON IT. I DROVE IT FOR TWO DAYS WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THEN THE BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY, THE PEDAL SINKING TO THE FLOOR. I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER IS KAPUT. I CAN UNDERSTAND IF THE BRAKES FAIL IF THERE'S A LEAK IN THE LINES OR THE PADS HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACED--THOSE ARE MAINTENANCE ITEMS THAT ARE THE DRIVER'S RESPONSIBILITY. BUT A MASTER CYLINDER SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST WARN ME WITH AN IDIOT LIGHT(THEY HAD IDIOTS BACK IN '93 TOO) AND PREFERABLY SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. IT'S IN OTHERWISE GOOD SHAPE WITH ONLY TWO OWNERS AND NO ACCIDENTS. ALL THE HOSES ARE NEW AND THE INTERIOR IS IN GOOD SHAPE, SO I DON'T THINK ROUGH HANDLING CAUSED THE FAILURE. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS OLDER, AS BRAKES ARE VITAL TO SAFETY. I HAD A 97 HONDA WITH OVER 250K AND ITS STILL USING THE ORIGINAL BRAKES ALTHOUGH THE PADS AND DRUMS HAVE BEEN REDONE SEVERAL TIMES. THE TYPE OF FAILURE I EXPERIENCED COULD WELL HAVE KILLED ME. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 BUCK LESABRE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. SUDDENLY, THERE WAS NO POWER RESPONSE. A CHIME SOUNDED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNI…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 BUCK LESABRE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. SUDDENLY, THERE WAS NO POWER RESPONSE. A CHIME SOUNDED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED IN FIRST GEAR BEFORE THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A LEAKAGE IN THE REAR BRAKE LINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,821. UPDATED 4/7/2010 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE LINES SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF MATERIAL THAT DOES NOT RUST. UPDATED 06/24/10.*JB
BRAKES LOCKED UP WHILE APPLYING AND THE CONSUMER WASN'T ABLE TO DRIVE. DEALER CONTACTED, AND WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. TS..*AK
ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM SIEZED AFTER PANIC-STOP, UNABLE TO MOVE VEHICLE TO AVOID COLLISION - WOULD NOT RELEASE FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED WITHOUT BRAKING. SYSTEM FAILURE RESULTED IN THE NECESSARY REPLACEMENT OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: ANTI-LOCK BRAKE VALVE, MASTER CYLINDER, 2 LOADED CALIPERS, 2 BRAKE HOSES AND BRAKE FLUID AT THE COST OF $1192. VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP.
NO SUMMARY
BRAKES WERE NOT OPERABLE. WHEN CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES THERE WAS SEVERE VIBRATION. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND BRAKES WERE WARPED. *AK FRONT ROTORS BECOME WARPED EVERY 10,000 TO 12,000 MILES. *YH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
196V015000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines
Jan 23, 1996
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1991 THROUGH JULY 1995. THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE CAN SEPARATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN LOW TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH HIGH TRANSMISSION LOADS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: VEHICLE FIRES CAN OCCUR DUE TO THE SPILLAGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA93018 · Fuel Leaks
Opened Jul 13, 1993 · Closed Jun 24, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available
PE93013 · Fuel Leaks
Opened Mar 5, 1993 · Closed Jul 13, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available