2nd Mar 2006, 15:21

To the person with the problems (7 shop visits) : Have you checked the title to see if it was a salvaged car? In a Flood recently? That would be my first thought.

10th Sep 2006, 17:54

Sorry to hear about your problems. Once GM fixed my interior switch and lighting problems the car has been a dream. Of course with 80K on it now I have had to replace the tires, shocks, brakes, you know the normal wear and tear items, but other than that it has been a great car need very little garage time.

4th Feb 2008, 21:29

An update on the Buick. An outstanding car! Gas, oil, new set of tires (the ones on it when I purchased it had 50,000 miles on them) and off we go. No major issues after the dealer fixed the original problems noted in 2004. A shame they stopped making them.

13th Feb 2008, 12:53

I bought my 2002 Buick Le Sabre Limited in November of 2003. It had 12,700 miles on it. It has been a reliable car as far as any major things. The gas mileage is great for a full size car. I average 24.7 mpg combined driving. My complaints are with the little things. We've had to replace the headlamps and tail lights several times. The heated seat on the driver's side stopped working 2 years ago. Some of the interior lights stopped working two or three years ago. The back wall of the trunk will not stay up. I could go on, but you get the picture. I would think a long time before buying another Buick.

Barbara - Upstate area of South Carolina.

25th Oct 2008, 21:04

Original commenter again: Just hit 100,000 miles. Only out of the ordinary problems are a failed hydraulic motor mount and broken sway bar bolt. Both were found at the same time. Just tuned it up and changed the tranny and radiator fluids this summer. Averaging 26 mpg. Oh, and the light on the steering wheel cruise control button has gone out again. Other than that car has been great.

4th Jan 2011, 02:21

I'm currently shopping for a used car, and seriously considering a 2000 or newer LeSabre if I can find one.

I'm a younger guy who loves older cars, but unfortunately I need a newer looking car for work. I would love to drive my old Chevy Caprice around, but my job requires a late model car, so I will keep the Caprice for the weekends.

The Buick LeSabre seems to be the only large, comfortable, full size sedan left in the market, combined with the reliability of the 3.8 engine, it is an obvious choice for me.

Hope I find a nice clean low mileage one soon!

4th Jan 2011, 16:21

How about a Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis? They are both body and frame and rear wheel drive, just like your Caprice, and they still make them. Their 4.6 V8 is also extremely reliable.

4th Jan 2011, 17:37

If you buy a LeSabre, I would recommend a 2003-2005. The early models of the last Generation seem to have poor reliability, especially in the power window department. As a Park Avenue owner, I would say that this car would meet your tastes even better at a similar price point, with somewhat better reliability than the LeSabre. It would be hard to go wrong with a 1997-2005 Park Avenue with low miles. But the LeSabre is a nice car as well if that is what you truly want, much better than most of the small plasticmobiles being made today.

6th Jan 2011, 19:24

Still shopping for a nice condition 2001 or newer Buick LeSabre. I would certainly settle for a Park Avenue as well, but I haven't seen very many for sale in my area.

I heard that the window motors can be a problem, however the aftermarket kit available to fix it with a better window regulator costs only $60, and my neighbor can install it.

That seems to be the only concern with these cars, but then again, a very minor problem I can deal with.

The Ford Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis are nice too, but I've had bad luck with Ford in the past, and it's not worth the gamble. GM has always been good to me and my family, and I like the look of the LeSabre/Park Avenue better.

8th Jan 2011, 13:21

I agree, even though the Park Avenue/LeSabre are smaller than the FoMoCo big cars, I think they are better looking. They have that classic coke bottle shape that reminds you of the classic GM big cars from the 60's and 70's.

Have you checked AutoTrader.com? It is a great resource for buying used cars. I found my 2005 Buick Park Avenue with 16K miles in 2008. I had to drive about 3-4 hours to pick it up, but it has been well worth it. Depending on how low of mileage you are looking for, there are dozens of these cars listed for sale. Plus you can search for cars up to 25 miles away, if you don't want to go long distance.

8th Jan 2011, 13:28

Actually 16:21, I don't believe either the Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis are being manufactured any longer. The Crown Victoria hasn't been available to the general public since 2008, and I believe last year was the end of the road for all Mercury products. If I am wrong about the Grand Marquis, I do know that it along with the Town Car will not be manufactured after this model year. They were manufactured 6 years longer than the aforementioned GM products though, which in my opinion is very unfortunate, as they were more appealing.

9th Jan 2011, 17:49

The last Grand Marquis officially rolled off the line January 4th 2011 at 8:00 a.m. The Crown Victoria and Town Car WILL NOT be done until September 2011. That will be a sad day. I'm 21, own a 98' Victoria and 95' Marquis, both in excellent condition, and would buy a 2011 Town Car Signature L if I could. The L stands for six inches longer.

21st Mar 2013, 15:11

Original poster again. Sold the car to a friend who needed a vehicle after divorce. It is now living a cushy, low mileage life in DC. The catalytic converter went bad and my repair shop (not any more) botched the replacement job. Not the car's fault.

Yes, I had the window issue, but all in all, the Buick was very easy on the wallet, needing mostly preventative maintenance.

I did have the driver's seat re-stuffed, but the seat covers were in great shape.