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Buick LeSabre

L8_ApexL8_Apex Member Posts: 187
To those of you who have joined us from the
recently re-organized The 2000 Buick Lesabre, 2000
Buick Lesabre problems
, Whats going on with next
years Buick Le Sabre ?
, Any problems with 2000
LeSabre Buick Grand Touring Pkg?
, 2000 Le Sabre and
98 Buick LeSabre????? topics, please continue your
discussion here.

Welcome to you who have just joined us. You may
want to follow the above links for prior discussion
relating to this topic.

LeSabre shoppers, be sure read our First Test, A
No Apologies Kind of American Sedan
, and get your
Edmund's Buick LeSabre Pricing while you're here...

Thanks,

L8_Apex
Sedans Host
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Comments

  • mthaus25mthaus25 Member Posts: 1
    IN RESPONSE TO THE PERSON WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE 2000 BUICK LA SABRE SOUND SYSTEM- I AM IN TOTAL AGREEMENT. i LEASE A '99 ULTRA AND THE PREMIUM STEREO IS THE ONLY MAJOR COMPLAINT THAT I HAVE FOR WHAT IS FOR ME A WELL MADE PERFECT AUTOMOBILE. DESPITE WHAT APPEARS TO BE A QUALITY SYSTEM - THE SPEAKERS ARE PLACED POORLY AND DO NOT CREATE A STEREO AFFECT WITH THE SOUND NOT CREATING SEPARATION- YES IT FEELS LIKE THE SOUND IS IN THE CARPET - WHILE I AM USED TO IT I STILL TINKER WITH IT THINKING THERE IS JUST SOME SIMPLE EXPLANATION- THAT I DON'T HAVE IT SET RIGHT. MY SON PUTS HIS HEAD ON THE FLOOR OF THE CAR TO SEE IF BOTH SIDE DOOR SPEAKERS ARE ON.
    MY '86 CAMERO STEREO HAS MUCH BETTER SEPARATION AND MY '86 FORD TAURIS PREMIUM STEREO SOUNDS LIKE A CONCERT HALL AS COMPARED TO THE PLACEMENT OF MY BUICK SPEAKERS.
  • djackson2djackson2 Member Posts: 1
    I've read the posts and if I buy a LaSabre (Custom) I know to get the Grand Touring Package. Do I also need to get the Driver Confidence Package which also means I need to get the Traction Control. I haven't seen these discussed. If I missed them, I'm sorry.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    Had a similar thunk in my 95 park avenue each time I started it in the summer. Felt like it was under the passengers feet.
    After looking the dealer claimed it was the exhaust heat shield moving and popping. Note that in some cars - im' not sure about the buick - the exhaust shield may cover rather large areas down the length of the exhaust.
    The dealer did some adjusting but it never really went away.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    I had a 2000 lesabre on order with the gran touring package but each week the order was rejected by buick. After a month I got fed up. After 3 hours of phone calls to buick/gm, I finally felt they didn't care about answering my question as to when they would take my order. So I cancelled my order and went looking elsewhere.
    I bought my first foreign car - a 2000 Infiniti I30. Really nice with a much better warranty - 4 yrs, 60,000 miles bumper to bumper all for about the same price as a lesabre limited. But beware - your insurance will be slightly higher so factor that in. Your resale should be better based on the research I have done so far. One real cool ride and the dealer falls over backwards giving service. Check it out.
  • boots96boots96 Member Posts: 5
    Ordered a LeSabre Limited with a Y56 Gran Touring package back in June and waited 15 weeks for delivery. Whenever I talked to the dealer, they told me there was a hold-up on the Y56 wheels but it should be lifted shortly.

    Today I called Buick Customer Service who told me there has been a 'constraint' (corporate mumbo-jumbo for "we don't have any") on the Y56 package and they had no info on when Buick would begin producing cars again with the Y56 wheels. Told the Customer Service Rep we weren't talking rocket science here -- the Y56 wheels are what's in all the 4-color brochures and on the Internet. The crowning blow was when she told me they didn't even have an order to build my car -- the dealer may have tried to submit an order, but Buick hadn't accepted it because of the constraint.

    Went to the dealer's sales manager who admitted they were sitting on the order waiting for the constraint to be lifted -- even if the constraint was lifted today I would still be 8 to 10 weeks from getting delivery. Told him politely (more or less)that was no way for his dealership and Buick to treat customers. I could have ordered a fancy rice-burner and had it shipped all the way from Japan in less time than they wasted 'non-processing' my order.

    Is it any wonder why GM is losing market share? I cancelled my order and walked out!
  • gregor3gregor3 Member Posts: 1
    I ordered a custom fully loaded, leather,power seats & windows, traction control, stabila-trak, Heads-up display, lace wheels, comes with larger wheels and the Premium package. Moon -roof dealer installed, ( he said it's larger and gives more head room to my 6'1 frame) Runs great(I also drive a Coup-DeVille)The Lesabre is a very tight ride. The new ones come with side panel moldings painted the same as the car.( side ground effects) I noticed the older ones on the lot had 15" wheels and no side panels. I'm very pleased. why go to a mid-sized rice burner for more $$ ,less luxury, less all over! regards GR
  • wilf1wilf1 Member Posts: 1
    To boots96
    Don't worry about it. You havn't missed too much.
  • powerisfunpowerisfun Member Posts: 358
    The passenger door of my 1989 LeSabre T-type does not function reliably. Most of the time the door handle button has no resistance even when the door is not locked. This may sound weird, but, when this is the case, the "fasten seat belts" light stays on (and all seat belts are fastened) and the battery drains. I have to use a slim-jim to get the door open even though it is NOT locked, otherwise my car won't start the next morning. I have tried cleaning and relubing the latch inside the door to no avail. Any suggestions? Thanks.
  • boots96boots96 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for your comment. Still think the Limited would have been a good car for putting in my wife's stall, but GM and the dealer made the decision to cancel a no-brainer. Back to the drawing board.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    I also had a 2000 lesabre on order and cancelled because buick would not accept the order due to the restriction. I spent over 3 hours on the phone with them and got no where (including one who claimed to report directly to the ceo). No reason - on info - no date, just stalling. They said they would call me back in 24 hours - has now been 3 weeks. What a bunch of jerks. I would have accepted almost any answer if they would have at least given me a date. I always bought american cars and even refused to walk on a foreign car lot. Anyway, I went looking elsewhere and ended up at the Infiniti dealer where I bought my first foreign car - a 2000 I30. What a neat car - sporty, looks great, drives great with a better warrenty than buick, a free loaner when serviced and better resale. All for the price of the Buick limited. I recommend you go and check them out. May be what you are looking for.
  • boots96boots96 Member Posts: 5
    I've been reading your earlier posts about your experience with Buick yanking you around and your decision to buy the i30. I think you've made a very good choice and I'd like to have one. One little problem however - service. See, when I click on the Infiniti website and go to the locator, the following four 'closest' dealers are in Aurora CO, Murray(SLC)UT, Colorado Springs CO, and Spokane WA. Here's a teaser: where do I live? Hint: I'm retired and live here by choice.
  • joemarjoemar Member Posts: 3
    Do any of the people who have problems with the quality of the Buick Premium Sound System have any suggestions for a solution.

    Are there any after-market corrections/purchases to be made. My best experience in my cars has been with Bose.
  • george5george5 Member Posts: 23
    Some of the new Chevy Impalas are having a problem that may be related to your problem with the sound system not sounding good. It was found that those who ordered/bought an Impala with the upgraded sound system had two speakers missing. If I remember correctly, the rear speakers were not coaxial or something like that when they should have been. People reported that bass was almost non-existent as a result. Read the later parts of Impala thread Topic #1482 (now frozen because full) and Topic#2596 (new topic for Impala). Somebody should have their speakers checked and report back to this topic. Hope this helps.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    If I was a guessing man I would say Idaho. To bad, you live in a really great area but Infiniti does not sound like the company for you due to availability. I would not rule out driving a 150 to 200 miles but yours sounds a lot further than this. So far I have found the quality of the i30 to be great and don't expect a lot of service requirements. They even have a do-it-yourself section in their manual showing how to do routine maintenance such as oil changes, etc. I do get a free loaner when I take the car in so that is one advantage. But unfortunately I believe you will have to drive too far. Really interesting given the number of car choices we have today and the few that appeal to me. After the Lesabre deal fell through I almost said I would wait a year to see what else was out there (maybe a 2001 lesabre) but decided to look at foreign cars. The I30 is built on the same platform, engine, etc. as the Nissan Maxima, Not sure if you would be interested in one of these but they can be had fully loaded (similar to the I30) for a couple of thousand below the i30. I have not looked at a 2000 Maxima and they may look like crap - who knows. But at least this would be an option to ponder. Personally I would not buy the maxima because I like to have something different and find the i30 is just that. Really turns the heads. The Infiniti dealer is less than 10 miles from my house. I really liked the looks of the Lesabre, handling (with the touring package) and overall car but got fed up trying to work with such a bunch of jerks. Felt if I really needed them if I had a problem, they would not be there and my phone calls just trying to get the commitment of a date they would accept the order proved it, at least to me. I looked at the Lincoln LS - that would be another option for you to look at. Just didn't hit it off with the Lincoln dealer - he made the mistake of talking down to my wife. It did not drive and ride a good as an Infiniti. They have a good idea in the car but just didn't seem to get all of the details worked out. I don't expect the lincoln to hold resale as well and since I trade cars every 4-5 years this is something for me to consider. Not so sure about getting rid of the i30 in that time period - my wife has really taken a liking to it and she keeps cars much longer than that. If you do go look at the Lincoln LS make sure you get traction control since the LS is a rear wheel drive car. I am sure you have lots of snow/ice during the winter. After driving the i30 I would have to give strong consideration to looking at the Nissan Maxima over the Lincoln LS. Anyway - good luck hunting - let me know what you finally decide upon.
  • boots96boots96 Member Posts: 5
    Idaho was a good guess -- actually live in Sheridan Wyoming. That puts the nearest I30 dealer 450 miles away. There are advantages to living here, but lots of car dealerships isn't one of them. We are probably going to get a Lincoln LS or a Toyota Avalon. Both are available here in town assuming I can get a reasonable price from the dealer here in town. If not, then we'll get one from an internet dealer or go out of town. Cheers.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    Charlotte NC here - spent a week in Sheridan about 20 years ago - beautiful area. Interesting experience going to Lincoln dealer and watching them try to sell the LS which is so different from their historical product line. Performance - Handling - in a Lincoln. Thought it was funny when the salesman said he had to drive the car off the lot before I could drive it and proceeded to try and make a performance pitch including locking up the brakes on a stop to show how well the ABS system worked. Still felt they were just not tying all the knots togeather in this car - maybe in a couple of more years. Has similar size and styling to the I30 but was not as comfortable a car to drive as the Infiniti. My wife also didn't like the seats in the LS. Looked at the Cadillac Cateria but found it was such a small car - never drove one. Never drove Avalon but recently rented 2000 Toyota Camry on business trip. I was surprised as how well the car drove and handled and it was pretty comfortable. I have a herniated disk in my back and am real sensitive to comfort, power seats, driving position, etc. and this becomes a major factor in purchasing a car. Don't mind spend a few extra thousand to get the better ride. I look back at all this and realize Buick did me a great favor in not being able to deliver the Lesabre. I don't know what the Avalon warranty is but would certainly have to put it on the list of cars to drive. What about the Lexus or Acura. They have models that compete with the I30 and I believe models in the low $30's. At least some other options to consider if dealers are available in your area. Post and let us know what you finally decided on and good luck.
  • creneaucreneau Member Posts: 1
    Everyone who purchased something else than the Buick LeSabre made a wise decision. I bought the 2000 Buick LeSabre and it has a design problem with the seats (which Buick admitted). Neither the dealer or Buick would do anything about it. Also some of the Chevys and some other GM cars have the
    same seat problem.
    I traded it for a 2000 Dodge Durango and am very happy with it.
  • picantepicante Member Posts: 27
    What was the design problem? I'm considering ordering the "5 Passenger Seating Package" on a 2000 Custom (for my mother-in-law -- I drive an I30).

    Thanks!

    Raoul
  • henryjhenryj Member Posts: 6
    I just bought a new model and I think the seats are great......I don't have bucket seats .....
  • dontowenothindontowenothin Member Posts: 1
    If you have a big butt and wide hips be assured that the seat belt latch holders in the Buick Le Saber 2000 will poke to in the butt every time you enter and exit that car. My suggestion to you is to drive less and walk more and lose your dimension in that region. Otherwise , NO rice box will give you the hip and shoulder room of this car in this price range or thr trunk cargo capacity or the performance on regular gas or the mileage on regular gas. The handling is super and the Y56 is worth the wait. For the money you get far more with the Buick than any models except the Ford/Mercury rear wheel drive package CV amd Grand Marquis. I don't know of any better deals unless you want a cramped ride in a euro box or rice bucket. I have no excuse for GM's attitude and it's knowledge that the y56 package means that
    many Americans ,who choose to have a decent suspension mean nothing to them. The arrogant bastards will pay for their attitude with their jobs eventually.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    In 1972 I had a Buick Salesman tell me they did not need my business to stay in business. That was true untill 1995 when I bought a new Park Avenue. In 56000 miles I replaced a rear window motor (warranty), both rear wheel brake cylinders (out of warranty), the brake master cylinder (out of warranty), battery (out of warranty) and both constant velocity driveshafts were on the downhill side of failing (about $500 to fix). Dealer could not fix squeaking dash. Ordered a 2000 lesabre with Y56 package. Dealer ordered for 3 weeks and buick rejected order each time. I finally called buick and gm spending over 3 hours on the phone with them (on my nickle). Asking the simple question, "WHEN WILL BUICK ACCEPT MY ORDER" and "IS THE Y56 PACKAGE ALLOCATION BASED ON DEALER SALES OR CUSTOMER PREFERENCE". I just wanted to know how long I would have to wait and if I would be better trying to work with another dealer. (I had personally called or visited 7 dealers trying to get the car ordered). Buick or GM never returned my calls with an answer and after 2 weeks I wrote them a letter (to CEO and COO). Well about 3 weeks later they called me - said allocation was based on dealer allocations and not customers orders. So the customer is less importiant to buick than the dealers. At least you now know what they think of you. They still could not tell me when Buick would accept my order even 5 weeks later. They really don't care about the individual consumer - you are just a complaining number to those guys. I got tired of their crap and canceled the order. It will be a cold day in hell before I buy another Buick. I had never bought a foreign car and even admonsed my relatives and co-workers when they bought a foreign car. I WAS BUY AMERICAN - GM, FORD AND CHRYSLER - PERIOD. I tried to buy a cadillac sls but dealer tried to outright cheat me on the deal (didn't even offer all of the dealer incentive off msrp on a 1999 model) and lowballed the trade in. And new pontiac bonnivelle had dents in the fender and bad paint - Yea - I really want that. I got tired of buying poor quality cars from dealers who tried to cheat me and could not deliver. I finally went on the foreign car lots and ended up finding better quality cars, better warranties, better resale, better ride all for about the same money. For the first time I acted like an intellegent consumer. I won't hurt buick, they will just suck another customer in through their slick advertising. But if you want the 2000 lesabre with the Y56 gran touring package (and to replace those crappy looking stock wheels) be prepared to wait, wait, wait, ........
  • dkent1dkent1 Member Posts: 2
    I hate to admit I am Canadian when I see the cars assigned to compete in the latest Automobile Journalists of Canada Year 2000 competition.

    Check it out at : <<A HREF="http://www.ajac.org/coty.htm">http://www.ajac.org/coty.htm&gt;

    Make sure you send an email (at end of page) to let them know what a good job they did pitting the 2000 Buick against the I30 against the Lincoln LS-V8!!

    Dave.

    P.S. If you want a better laugh, look at last years winners!
  • jbarrie201jbarrie201 Member Posts: 4
    Hi Raoul,
    I have a question for you. We have on order a 2000 Custom Lesabre with the identical options that you purchased. Like you we did not like the wheels and we have our dealer looking into the 15" multispoke aluminum wheel. It would appear that you ordered the 16" cross-lace. We were under the impression that to order this tire you needed to order the Gran Touring Package? We also got a great price of $24950, excluding upgraded tire which dealer is looking into. We live in South Carolina.
    Jean
  • henryjhenryj Member Posts: 6
    Just returned from first short trip with new limited 2000 and me and my wife really like our new car....how could we get so many gadgets and a tight car for less than 30,000.....went through a rainstorm and no leaks from moon-roof.....never had one before and wife loves it...likes to look through glass or leave it open these fall days.....takes off from red light in fine shape and merges into freeway traffic just fine.....I like to drive up to reg gaspump.....not so expensive....it looks more like sport sedan than old design.....
  • boots96boots96 Member Posts: 5
    I'll make this the last post to this thread--you asked me to let you know when we made a decision on what we bought after the Buick LeSabre deal fell through. Last Friday, we bought a 2000 Avalon XLS with leather, power everything, moonroof, etc. I shopped the Internet for an Avalon for about three days (carorder.com, carsdirect.com, autoadvantage.com, etc.) to get an idea of what kind of deals were out there, and then went to my local dealer. He beat the best that any of the internet sources would give me, and he had the car on the lot -- no waiting! It pays to do your homework that's for sure. Anyway, my wife likes the car a lot better than the Buick Limited, even if it will take her a year to read and understand the owner's manual because of all the the bells and whistles the XLS has on it. A final thought: 99% of all car salesmen give the rest of them a bad name!!
  • nwalkernwalker Member Posts: 17
    Thanks for weighing in as someone who is satisfied with the new 2000 Buick Le Sabre. My experience with the new Limited is just like yours-total satisfaction. I too enjoy being able to use the least expensive gasoline. I routinely drive 80 miles to and from our vacation property over two lane winding roads and the gt package works for me. I drove a Toyota Camry for the last 6 years and the Buick offers luxury I am not accustomed to. Equally important, my wife likes it.
    If you are new to this discussion, you may not know that it changes in tone from time to time depending on who is contributing. When I was researching and buying my Limited last spring and early summer, the tone was very positive (Our biggest problem at the time was that we could not get the 16" polished aluminum wheels with the gt package.)
    I was priveleged to be able to gather helpful information from contributor kvogt. We haven't heard from him for a while and that is unfortunate.
  • ballbagballbag Member Posts: 4
    I've been considering a 2000 LeSabre but I was wondering about a few things. Several reviews I read for the car talk about a more rigid body. What is the advantage of that? I've also read that the engine is a pushrod type. What's that and is there a disadvantage/advantage to it? Lastly, is there a difference between the Y56 package and the Grand Touring package?
  • jmacikowskijmacikowski Member Posts: 1
    Would like to pros / cons on the Stabilitrak option.
    Thanks
    John
  • nwalkernwalker Member Posts: 17
    I am not an automotive expert. I have owned my 2000 Limited for four months and have a little over 4000 miles on it. As I said above, I am completely satisfied with it. I believe the advantage of the increased rigidity is that it reduces weight-shifting which made the older Buicks favor straight lines rather than curves (see Car and Driver Magazine, Jan 1999). This plus the Y56 performance suspension provides a solid feeling of assurance on winding roads which would have had older Buicks rolling uncomfortably. See also Car and Driver Magazine, May 1999 for a comparison with the Chrysler Concorde. I am not aware of any advantage of a push-rod engine which uses push-rods to activate the valves as compared to an overhead cam engine other than that you never have to worry about breaking a drive belt or chain which could leave you stopped on the side of the road with possible major engine damage. I think Buick uses the older style pushrod engine because it would be expensive to upgrade to a more modern style. They have improved it over the years. It is quiet and durable. The Y56 package is the Gran Touring Package. There is more to it than just the suspension. Again I say, I am not an expert on this subject. I don't feel that I need to prove anything in my choice of cars or on the highway. The Buick is perfect for me.
  • picantepicante Member Posts: 27
    The N66 cross-lace 16" wheels are available without the GT package. With the Base Package, they cost about $350. With the Premium, Luxury, or Prestige Packages, they cost about $50.

    -- Raoul
  • ballbagballbag Member Posts: 4
    I just got back from a dealer that had a limited with the Grand Touring package. I compared it to a regular LeSabre and I have to say that neither of them seemed as good as the last one I tested which was also a 2000. It must be my perception. I still think the car is a great deal but I'm going to look around a bit more. I want to try an Infiniti and a Camry. I'd try an avalon but they're expensive.
  • jbarrie201jbarrie201 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the info. I found out from the dealer that we could get the cross-laced wheels for an additional $50 . We are going for them it is good value.
    JB
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    Be aware of the two following recalls on the 2000 Lesabre.

    99V238000 which is the failure to tighten bolts on brake booster. Failure could cause loss of brakes.

    99V301000 which is the failure to tighten the tie rod end. Failure could cause loss of steering control.

    If you have already purchased a 2000 Lesabre - contact your dealer immediately as both of these present serious safety concerns.
    For more info visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov
  • jimjoyjimjoy Member Posts: 1
    for info on the 2000 lesabre suggest you goto www.nctd.com and follow the links to 2000 m0dels and then to full size sedans. Despite some people being ticked off about the constraint on the gran touring package this is a great car and I will buy one if I can get the Pontiac Montana out of my mind.
  • kensrkensr Member Posts: 5
    Hello: Some of my thoughts on the Y2K LeSabre. (For what they are worth, I'll admit, not much.) Last week we too deliver of a Limited w/SE package, Leather & Y56 (GTP). It took 3 mo. for it was a special order that got caught up in the hold for the GTP wheels for 5 weeks. Even after we got the word about the hold, we waited for we didn't want it w/o the GTP. (Also, we had already sold our '95 Olds LSS.) It drives and rides great and (more important) my wife thinks so too. It has no surprises for we had an '89 Olds w/FE3 suspension (Olds '89 version of the GTP) & a 95 Olds LSS. The LSS was Olds' equivalent of the new Buick.

    I have been reading some comments from those who didn't wait and bought rice burners instead. They keep telling us how great they drive and never need any maintenance but they never tell us about their frequent (and expensive) "scheduled maintenance". While waiting for the Y2K, we drove our son's pumped up 5 banger Volvo [Volvo 850 Turbo (Supercharged 5 cyl)]. It is a great car but gives a harsher ride and is not a stable as either the 95 Olds or the Buick, has less room and costs much more. Also in 45,000 it has been in the shop many time for warrantee work - including two tow jobs. Good thing it has a 50,000 mile warrantee. My 89 maintenance consisted of oil changes and lubrication and a battery. It ran as good as new and used no more oil. The 95 only had 61,000, looked and drove like new but we got the "bug".

    Concerning the Crossed Laced wheels vs the GTP. As you probably know, the GTP not only includes the wheels but also Firestone TOURING tires, leather steering wheel, stiffer fron springs and rear stabilizer bar and a 3.05 axle vs 2.86. I like the looks of the cross laced wheels but in my book, the Firestone tires alone are worth the cost of the package. The cross laced tires are the same size but are non-touring Generals worth much less. Both Olds had touring tires that lasted well over 70,000 miles. I have had several GM cars with heavy duty suspensions and would not buy any - repeat any - car w/o it.

    About engines. The replacement for the 3.8 "pushrod" engine is the 3.5 OHC "high tech" engine. As this is my 3rd 3.8 and I have had no problems, I personally will take an "old fashioned pushrod" that has had some 13 years development over the new 3.5 "high tech" that doesn't get any better gas mileage and has to work harder to get the job done. True the OHC does away with many parts (lifters, pushrods & rocker arms) but GM has been using them since the '20s and seem to have them working pretty well. Also, they seem to work pretty well in NASCAR racing engines.

    In case I am accused of being a GM ad man, I plead innocent. True I have owned mostly GM cars, but I also have had Fords, Mercs and Toyotas. The day the Japanese bad mouthed the US auto workers, they turned me off to all Japanese autos. (No, I'm not an auto worker either.)
  • nwalkernwalker Member Posts: 17
    I agree with kensr especially concerning the scheduled maintenance costs. I drove my Camry for six years and still have it. It is a great car. Almost nothing went wrong with it in the 70000 miles I have put on it. But, the 30,000 mile service cost $250 several years ago and the 60,000 mile check was twice that. I am ready for the 90,000 mile service now. Scheduled maintenance for the Le Sabre consists mostly of oil changes and tire rotations. But, the big advantage in my mind is the comfort I get from my Buick. I never got that from the Camry.
  • king34king34 Member Posts: 2
    Has any owners had problems with torque steer when accelerating? This a problem with the 2000 I own and the Dealer and Buick have been
    unable to find a fix or cause.
  • henryjhenryj Member Posts: 6
    Hi king34
    What do you mean by trouble....could you explain...I would be interested since I just bought a Limited and do not know what you mean.....
  • ech227ech227 Member Posts: 6
    I went looking at LeSabres this Sunday since the dealers were closed and noticed that there appears to be a design change on the 2000s that wasn't originally on the car when they came out a few months ago. Half of the LeSabres have what looks like additional bodyside cladding along the wheelbase under the doors. It looks like an additional lip has been added to the car. There is no mention of this on the window sticker (i.e. a new option). It appeared on Customs, Limiteds and Gran Touring Models. Cars that have been on the lot longer (my guess) don't have it. I personally think it detracts from the looks of the car. Of course this car is for my mother so she may not care.

    Not to make this post too long, but about 7 of the 25 LeSabres on the lot had the Gran Touring Package. Some were Customs with 1SD package others had the 1SE package and a few Limiteds as well. The Gran Touring wheels are MUCH better than the standard wheels. I also was not impressed with what appeared to be poor build quality on many of the cars. Most models had pinstriping (included in the package) and it did not line up between the doors or doors and fenders. Also the doors appeared not to line up for the trim by the windows. I personally thought this was a shame for a 26K car.
  • ballbagballbag Member Posts: 4
    I'm going to try Infiniti and Toyota and retry Mitsubishi and Volvo before deciding on what to get. If the seats were just a little more comfortable on the lesabre I'd be sold already but the volvo and diamante were just amazing for seats. The ride on the diamante was quieter and smoother too. I'd have just bought one of those but there are no side airbags. I wish someone would make the perfect sedan. It's such a hard decision.
  • king34king34 Member Posts: 2
    Torque steer is a condition that causes the vehicle to steer or pull to right or left when accelerating. This is most noticeable when accelerating hard. When moving forward from a stop the steering wheel will first rotate counter-clockwise momentarily, then back clockwise and continues to steer toward the right. This pull to the right can also be felt at higher speeds(like 40 mph) when accelerating to pass and transmission shifts down. The pull can be felt immediately after shifting. My vehicle also has
    a vibration/chatter sound/feeling in the steering system at idle speed, transmission in drive and turning the steering wheel. This condition has not caused any problems but affects drivability and stability.
  • ballbagballbag Member Posts: 4
    I just got back from trying an Infinity I30 and a Nissan Maxima. I liked the i30 pretty well but I noticed quite a bit of torque steer on the maxima. I think the best cars in my opinion under 35k are: Mitsubishi Diamante, LeSabre, Lexus ES300, Infiniti I30 and Volvo S80. I still need to try a Toyota though.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    have them check the motor supports. I had an 88 dodge aries which after about 5 years began to have bad torque steer. After checking I found the motor supports were worn which allowed the engine to twist in the motor supports thus the high torque steer. Replacing two of the three motor supports fixed the problem. Maybe they have some bad motor supports out there which allows the motor to over flex in the engine compartment.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    I had a lesabre on order with a dealer and buick would not accept the order due to a restriction of the gran touring package. I ended up canceling the order and bought an i30 - my first foreign car. After reading the postings on this topic and the i30 topic I believe I made the best decision.
  • jbarrie201jbarrie201 Member Posts: 4
    We took delivery on a custom Buick Lesabre on Friday and we are delighted with it. We ordered it with cross-lace wheels and a sunroof, amongst other goodies and the workmanship is impeccable. The only complaint that we have so far is that we can't program the Universal Transmitter to open our garage. It may have something to do with the fact that we have a rather sophisticated opener that as a safety feature changes codes constantly. We will be picking up our new license plate from the dealer next week and we will see if he can accomplish what we were unable to. But if that is the only problem that we encounter we will be most pleased. Good luck to all you prospective car buyers.
    JB
  • leftonlefton Member Posts: 8
    Any info on 2000 Le Sabre Limited Sedan w/Gran Touring Pkg price paid would be so helpful. Thanks
  • charlottea1charlottea1 Member Posts: 1
    Just bought 1998 Buick Lesabre Custom, Did not hit , drag or run over any objects, just in front of right passenger wheel, moulding came loose, screw in panel can be seen. Has anyone had this problem with Buick Lesabre. Also back window, drivers side will not roll down, saw this on two or three Buicks while shopping for them, anyone else with this problem?
  • nwalkernwalker Member Posts: 17
    In June of this year the invoice price of a 2000 Buick Le Sabre Limited with Prestige Pkg, GT Pkg, and leather seating was $26,447 (Source:MSN CarPoint, Kelley Blue Book, USAA.) Sticker price was $28,945 here in Washington State. I paid $27,000 which at $553 over invoice was fine with me. My dealer had to find the car I wanted and pick it up about 90 miles away. I had, over the last seven years accumulated a little over $5,200 of rebate earnings on my GM MasterCard. That came off the price after negotiation with the dealer. It was quick, easy, and very helpful. Good luck with your purchase.
  • kensrkensr Member Posts: 5
    Just read about your garage door opener problem. I had the same trouble at first but think it was me, not the opener. The book says that if a code has been set, you must push both the outside buttons until you get a rapid (or steady light, I don't remember which). Mine had never been set that I knew of (the car had 5 miles when I too delivery) so I didn't do that step at first. When I couldn'dt get it to work, I did that and then was able to set both doors with no problems. I have two doors both with rotating codes. Good luck. We have almost 2000 in 3 wks and love the car better day. In a previous post, I mentioned that we drove our son's 95 Volvo that had been in the shop many times for warrantee work. Today, it went in again for a gasoline leak that will probably require the tank to come off - this time, out of warrantee! Enjoy the Buick!!
  • jbarrie201jbarrie201 Member Posts: 4
    We had so much to read in that manual that we overlooked the garage opener. Anyway we have now programed the garage opener. Enjoy your Buick too Ken...it is such a fun car!
    JB
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