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wheels, but in colors that aren't the three for Celebration models. Has
LeSabre started selling the chromes with other colors?
They really make the cars look sharp. Saw a black one, and a Dark green and a white
one with what looked like the same wheels over about 8 weeks now. Maybe they're
aftermarket...
I've seen a LeSabre with the portholes like Park Avenue Ultras,
but in gold with a tan vinyl roof added to the light bronzemist. Little "too much" for
my taste, but the lady driving it seemed happy!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Also, found out that our '03 LaSabre does not come with a cabin air filter but it seems like the housing under the hood is there from the factory. Do I just have to buy a filter and put it in for the system to work or do I need the dealer to install a factory cabin air kit?
Buy the way, we really love the car, just wish they would have put in 3 rear head rests.
Anyway, to make this LeSabre related, we had a 2002 LeSabre Custom that was an Enterprise rental for a month after our 300M got crushed. Loved every second of it and planned to trade the Chrysler for one after we got it back, but things changed. Still, a great car and I'd buy one in a heartbeat!
Warning: Do Not Trust GM officials. They have no interest in helping consumers.
You shouldn't make a blanket statement about GM personnel.
If you're having a dealer problem, talk to them.
My 03 Limited has been great. Very well put together. 31.5 mpg on trips at
75-80 with air conditioning on. 22 around city driving.
Go read the honda accord problems Part 2 forum, or the toyota problems
forum if you want to hear about factory not handling flaws...
Or the honda pilot seems to have many builtin "features" that are giving problems.
As for the battery under the seat, much better weight distribution and longer battery life
since it's not heated to extremes in the engine compartment.
How many cars have batteries under the rear, out of the engine compartment???
BTW. The gas tank is under the rear seat on most cars. I'd much rather be in a full size
Buick than a honda or camry in an accident.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
6 years exclusive of mileage. In past paint problems that time limit has been applied. The dealership's
ethics seem to be a part of getting it done: the paint shop doesn't make nearly
as much on that repaint paint by factory or paint supplier as they make on
ordinary work. Therefore they are reluctant to "lose" the profit they could make
on someone else.
Try searching on the Google.com search engine for paint problems mentioned on
webpages.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I have an appt. with dealer on new recall for the 00 LeSabre with coolant issues. will approach again on the paint problem
Looking at it from outside, it's imposing. Consumer Reports says has "Average Reliability".
Can you guys talk about your experiences with it? I'm considering a Buick (have actually for sometime) but didn't take the plunge yet. The only "Above Average Reliability" Buick I found was the Regal, but got mixed reviews on the car from owners.
What I'd like to know is whether it fits 6 people comfortably, ergonomics, hx of repairs, dependability, engine power, gas consumption, and anything else you'd care to share. I know is a safe car.
I believe that in spite of some people's attitudes towards domestic makers, and others who see Buick as the "old man car", I tend to follow what I believe is value over hype.
Price $52 for holder and filter. The filter is about $20 replacement dealer. Has anyone had experience with other filter sources that are cheaper?
I looked at Pep Boys but they had none in stock so I couldn't price check.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Mileage on flat interstates at 70-75 to Nashville was 32 including gas stops and food stops. To Pigeon Force on hilly I-75 through KY and TN gave 31 and 29. All with air conditioning running.
Around town is 26. Total driving with short runs to grocery, post office box, etc., is 22. My wife drives those and has a heavy foot.
Power is great and smooth. I consider it the same car as the Park Avenue, I looked underneath and asked my service manager. The extra 5 inches for the Park Avenue somes from larger bumper extensions on front and rear, I think. This car looks like the Seville, Deville, with slightly different sheet metal.
The Park Avenue has cigarette lighters in rear arm rests in doors, storage compartment in the rear armrest in center (LeSabre has arm rerest with cupholderws), and rear ultrasonice parking sensor in the bumper. The seats and car felt the same. I don't see the difference. They drove the same for me other than slight change in strut valving.
Had one rattle where HUD display plastic is loose when the dash is hot in sun. Easily fixed. Dealer is great on service.
In one of the plants that assembles LeSabre, the Deville and Seville and Aurora and Park Avenue are made. In the other plant, only LeSabres. But the similarity in the cars sold me over the accord. I read the problems with the accord on the accord problems part II topic here on edmunds and I'm glad I didn't buy one. Rattles, pops in the frame, brakes that warp, v6 that gets poor gas mileage and needs premium fuel...
If this car got wrecked, I buy the exact same model in an 04, unless there were additional options beyond the Celebration.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If you are buying a new LeSabre, take a long drive at relatively high speed. Make sure you shut the radio so that you could assess the wind noise.
Once the problems were fixed, LeSabre is a pleasure to drive.
I have some mixed feelings about purchasing a Japanese vehicle as I perceive that they are arrogant and have increasingly become insensitive to customers. When I buy a car I'm also buying into the company and I need them to be sensitive to my needs. This may sound idealistic but is my view. They sell you the car and you are on you own pretty much. This has been my experience all along but I also understand that this indifference to the consumer is across the board now a days.
But back to the Le Sabre, it impresses me as a vault on wheels, sturdy, strong, safe and a comfortable and powerful large sedan. It doesn't have the econobox look. Easy to buy too.
imidazol97 "Lutz tells Buick "emulate Lexus"." Jul 26, 2003 11:24am
It's called Lutz tells Buick to Emulate Lexus
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
What was shocking was that the GM area vehicle manager, the highest ranking local rep of the company, used all sort of gimmicks, including a Radio Shack gadget, to prove that there was no problem with the car and it was just in our minds. GM personnel and the dealer from whom we bought the car were totally incompetent and untrustworthy.
The point is GM organization is infested with creeps. The Area Vehicle Manager we were dealing with persuaded their Tempa Buick Assistance Center to tell us that he is the big boss and all dealers report to him and therefore it would be useless to take the car to another dealer for repairs. And they told us that and we believed it and keep taking the car to the disgusting and dishonest dealer from whom we bought the car. The GM AVC must be getting something from this incompetent dealership or simply was another incompetent person. I hope GM gets rid of these people and improves its spport organization.
I bought my 7th car from the same dealer because they fix everything. Sometimes not on the first time; but when I come back with the problem, it's the service manager's NEW problem of the day and it gets researched and explained and fixed, when the fix comes from Buick later sometimes.
I buy the dealer because others don't meet their price and service. I even shop the foreign honda and camry for comparison and still cost of ownership is lower for a LeSabre Limited, because my dealer fixes things.
It could be because three brothers still own and run their father's dealership. They're there everyday. They care. They get frustrated with the cars sometimes too.
A clear letter to the dealership owner and to the Buick company should get a clear reply. I appreciate my dealer more each time I hear some problems folks have with other dealers.
Good luck, and enjoy a good car.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I had extensive correspondence with GM and wrote a detailed letter to the CEO. As I see it, GM is very reluctant to acknowledge its problems and therefore they will continue to lose market share against Japanese. We almost bought a Lexus, which was superb and should have done that.
To:Imidazo
The LeSabre dealership we bought the car from is one of the biggest dealers in the area and we went there hoping we are dealing with honest and responsible people. But they turned out to be absolute crooks.
My conclusion is companies like GM will keep losing market to better made cars from Japan. I will not buy a GM car again.
You need to go to the threads for the cars in which you are interested and stop complaining about one bad experience with LeSabre on this thread.
The GM cars have been a good purchase value for years, but the foreign car companies and their cheerleaders have been successful in painting their image as they want it, not as it is. (See the Problems and car topic threads for many Edmunds discussions.) However in one brand there's a salesman who tells people to quit complaining when they have a problem (car leads left/right, popping noises in body, rattles in dash/windshield, dealer tells them to get lost cause there's nothing wrong) because they have a good car and just don't realize it. He tells them to stop corrupting the image of the car. He doesn't seem to say anything about the Pilot Problems strangely enough!!!
Through the decades as imports have stolen car market and jobs from the American economy it has been chic to complain about American brand cars. Those who wonder why the movement of jobs is out of USA need only to look at their purchases through the two decades; first based on low price and then based on a marketing image.
MY Buicks and LeSabres have been great. Buick has good service. I'm sorry you had dealer problems. End of discussion.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You like GM cars: so go and buy them, but donot try to mislead other people.
We try to buy American, but will not touch a GM car again. The company is totally unethical and irresponsible. The Lexus on every consumer and professional survey is in a class by itself and only costs a few thousand more.
I am happy you got good response from GM. Enjoy your Chevy.
But what's most frustrating, in general, is the dealership service experience. As some others have noted, these days technicians are essentially part swappers rather than expert mechanics, and at some (especially large) dealerships, the service writers are focused on processing lots of customers (like the airlines or phone companies) with less attention paid to individual customers. Luxury import dealers (like Lexus) have a smaller customer base and are also more service-oriented (they know this is as important to the customers as the car itself).
The LeSabre has consistenly won customer satisfaction awards for it's reliablity and comfort, albeit from owners who feel that these qualities are more important than flashy style, driving excitement and fancy features. I guess it depends on what you want out of the car whether or not a LeSabre, Buick or even a GM will suit you.
However, I found it misleading the comment that a Lexus could be had for just a few thousands more. Last time I checked the Buick car lineup MSRP is $20-40K. The Lexus car lineup is $30-60K. The LeSabre is Buick's 2nd largest sedan. If you look at a similarly equipped Lexus GS300 (Lexus's 2nd largest sedan) it should cost conservatively at least $10,000 more. A similarly equipped entry Lexus sedan the ES300 should cost conservatively at least $4,000 more. To me $4,000 is not a few thousand.
I recently bought a Buick LeSabre Celebration Edition and have been satisfied thus far with the car. I might have bought a Lexus if it were a few thousand more, but in my case even the Lexus ES300 would have been $10,000 more, which is not pocket change for my family. The Lexus ES300 being $10,000 more and not having the OnStar, headsup display and signaling mirrors made our decision easy. I think Lexus has a great lineup of vehicles, but when talking about a few thousand more than a comparable GM vehicle, the closest comparision should be Cadillac not Buick and definitely not Chevy.
Our Buick dealer has been good thus far. We had a minor problem which they fixed quickly and our first oil change was free of charge. I have dealt with a Chevy and Lexus dealer in the past and they have been good. I have had a poor experience with a Mercedes, Acura, Plymouth and Volvo dealership. However my feeling is that dealership experience for the most part is not really part of the brand but varies from dealership to dealership.
As I mentioned in that comment we bought a fully loaded Limited over a Lexus because it was $5K cheaper, we had $3,500 on the GM card and GM offered 60-month zero percent financing.
But it was a mistake to buy LeSabre because it took 6-months to correct its problems, which caused enormous emotional and monetary costs. We will never buy a GM car again.
The GM dealer and their Area Vehicle Manager were totally incompetent. The Buick Assistant Center mislead us and only a chance assistance by another Buick dealer corrected the problem. GM's orgainization is full of incompetent people.
Many of you have mentioned poor dealer service with technicians who just trade parts hoping to the problem disappears and service writers who do not listen to your concerns. I believe I can add some valuable information here. I worked in a GM dealer service center for a brief period and all of your issues are valid, but they go back to one issue. Money.
The dealer is in it for a profit and so he or she typically pays everyone on a commission basis. Thus, you have technicians who are driven to make a repair as quickly and as cheaply as possible so that they can move on to the next one. The service writers are usually the ones dividing up the work so they tend to give "easy" jobs to their friends and more difficult jobs can end up in the hands of less experienced or capable persons.
In my opinion, this is an indication of the direction American Enterprise is heading. Watch the news and you see stories of greed and salary systems designed to promote productivity, but carnivorous human nature tends to use these systems to their own advantage and for their own greed.
My advice would be to look for a good dealer who understands how important customer service is and shop there.
I just traded my 2001 Buick Century for a 2003 LeSabre. The LeSabre is a definite upgrade. One thing different though is the air conditioning.
It cools but it seems like the air is humid. The Century seemed to have a better a/c.
Any ideas?
Thank you!
AND you'll save a whole lot of money by getting an exact amperage replacement at you local Advanced Auto, PepBoys, Autozone, whatever.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
98 has 93000. Runs great. Replaced struts at 80K, too soft again. Wires, plugs, antifreeze, switch (electronic) for dual air conditioning replaced. Replaced rotors, calipers, used OEM raybestos parts for all. Wish I put on dustfree pads, but I have great brakes. I did use the higher quality rotors by Raybestos. Pep Boys had a cheaper rotor that may have been Raybestos, but I only plan to replace the rotors once... Had the manifold leak that 3800 from 95-99 are prone too have. Top plastic plenum replaced. It happened after I flushed the dexcool and replaced with new dexcool -- I didn't put in a couple of sealer tabs from GM and I probably flushed out a lot of the original factory sealant. 100K plugs and dexcool and transfluid I don't believe in. Change plugs at 50, dexcool flush every 2 years, and trans fluid every 36K. Suggestion....
I don't know what you mean by cheap interior. My limiteds are nicely done. I always l shop Toyota Camry and Accords. I think that's cheap. Accords are having major problems, glad I didn't even think the design was interesting this time.
Whoevery got my 93 LeSabre got an engine that had oil changed at 3K or less. No noises. Trans shifted great. That car probably would make 200K or 250 before major part needed service.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I suggest changing the trans fluid at 36K..
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Now I have an 03 with well-done computer controls on engine and transmission with an up-to-date interior design.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,