I was driving on the highway a few days before december 3, 2011, and I heard a loud "pop" sound from the back seat of my car. On the 3rd, I was driving along and started hearing the sound of an open window in the back seat. I tried to close the back-right window with the power window control on the driver's door, but it didn't move the window (I heard the motor running, though). I then parked the car and got out to try to pull/push the window shut, but it would not stay all the way up. It had started with just an inch or so being open, but eventually it slid down so it was only about halfway up. From what I've read online ( http://www.carcomplaints.com/buick/lesabre/2002/windows_windshield/window_regulator_broke.shtml ), this is a fairly common problem with this model of car, but buick is saying that there's not enough reports of this issue to declare a recall notice for the window regulator. I disagree. From what I've read, repairing a single window with this problem can cost up to $300 plus labor, and usually when one window goes bad, the others are soon to follow. I don't really feel like paying $1200 for windows in a car I only paid $5000 for used...
2002 Buick Lesabre visibility complaints
Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 118, newest first, as owners wrote them.
At approximately 25,000 miles, my 2002 buick lesabre's rear driver's side window regulator went out in the middle of the winter while a child was in the back seat. It just fell down, and barely missed harming the child. Three days later, I replaced the part. Four days after that, the rear passenger side window did the exact same thing. I replaced the part. Two months after that, both the front window regulators went out. Those parts were replaced. Four months later, the front passenger side went out again. Within two weeks, all four window regulators had gone out for a second time. They were all replaced at the same time. Six months later, and now three of the four are out again. (only the driver's window remains working at this point.) I have spent over $1,500 in just over a year, getting parts replaced for the windows and still the problem persists. I have spent $98.50 on different types of tape to try to find one that will hold the windows up, so they do not break while driving. I have had no luck finding one that holds for more than a day or two. This is an extreme danger to everyone in my car, along with others on the road, because I have to use so much tape to hold them up that I cannot see my mirrors properly. I have to travel with small children in my car with child safety seats, but I cannot trust the windows to stay up and am tired of constantly being scared that one will come down and break near the children, but have already spent so much trying to fix it that I cannot possibly sink any more money into 'fixing' something that is now apparent will never be 'fixed'.
The rear window drivers side just fell down, won't go back up. Have been told thus is common and is from gm bad parts for window regulators.
Dash pad coming loose, bowing up in front of driver, becoming detached in crucial area at passenger side airbag. To repair will cost around $950 parts and labor. Also window regulators have been replaced in windows that are used the least.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick lesabre. The contact started the ignition and the front passenger window abruptly released in a downward position without assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the window regulator was replaced. Recently, the rear driver window exhibited the similar failure as the front passenger window. The contact notified the dealer and scheduled an appointment for repair. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Updated 02/23/11 *bf updated 02/28/11
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick lesabre. The contact stated that the drivers side and the rear passenger windows have fallen into the door and she was unable to close them. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed her that she needed to replace the window regulators. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure occurred intermittently and had continued to occur after the last repair. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick lesabre. The contact stated that the window motors were defective and causing the windows to remain stuck. The dealer made four attempts to diagnose and repair the failure. The manufacture was notified who offered no assistance. The vehicle was repaired by an authorized dealer. The current mileage was approximately 90,000. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
2002 buick lesabre - powered rear window regulator failure 2x.
Both front and rear passenger windows failed to go up after put in the down position. Had to replace both widow regulator's at a cost of 450.00. Only 60,732 miles on the car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick lesabre. The rear driver side window fell into the door panel and the contact was unable to close the window. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair facility where the contact was informed that the window regulator would need replacing. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately nine months later, the failure recurred on the front passenger window. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent repair facility where the window was repaired. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 82,000.
Window falls into the door without input from driver or passenger. This is a very common problem with buick lesabre cars and should be covered by gm as a design defect.
I have a 2002 year buick lesabre where the front and rear windows would not raise up or down fully. I had to manually raised each window ny hand to close it if accidentally lowered by a passenger. We got one of our windows replaced for $600. I bought the other part for our rear window for about 60 dollars and had a mechanic placed in much cheaper than the former dealership charged. With one of the child-proof rear windows now locked with a piece of wood holding it up in the door window this makes it very unsafe if this car ever is submerged in water or some other compromising position with the rear passenger needing to escape.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick lesabre. The contact stated the glass on the rear driver side window fell into the window mount without warning. The vehicle was diagnosed at a local repair facility where the contact was informed the failure was caused by a defective cable motor. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance, stating they had not received any similar complaints on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 38,000 and the current mileage was 45,000.
Second time a power window has dropped within 4 months. First was the passenger rear in january 2010, second was front passenger window may 2010. Seems the power window regulators are running a metal cable over a plastic pulley wheel and using a plastic spool on the motor. When the plastic pulley wheel breaks the cable misaligns on the spool and the window drops and is inoperable. Costs of repairs is over $460.00 usd.
While driving my 2002 buick lesabre, the front passenger window made a crunching noise and then just sank down into the doorframe. So I guess I'll be either replacing the window regulator or having the window permanently closed. I've already replaced one regulator (driver's seat) and had one other window closed (back seat, passenger side). First failure occurred about a year ago. Second was about 2 months ago. Latest event was yesterday.
Power windows dropped with a bang while traveling at freeway speeds. Three of the four windows have failed this way at different times. The bang caused an unsafe distraction.
I have removed my dashboard cover or so called dash board pad and have re-glued it 3 times and now it is curling up at the forward end again. The front of the headliner is now rotting at the foam area between the fabric and the molded shape, the same as has been ocurring since the early 1980's. The foam is deteriorating from the heat and the sun, (florida owners are effected more than some), turning to powder so there is nothing that can be done other than replace it with the same garbage from gm or have an upholstery shop like mine. Http://www.markthree.com replace the fabric on the existing ceiling shaping board, after spending hours removing the ceiling headliner from the car and then removing all of the rotted foam and fabric brought to a clean and usable surface. Why are we still dealing with the same sun vs. Glue problems that we have since they stopped doing stretch ceilings in the 70's? As an upholsterer at http://www.eastcoastautotoys.com I do make a good living off of this abomination but as a 2002 buick lesabre owner, I do not appreciate that I have had to remove my dashboard cover also called pad and have reglued and remolded it 3 times. Now it is curling up at the forward ends again as well as by the air bag. The front of the headliner is now falling loose and down at the front windshield area due to rotting foam, {just like like those of the 1980's}. The foam is deteriorating and turning to powder so there is nothing that can be done other than replace it with the same garbage or have an upholstery shop like mine replace the fabric on the existing board. After spending 45 minutes removing the ceiling from the car and then another hour removing all of the rotted foam.....why are we still dealing with the same sun vs. Glue problems that we have since they stopped doing stretch ceilings in the early 70's? As an upholsterer I do make a good living off of this abomination but as a 2002 buick lesabre owner, I do not appreciate wasting my time ...
I have had to place 3 window regulators in the past year. I have been told that some plastic piece on the regulator is failing. I've researched and seen that many others have had the same problems. Also I've been told by the previous owner that they had the same problems.
Ltr addressed to the potus re defective parts on his 2002 buick lesabre custom, inquiring what can the government do through gm to properly compensate him; for the administrators signature. *kb all four of the window regulators had to be replaced, the sealant holding the cover to the dashboard came apart, which caused a large gap near the base of the windshield on the drivers side.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick lesabre. She noticed that both rear windows had fallen inside of the door. The vehicle has not been taken to the dealer for inspection. The same failure occurred on the front passenger-side window. The current and failure mileages were 42000. Updated 1/28/10 *cn the fuel pressure regulator was leaking. The manifold was cracked and had to be replaced as well as the crankshaft sensor. Updated 02/03/10.
Regarding my 2002 buick la sabre, limited edition I am in ottawa canada - the window regulators on this car are all faulty and I have heard this same complaint from countless other owners of this model. I bought this car august 2002 in good faith and did not expect this kind of trouble. When I first bought this car the front and back windows started having issues in putting the windows back up after being opened. After many investigations in oleans , canada the dealer came to the conclusion that it was the window regulators and it would cost me $400 to replace just one window regulator alone this complaint has been going on ever since I bought this car and it is well know in the car industry that this particular 2002 buick la sabre, ltd edition has had a lot of problems mainly in this area (regulators) but gm is avoiding any recalls on this and to me this is totally irresponsible on gm's part not to do a recall on these regulators, it is actually a complete avoidance of there responsible, they have just been totally derelict in their duty as a manufacturer and just letting the customer take the full financial brunt of gms ineptness to supply quality parts in their window mechanisms,,,,,,,,,,, namely the cheap regulators! Will anyone do anything about this irresponsible and troublesome safety issue???????????????????
I lowered the windows and when I went to raise the rear-passenger there was a "crack" noise and it would not go back up. The plastic part, at the top of the window regulator, had broken - causing the wire, which runs through the regulator, moving the window up and down, to just coil up inside the door panel. I went to a dealership to have them quote me the cost of repairing and was eventually told the repair would run me ~$700. I was told that the part alone was ~$400. I didn't have them fix it... Because I was expecting a ~$75 repair... Not ~$700! I taped up the window (which I hate being "that car") and decided to get another quote. At the time I was incredibly busy with work and didn't get around to it though. Roughly a month later the exact same thing happened to my front-passenger window. I now have both passenger side windows held up by tape. I cannot believe there is no recall for this. I have tried looking for a place to submit problems with cars to buick directly, but have been told to only go to a dealership and tell them.... And I've already been to a dealership with this problem and no luck. I have taken my door panel off to try and fix myself and was very surprised that the problem was just that the top part of the regulator, which is basically just a track for the wire to run in as the window goes up and down, was cheap plastic. The rest of the regulator is steal, and the part that has all the tension from the wire running over it, is plastic. Ridiculous.
Window regulators are very prone to fail. Three have failed on my car, and one has been replaced twice. This is a very common problem on several gm cars. The window can fall open and will not close which could be dangerous in inclement weather. This is also expensive and a financial hardship on owners and should have been addressed some time ago.
I bought this car in feb 2008. In november 2008, the driver side front window started having issues going back up after being opened. It would go about 1/2 way up and get stuck. I would then have to pull over and force the window closed. This happened multiple times throughout the entire winter. Then more recently(10/8/09), as weather started getting cold again, the same thing started happening. Except this time, the window doesn't go back up at all. This is very frustrating and can be distracting when you're trying to pay attention to the road. My main concern is going through toll booths in mid winter, 20 degree weather and not being able to close my window. This happened last winter and I nearly got into an accident because of it. I was quoted that the window regulator would cost $600 to replace. I don't have that kind of money and therefore can't afford to replace this component.
Driver's side car window will not go up and down.
Power window regulators not working. I have 3 windows to drop down, repaired one at dealer for $450, disconnected the other 2 and blocked them up. The 1st happened about 3 yrs ago, the 2nd happened about 1 yr. Ago and the 3rd this aug 2009.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick lesabre. While the contact was examining her vehicle, the rear driver's side window suddenly fell inside of the door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the window regulator needed to be replaced. Prior to the failure, she replaced both windows twice for the same failure. The current mileage was 62,000 and failure mileage was 45,000.
The power windows on my 2002 buick lesabre keep breaking. Both back windows have failed and the driver's side window recently failed. A regulator in the power window fails and the window retracts/slams into the door permanantly. This is very startling when it happens on the road and nearly caused me to wreck the car.
Right side passenger window regulator broke on 24jun09 and left side back passenger window regulator broke on 13jul09. Both windows fixed in up position at local repair shop. Repair for each window is over $400. Mechanics states that this is a known defect in this model and expect the other two window regulators to fail. Contacted gm/buick and they said they have not had enough complaints to warrant a recall and fix of this problem. I feel this company should be held accountable for this defect. Part is made of metal and plastic (metal chain that goes over a plastic wheel). Researched internet for customer feedback on this problem and found many customer complaints about this mechanism.
Windows fall. Three of four windows so far fall into the door after the power window mechanism and be heard to snap inside the door.
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