Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Buick Lesabre owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
the 2000 Buick Lesabre is a wonderful car basically a tank with the 3800 SERIES II you cant go wrong but the tiny little plastic part holding the throttle cable will dryrot even with a garage kept car under 150k miles please get them replaced I was driving and then the part came off and it got wrapped around the bracket and it took off I melted the breaks I wasn't stopping due to constant gas so I flipped in down into neutral to stop the vehicle from accelerating after i found a spot to pull it off the road but you can also put your foot under the peddle and pull up on it while pressing the breaks if you cant find a safe area while this is happening but i didnt relise it was happning until i hit 65 because the road i was on was a 55 and before i knew it i was going 90 luciky i live out in the rural areas
The plastic pice holding the throttle lines snapped off and my cable went under my bracket and it took off I destroyed the Transmission putting it in neutral to stop the vehicle after I had gotten it stoped the fire from the engine was small I will recommend this car and yes I do want another one but it is a common issue I will recomed this car because the body is made out of steel and they are basicly tanks with the 3800 Series II and it was easy for me to spot what was happening and get ahead of it before it got worse I drove 5 miles with this happening before the engine overheated and caught fire
While driving the vehicles tread separated from the right rear tire which caused the vehicle to veer into a guard rail. Other problems are as followed: drivers side and rear windows are inoperative, cruise control switch is inoperative and after it rains there is a water puddle on the driver side floor.
The vehicle's throttle apparently becomes stuck open, which causes the vehicle to accelerate to a high rate of speed and become difficult to stop. It has occurred while the car is in park or when accelerating from a stop on city streets or when accelerating on an interstate ramp.
While driving dash lights illuminated intermittently. The air bag light illuminated more than any other light. Also, the driver's side back of seat laid automatically on its own. This incident happened while the consumer was driving. Upon having a full tank of gas, the meter would read empty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The consumer was told that there was an electrical problem. There was a noise in the dash, the fuel gauge would jump to empty, the speedometer would go to zero, the headlight would go dim when the weather was rainy, there was a rumble in the left front end, a shimmy when the brakes were applied and when raining, the dash light would go from bright to dim the air bag light was intermittent, the radio would cut out, the driver's seat was inoperative, the transmission would slip into overdrive on slight acceleration, the automatic doors were inoperative, the cruise …
On May 22 police report number [redacted] wife lost control and reported vehicle would not stop and the brakes needed to be checked..repairs were made and today on July 15 vehicle was driven home and engine was racing and would not slow down. Vehicle was turning 4100 RPM and would not idle.the car normally runs at 65 at 2000 rpms so 4100 RPM would be in excess of 100 MPH. Cruise was taken off however vehicle continued to speed out of control.all attempts to get vehicle to slow down failed. The vehicle is in driveway I have not reported this to the dealer yet.dealer unaware of accident.accident occurred on wet roads and the accelerator May have stuck then. I know something is wrong...help me it May save a life.
2000 Buick Lesabre ltd approximately.(1)month after purchase vehicle stalled in traffic while coming to a stop or at low speeds dealer replaced idle air control,replaced fuel pump relay;manufacturer case#4032757. 10/23/01replaced water pump;uses oil;frontend vibrates ai 65mph date reported 10/23/01 dealer dealer balanced tires front end still vibrates to date of this report.I purchased all new tires but still have same problem with front end vibration , coolant at intakemannorfold.replaced gasket,(3)wheel alignments,passenger window inop replaced windwo regulator,water pump replaced again; at 35684mileage dealer states that while changing my oil he found left and right tire rods having excessive play tire rods replaced after I notifide manufacture file#f-244217003.
I placed the shift lever in reverse and depressed the accelerator pedal. The car accelerated rapidly. I depressed the brake pedal very hard and held it down. The car alternately stopped, accelerated, stopped, accelerated etc 3 or 4 times before coming to a full stop: total distance traveled - approximately 30 feet. I repeated the above procedure in forward gear and got the same result. Prior to this incident the throttle system did not appear sticky or off-normal. Post incident, the throttle appeared slightly sticky. Approximately 18 months ago I reported a sticky throttle to my Buick dealer, they serviced the throttle system and the problem was solved. As stated above, the throttle did not give indication of a problem this time.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Buick Lesabre. While the contact was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly increased acceleration up to 70 MPH. The brake pedal was applied numerous times with extensive force and the vehicle continued to accelerate. The contact down shifted to a lower gear, followed by no response. The speed rate reduced between 10-15 MPH when the gears were shifted into the reverse position which allowed the vehicle to stop properly while the brakes were applied. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for storage due to the safety issue pertaining to the acceleration malfunction. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.
The cruise control in the consumer's 2000 Buick Lesabre failed at 50000 miles. There was a stability system problem due to a corroded sensor which was caused by the inability of the insulating material protecting the sensor. A new left front bearing hub was replaced due to corrosion in the plug. The steering wheel sensor on the lower steering column had to be replaced. The vehicle would abruptly come to a stop three times in 75 feet just as if the brakes were applied but the driver had no control of the situation. The consumer requested reimbursement for the parts that had been updated and the labor.
Acceleration complaints in other Lesabre years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2000 Buick Lesabre?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2000 Buick Lesabre, 4% of the model year's 669 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Buick Lesabre acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2000 Buick Lesabre, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Buick Lesabre acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.