Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Buick Lesabre owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2005 Buick Lesabre. While driving approximately 15 MPH, all of the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument control panel. The contact also smelled a burning odor and noticed flames erupting from the trunk of the vehicle. The flames spread to the entire vehicle. All of the locks melted, which nearly prevented her from exiting the vehicle. The vehicle was completely destroyed. An investigator from the fire department stated that the battery underneath the rear passenger seat failed and caused the fire. The contact has a copy of the police report and pictures of the failed incident. She called the manufacturer, but did not receive a response. The failure and current mileages were 20,000. Updated 02/10/09. Updated 02/11/09.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Buick Lesabre. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, smoke was emitting from under the rear seat. The contact was able to pull over to further assess the failure. The contact diagnosed that the electrical chords were overheated and the medal had become unbearably hot. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure and the current mileage was 123,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Buick Lesabre. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning and failed to restart after several attempts. The failure recurred on a separate occasion. The vehicle was towed twice to the dealer where the electronic ignition module was replaced each time. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,771.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Buick Lesabre. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the battery exploded without warning. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the of failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Buick Lesabre. The contact stated that the odometer and speedometer failed to work. The dealer indicated that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls for this failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
Instrument lights on radio, heat/air controls, steering wheel radio/cruise control controls started burning out one by one. Thinking that it would be a simple, cheap fix, I took it to the dealer. At that time, they informed me that they could no longer just fix the burned out bulbs, but had to replace the entire electrical module just to fix the light. What was once a $10-$20 fix has now become a $150-$200 fix per module. One module can contain one or two light bulbs, so if you have 6 or 8 burned out bulbs, it can cost you up to $1600 to fix! Secondly, around September 2010, the RPM gauge pegged out and then dropped to the six o'clock position. Ever since then, sometimes it works erratically and sometimes not at all. Then, about January 2011, my fuel gauge started doing the same thing. When my tank was full, it would read empty or half full. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Buick Lesabre. While driving an undetermined speed, the speedometer became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to his independent mechanic who stated that he should contact general motors since he had seen this issue with his year, make and model vehicle. The manufacturer advised the contact to have an authorized dealer diagnose the failure. The dealer confirmed that the instrument cluster failed. There were no recalls for the failure. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were under 94, 031. Updated 01/19/10 updated 01/20/10. Updated 04/09/10. GM did not agree to have the instrument cluster repaired at their expense. The consumer had a local shop remove the cluster and it was sent for repair and re-installed. The consumer stated the speedometer is operating normally. Updated 07/16/10.
Speedometer is inaccurate and very sporadic. Speedometer needle gets stuck on any number when vehicle is completely stopped and/or turned off. Most of the time have to guess how fast or slow the vehicle is actually going. This is a safety hazard. After reading about the same type of complaints from other consumers, I think it's about time GM fixes this problem by initiating a formal recall. My grandparents swore by Buick and GM vehicles. I absolutely have my doubts now. If problem is never recalled, I will never purchase a Buick or any other GM vehicle in the future. It is not right for this to be ignored with as many common complaints that are filed.
Started out as a headlamp that we thought was burned out. Replaced the bulb and it worked for a day or two. Next the gas gauge, speedometer, heat and cooling gauge and now both headlamps do not work. My husband has to drive in the dark with brights on because there are absolutely no headlights . This is a serious safety issue and GM should be issuing a recall. This is extremely dangerous and we cannot drive our vehicle at night unless we use our brights the whole time which then becomes a safety issue to other drivers. This is as serious as seat belts failing or windshield wipers out of whack. Please respond to this with quick and serious measures.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 MPH the brakes suddenly failed. There were no warning lights prior to the incident. The brake pedal was hanging loose and was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to a dealership. The rod connecting the brake pedal to the master cylinder was misaligned. The dealership determined this happened at the factory and informed the contact they had never seen anything like it. The service dealer repaired the vehicle by replacing several unknown brake components. Updated 6-12-2006. The consumer reported the failure to the manufacturer. The vehicle would not crank due to a dead battery.
Electrical complaints in other Lesabre years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 Buick Lesabre?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 Buick Lesabre, 32% of the model year's 77 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Buick Lesabre electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2005 Buick Lesabre. 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 2005 Buick Lesabre electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.