NHTSA — Power Train: Automatic Transmission Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
0 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1996 Buick LeSabre transmission problems

transmission problem

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1996 Buick LeSabre Owner Comments

problem #5

Dec 182009

LeSabre

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving back home from a friends house and had the car parked in my drive way and it was left running and it was in park then I went out to leave and the car was running for about 3 min sitting there and I put it into reverse and it would not move no matter what so I tried all the gears it wouldn't work so I shut off the car let it sit for about 5 min and started it up then put it into reverse again and it did then I drove about 50-100 ft and it felt like it was slipping and then just the other day I went out to start it and it was still in park and it sounds like a powersteering pump with no fluid and it sounds like a big nest of bees and I checked the fluid level and the fluid was burnt and there was debris in the fluid so the car don't work. So my family had to go buy a new car when we are broke and now I have no way to get to work. There was nothing done to resolve the failure yet im going to go buy a new transmission.

- Higbee, MO, USA

problem #4

Oct 072000

LeSabre

  • miles
I had a previous transmission failure on this car in 1996, after about 12,000 miles. Transmission was replaced under warranty. Current failure occured as I was starting to go up a steep grade. Car shuddered, and engine reved without any increase in speed. There was loss of drive connection between engine and wheels. I downshifted to lower gear manually, and managed to keep car moving forward. After reaching top of grade, I resumed driving in high gear. As I would start on slight upgrades, or try to accelerate speed, engine would rev temporarily without acceleration of car. After stopping on side of road to check transmission fluid, I resumed tranvel. Problem seemed to resolve itself, although there was some "hunting" of the transmission as it upshifted gears. When I returned to home area, I took car into dealership to have problem diagnosed. I have been informed that transmission has failed, planetary gear has broken off and "ground up" transmission. Need to replace transmission. This is second failure of transmission on this vehicle,

- Berkeley, CA, USA

problem #3

Sep 151996

LeSabre

  • miles
Driving on highway @ 60 mph, heard popping noise and felt thump under car. As accelerated again, engine revs increased w/O any increase in speed. Engine did not seem to be engaged with transmission. Manually down shifted to 3rd gear. Engine reengaged with drive train. Shifted back to 4th (D), loss of engagement. Took car to dealer, informed that "planetary gear" had failed, and replaced transmission under warranty.

- Berkeley, CA, USA

problem #2

Oct 191999

(reported on)

LeSabre

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
When taking it out of any gear, all 3 doors will unlock except for front passenger door.,it must be manually unlocked before passenger can get out.

- Huntington, IN, USA

problem #1

May 281997

LeSabre

  • miles
Transmission failed.

- Kingsville, TX, USA

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