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1992 Buick LeSabre

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1992 LeSabre.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1992 Buick LeSabre is a full-size passenger car equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission and rated by the EPA at 16 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined fuel economy, placing it among the less fuel-efficient vehicles of its era but typical for the domestic large-car segment of the early 1990s. In terms of reliability, the 1992 model year recorded 224 owner complaints, with service brakes and hydraulic systems emerging as the most frequently cited concern, alongside two safety recalls issued for the model year. This complaint figure positions the 1992 LeSabre notably lower than the model's peak complaint year of 2000, which logged 698 complaints, though still elevated compared to later years in the model's extended 1990-2006 production run, which saw complaints fall to as low as 3 by 2006. For researchers examining the LeSabre's long-term reliability trajectory, the 1992 model represents a period of moderate issues preceding the model's later improvement, suggesting that while not the most troubled year, it falls within a developmental window where component durability had not yet reached the refinements achieved in the model's final years.

Model year200520042003200220012000199919981992

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

EPA fuel economy16/26/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory front wiper blades and serpentine belt are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731175
Engine air filter19259030
Fuel filter25121468
Spark plug19354417
Front wiper blades25689175 discontinued
Serpentine belt10230725 discontinued
Thermostat24505924 alt 25535214

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length200 in
Overall width74.8 in
Overall height54.7 in
Wheelbase111 in
Curb weight3457 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)65/35

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 26 / 19 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume109 cu ft
Cargo volume17 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the LeSabre of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

9.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.00 sec — 1992 Limited Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1992Limited Sedan 3.8L V69.00 sec16.90 sec170 hpFWD
1997Limited Sedan 3.8L V67.60 sec15.80 sec205 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miBody Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
Every 15,000 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect)
Every 100,000 miTransmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1992 model sits at the start of a sharp upward inflection in the federal record: complaints leap from 42 in 1991 to 224, recalls double from one to two, investigations double from two to four, and TSBs triple from 7 to 21. Within 1992, the largest complaint category is “Service Brakes, Hydraulic” with 62 reports, followed by “Engine & Engine Cooling” (23), “Power Train” (22), and “Electrical System” (19), and the year also records 21 crash-related and 25 fire-related complaints. Across the generation, reported complaints trended low in 1990–1991, then surged in 1992–1993 before settling somewhat through the mid-1990s and spiking again near 1997–1998 and 2000; 1992 is therefore an early high-point rather than an isolated blip. Because the data do not specify root causes, we cannot attribute the rise to a particular defect, but the magnitude of the increase—especially the brake, crash, and fire counts—makes this year materially riskier than the immediately preceding 1991. Takeaway: a 1992 LeSabre is not the best year to buy; if you want this generation, a 1991 or a later mid-cycle year with lower complaint counts is the safer bet.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
21
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
4
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
224
Owner complaints
21 involved a crash · 25 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’90’91’92’93’94’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 224 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic62
Engine & Engine Cooling23
Power Train22
Electrical System19
Air Bags13
Fuel System, Gasoline12
Parking Brake10
Structure9

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

96V015000Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Cooling Unit And LinesReported 23/01/1996

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 1991 THROUGH JULY 1995. THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE CAN SEPARATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN LOW TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH HIGH… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES.

91V167000Parking Brake:Conventional:MechanicalReported 23/09/1991

WHEN APPLIED, THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ASSEMBLY MAY RELEASE ONE OR MORE TEETH, REDUCING THE CABLE LOAD TO THE REAR BRAKES. Remedy: REPLACE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ASSEMBLY.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 21 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
1300890092013-09-01Engine And Engine CoolingExpanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
990730030A2001-04-01Power TrainOWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES…
9909410042000-01-01Air BagsINFORMATION REGARDING SWITCHES TO TURN OFF AND ON FRONTAL AIR BAGS FOR PASSENGER CARS AND…
9909400042000-01-01SeatsGENERAL MOTORS BEGAN PROVIDING CHILD RESTRAIN SEAT TOP TETHER HARDWARE PACKAGES TO…
990866002A2000-01-01Latches/Locks/LinkagesTHIS BULLETIN INFORMS DEALERSHIPS ABOUT THE TRAP RESISTANT REAR COMPARTMENT (TRUNK) KIT…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific LeSabre. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Engine oil filter 12731175Engine air filter 19259030Fuel filter 25121468Spark plug 19354417

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

Does the 1992 LeSabre have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the LeSabre get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 26 highway / 19 combined mpg.