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2001 Buick LeSabre

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 LeSabre.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2001 Buick LeSabre is a full-size passenger car equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission and requiring 4.5 quarts of 10W-30 oil, achieving EPA fuel economy ratings of 17 city, 27 highway, and 20 combined mpg. In terms of reliability, the model year accumulated 340 owner complaints—with visibility being the most frequently cited issue—yet it carried zero recalls, placing it between the peak complaint year of 2000 (698 complaints) and the low of 2006 (3 complaints) within the 1990–2006 model range, suggesting a relatively moderate owner-experience record for its era.

Model year2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/27/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 100 · 770 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

Battery groupBCI 100 · 770 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP215-70R15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175
Engine air filter	19259030
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	12681664
Front wiper blades	15214346
Serpentine belt	19355282
Thermostat	24505924 alt 24506985
Cabin air filter	15811562

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	200 in
Overall width	73.6 in
Overall height	57.1 in
Wheelbase	112.2 in
Curb weight	3567 lb
Track (front / rear)	62.6 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 27 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	108 cu ft
Cargo volume	18 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Regular 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.

7.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.40 sec — 2000 Limited Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2000	Limited Sedan 3.8L V6	7.40 sec	15.60 sec	205 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil	10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Lower: 11 ft-lbs; Upper: 7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	22 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.5 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	118 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-6-5-4-3-2
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	AC 41-921
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.20 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	100
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	770 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	48-55
RPM	38-52 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 @ 70 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	63 ft-lbs / 20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	137 ft-lbs / 94 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.267 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.267 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.224 in / 0.404 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

111 ft. lbs., step 2: 76

111 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 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.

Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

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 2001 Buick LeSabre marks a sharp inflection in the federal record, with owner complaints falling to 340 from a 2000 peak of 698 and recalls dropping to zero from five the prior year. Technical service bulletins, however, continued their steep climb, rising to 392 from 361 in 2000 and advancing further in 2002 and 2003, indicating persistent service issues even as formal safety filings receded. Within the dataset’s span, 2001 lands immediately after the 2000 complaint summit and before the steadier decline that begins in 2003, placing it in a post-peak correction phase rather than at the most settled end of the cycle. Visibility topped the grievance list with 80 complaints, followed by structure, power train, and engine cooling, while the year logged 22 fire complaints and 10 crash complaints with root causes unspecified in the federal record. With zero recalls and roughly half the prior year’s complaint volume, yet elevated TSB counts and fire complaints whose causes the data does not identify, 2001 is a materially improved year over 2000 and a reasonable buy if a pre-sale inspection verifies that service bulletins were addressed.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

392

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

340

Owner complaints

10 involved a crash · 22 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 340 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Visibility80

Structure30

Power Train22

Engine & Engine Cooling19

Electrical System19

Air Bags16

Engine14

Unknown Or Other12

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 392 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
23-NA-001	2025-03-28	Electrical System	This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G…
PIP5358D	2025-02-19	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

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.

Group 100 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 19259030 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 12681664

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2001 LeSabre take?

4.5 qt of 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2001 LeSabre have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the LeSabre get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 27 highway / 20 combined mpg.