Buick Lesabre · Engine family

Buick Lesabre 3.8L six-cylinder

The L36 is the most common engine code the VIN decodes to on the 3.8L six-cylinder configurations below; hybrid variants of the same displacement carry their own code. We decode it on 41,039 VINs across 34 factory builds, and 148 listings are reported active. The configuration price reference is $4,999.

Cylinders
6
Induction
Naturally aspirated
Fuel
Gasoline
Fitted
1988–2005

◷ Updated September 14, 2026 ▤ National asking prices, refreshed nightly

$4,999
Configuration price reference
148
On sale today with the 3.8L 6-cyl
1988–2005
Model years it was fitted
34
Factory configurations
41,039
Lesabre VINs decoded with it

The price reference is the median of configuration medians, not the median of all active cars. Each configuration has equal weight. Configurations with at least 3 priced listings are used when available; otherwise the reference uses the configurations with a recorded price. Model years, mileage and condition vary. Open a model-year report below for its asking prices across all engines.

Which Lesabre years got a 3.8L 6-cyl engine

Every model year this engine was fitted to, newest first. The bar is how much of the family's VIN volume sits in that year — long bars are the years this engine was everywhere.

Year Share of VINs VINs On sale Builds
2005 8,919 31 3 2004 1,251 6 1 2003 7,418 38 3 2002 4,739 24 1 2001 3,983 13 1 2000 5,667 17 2
1999 1,946 7 2
1998 2,071 3 2
1997 2,181 3 2
1996 379 — 2
1995 862 2 2
1994 532 1 2
1993 374 1 2
1992 302 1 2
1991 141 1 2
1990 80 — 1
1989 129 — 2
1988 65 — 2

VIN counts come from our decode of the model's build patterns, not from live listings. A year link opens the full Lesabre report for that year — every engine of the model, not just this one.

34 factory configurations with this engine

Each one is a distinct build as the VIN decodes it — trim, body, gearbox and equipment. Open a build sheet for its full spec and the VINs recorded on it.

2005

3 builds
2005 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp54k Sedan 2005 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr54k Sedan 2005 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp52k Sedan

2003

3 builds
2003 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr54k Sedan 2003 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp52k Sedan 2003 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp54k Sedan

2002

1 build
2002 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp54k Sedan

2000

1 build
2000 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr54k Sedan

1999

1 build
1999 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp52k Sedan

1998

2 builds
1998 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr52k Sedan 1998 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp52k Sedan

1997

2 builds
1997 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr52k Sedan 1997 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp52k Sedan

1996

2 builds
1996 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp52k Sedan 1996 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr52k Sedan

1995

1 build
1995 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp52l Sedan

1994

2 builds
1994 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp52l Sedan 1994 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr52l Sedan

1993

1 build
1993 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr53l Sedan

1992

1 build
1992 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr53l Sedan

1991

2 builds
1991 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp54c Sedan 1991 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr54c Sedan

1989

1 build
1989 Lesabre Limited 1g4hr54c Sedan

1988

1 build
1988 Lesabre Custom 1g4hp54c Sedan

Showing the 24 most-built configurations of 34. Every 2005 Lesabre build →

The 3.8L 6-cyl Lesabre: common questions

Which Lesabre years have the 3.8L 6-cyl?

1988–2005, without a break — 18 model years in our VIN decode, across 34 factory configurations and 41,039 VINs.

What does a 3.8L 6-cyl Lesabre cost?

$4,999 is a configuration price reference: the median of configuration medians, with each priced configuration weighted equally. It is not a listing-level median or a valuation of an individual car. The year-by-year ladder shows VIN and inventory counts; its links open model-year price reports covering all engines.

What is the engine code, and does it matter?

L36 — the code the VIN decodes to on the configurations on this page. It matters when you order parts or read a service history: the same displacement badge on another model can be a different code with different outputs.

3.8L 6-cyl Lesabre on the market

Individual vehicles carrying this engine, each with its own listing-history page. The sample is pinned to fixed VIN buckets, so it does not reshuffle day to day.