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2012 Buick LacrosseProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 207 owner complaints about the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 21V00F000 the manufacturer reports only 50% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Buick Lacrosse
47
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the Lacrosse median · #5 of 14 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 50%Owner complaints20719 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage66kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 9, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Buick Lacrosse has problems

207 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system634
Engine471
Suspension312
Electronic stability control (ESC)251
Power train251
Steering244
Service brakes162
Vehicle speed control123
Fuel/propulsion system80
13 other systems435

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2012 Buick Lacrosse recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

50%repaired · 2024 Q3

Suspension: rear

Recall 21V00F000 · Dec 22, 2021 · 4,271 vehicles · 2,136 repaired

Risk. A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

58%repaired · 2024 Q2

Suspension: rear

Recall 20V-764 · Dec 21, 2020 · 220,006 vehicles · 127,144 repaired

Risk. A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

75%repaired · 2016 Q1

Front assembly: power adjust

Recall 14V-447 · Jul 23, 2014 · 414,333 vehicles · 312,762 repaired

Risk. If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

94%repaired · 2015 Q1

Electrical system

Recall 13V-173 · May 6, 2013 · 42,904 vehicles · 40,262 repaired

Risk. If the vehicle is continued to be driven, the engine may stall and/or the vehicle may not start.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Recall 11V-404 · Aug 3, 2011 · 4,077 vehicles

Risk. THE IMPROPER DIAGNOSING MAY CAUSE THE ESC TO FALSELY ACTIVATE, RESULTING IN SUDDEN CHANGES IN VEHICLE HANDLING AND DECELERATION, PARTICULARLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS,…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Buick.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

66kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 39 electrical system complaints. 72% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
9under 30k miles28under 100k miles11100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2012 vs. every other Lacrosse year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Lacrosse median. How we score

'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2012 Buick Lacrosse safety ratings

2012 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2012 Buick Lacrosse frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2012 Buick Lacrosse side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2012 Buick Lacrosse side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (11.8% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Sands Chevrolet/Hybrid System Fire/StallAQ14001 · closed May 22, 2016
    No recall
  2. Generator Control Module FiresRQ13003 · closed Jul 22, 2014
    No recall
In owners' words

What Lacrosse owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

13136 recall issued on XXX was visually inspected by [XXX] Chevrolet Pleasant Hill Iowa on 7/10/13. With the statement no further action required.Diagnostic inspection done by Thompson Buick Springfield [XXX] XXX the following codes…
Complaint 11776885 · Nov 9, 2026
**Subject:** Formal Safety Defect Complaint: Premature Failure of Completed Recall Remedy (NHTSA Campaign 13V173000 / GM Recall 13136) Resulting in Sudden Loss of Power Steering **VEHICLE INFORMATION** * **Year/Make/Model:** 2012 Buick LaCrosse Hybrid (eAssist) * **VIN:** [XXX] * **Current…
Complaint 11765050 · Sep 17, 2026
during a regular drive the check stabiltrack system message popped up on the dash in the middle circle and then the little car with the squiggly lines behind it popped up and the check engine light came on and started blinking. Immediately I noticed lack of steering control, the car's speed was…
Complaint 11697783 · Nov 5, 2025

Own a 2012 Lacrosse?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.