2005 Buick Lacrosse Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lacrosse years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 315 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Buick Lacrosse. That is the most of any Lacrosse model year in the database (15 years). The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (82 complaints, 26%), typically at around 90,000 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 6 fires, 4 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.

- 315owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Buick Lacrosse problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting problems | 82 | 26% | 90,000 | “low beam” (26%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 80 | 25% | 100,000 | “ignition switch” (10%) | — |
| Steering problems | 51 | 16% | 35,322 | “steering column” (35%) | — |
| Air Bags | 34 | 11% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 21 | 7% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 19 | 6% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 16 | 5% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 4% | 72,405 | — | — |
| Suspension | 13 | 4% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 3% | 33,600 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 3% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 2% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 2% | 107,159 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 2% | 63,105 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 2% | 38,825 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 2% | 35,650 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 7,603 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 1% | 86,203 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 127,897 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 65,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 58,015 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | 182 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Buick Lacrosse recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlamp driver module (HDM) may overheat and fail, causing the headlamps and daytime running lights to not illuminate.
Risk: Headlamps that do not illuminate reduce the driver's ability to see the roadway and reduce the vehicle's visibility to oncoming vehicles, both of which increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HDM, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14291.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
Risk: If the passenger sensing system malfunctions, the front air bag on the passenger side may be disabled when it should be enabled, or enabled when it should be disabled. In either case, in the event of a crash that requires air bag deployment, a front passenger's level of injury may be increased.
Fix: Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (gm) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in gm's letter to owners. The recall began on november 6, 2006. Owners should contact gm at 1-877-477-1022 to begin the process of repurchasing their vehicle.
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the clip that secures the brake pushrod to the brake pedal arm pin could have been bent when it was installed. A bent clip may come off, allowing the brake booster pushrod to separate from the brake pedal.
Risk: Pushing on the pedal will not apply the brakes and a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will install a new brake pedal push rod bushing and retaining clip and, if the clip was missing, a new brake pedal arm assembly free of charge. The recall began on april 26, 2005. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2005 Buick LaCrosse equipped with Venom Power Tires, Tire Line: Ragnarok GTS, Tire Size: 235/35/VR20, DOT Number:1WP2CTPWL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear driverâs side tire became flat. The contact exited the vehicle and became aware…
Gas. Leaking car smoking and cutting off
The contact owns a 2005 Buick LaCrosse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V355000 (Electrical System) and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and the contact was able to coast to the shoulder of…
The contact owns a 2005 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that the instrument panel was inoperable. The battery was replaced several times however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the mileage control circuit had malfunctioned. The…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SMART CHEVROLET CADILLAC BUICK GMC (3 SMART DR, WHITE HALL, AR 71602, [redacted])…
Other Buick Lacrosse years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Lacrosse | 7 | 2 |
| 2018 Lacrosse | 12 | 3 |
| 2017 Lacrosse | 36 | 2 |
| 2016 Lacrosse | 48 | 2 |
| 2015 Lacrosse | 44 | 3 |
| 2014 Lacrosse | 63 | 5 |
| 2013 Lacrosse | 129 | 5 |
| 2012 Lacrosse | 206 | 5 |
| 2011 Lacrosse | 169 | 4 |
| 2010 Lacrosse | 189 | 2 |
| 2009 Lacrosse | 106 | 2 |
| 2008 Lacrosse | 250 | 2 |
| 2007 Lacrosse | 250 | 3 |
| 2006 Lacrosse | 299 | 3 |
| 2005 | 315 | 4 |
See all Buick Lacrosse problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Buick Lacrosse?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, electrical system, steering problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 82 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Buick Lacrosse?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Buick Lacrosse a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Lacrosse model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.