2005 Buick Lacrosse Exterior Lighting Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 13, 2026 · 82 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 82 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2005 Buick Lacrosse, 26% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 90,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “low beam” (26% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Low beam: mentioned in 21 of 82 complaints (26%)
  • High beams: mentioned in 13 of 82 complaints (16%)
  • Headlamps failed: mentioned in 8 of 82 complaints (10%)
  • Exterior lighting updated: mentioned in 6 of 82 complaints (7%)

At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?

Based on 55 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles1 · 2%
10k–25k miles1 · 2%
25k–50k miles7 · 13%
50k–75k miles12 · 22%
75k–100k miles11 · 20%
100k–150k miles19 · 35%
150k+ miles4 · 7%

How serious are the reports?

Of 82 complaints, 3 a fire.

Buick Lacrosse exterior lighting complaints by model year

Peak: 2006, with 156 complaints
2005: 822005822006: 15620061562007: 12520071252008: 612008612009: 472009472010: 8201082011: 1201112012: 3201232013: 1201312014: 5201452015: 3201532016: 120161

n = 493 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearExterior Lighting complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2016 Lacrosse12%40,000
2015 Lacrosse37%5,000
2014 Lacrosse58%16,000
2013 Lacrosse11%65,000
2012 Lacrosse31%66,000
2011 Lacrosse11%60,000
2010 Lacrosse84%88,000
2009 Lacrosse4744%55,000
2008 Lacrosse6124%60,500
2007 Lacrosse12550%79,856
2006 Lacrosse15652%89,600
2005 Lacrosse8226%90,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2015, with 25 complaints
2006: 1200612008: 3200832010: 5201052011: 3201132012: 3201232013: 4201342014: 9201492015: 252015252016: 252016252017: 2201722018: 1201812026: 120261

n = 82 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Exterior lighting:headlightsAug 14, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V519000 · 429,170 vehicles

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.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

Gas. Leaking car smoking and cutting off

Received May 6, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11736191

My head lights won't come on and my air bag light comes on and off all day long while driving.

Received Oct 1, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11132820

Had my daughter's 2005 buick lacrosse hdm replaced for the recall and 3 months later the low-beams went out again. I took the car back to the dealer and they said the recall was done and now i would have to pay. The hdm failed while my daughter was driving home at night.

Received Aug 16, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11015804
Buick Lacrosse
BUICK LACROSSE FOURTH GENERATION China. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2005 Buick Lacrosses have exterior lighting problems?

No. NHTSA has 82 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2005 Buick Lacrosse (26% of the 315 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2005 Buick Lacrosse exterior lighting?

Yes: 1 safety recall list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?

The median reported mileage is 90,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2005 Buick Lacrosse?

The most frequent phrase is “low beam”, in 21 of 82 complaints, followed by “high beams” (13).

Other 2005 Buick Lacrosse problems

See all 2005 Buick Lacrosse problems or exterior lighting problems across all Lacrosse years.