2006 Buick Lacrosse Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jan 20, 2026 · 299 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Lacrosse years
Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 15 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 299 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Buick Lacrosse. That ranks 2nd out of 15 Lacrosse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (156 complaints, 52%), typically at around 89,600 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 7 fires, 16 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

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.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2006 Buick Lacrosse problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Exterior Lighting156 · ~89,600 mi
Electrical System83 · ~77,000 mi
Air Bags38 · ~62,000 mi
Steering26 · ~67,500 mi
Suspension11 · ~77,500 mi
Engine8 · ~120,223 mi
Power Train7 · ~78,500 mi
Service Brakes7 · ~50,000 mi
Visibility5 · ~81,896 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling4 · ~1,550 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Exterior Lighting problems15652%89,600“low beam” (42%)$470
Electrical System problems8328%77,000“low beam” (14%)—
Air Bags3813%62,000——
Steering269%67,500——
Suspension114%77,500——
Engine83%120,223——
Power Train72%78,500——
Service Brakes72%50,000——
Visibility52%81,896——
Engine and Engine Cooling41%1,550——
Structure41%72,000——
Unknown or Other41%117,000——
Latches/locks/linkages31%90,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic31%108,000——
Tires31%26,000——
Vehicle Speed Control31%21,000——
Wheels31%100,000——
Fuel/propulsion System21%76,125——
Seat Belts21%63,530——
Seats21%48,000——
Traction Control System21%117,500——
Visibility/wiper21%54,400——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)10%100,000——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%———
Interior Lighting10%54,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2015, with 80 complaints
2006: 9200692007: 662008: 5200852009: 332010: 7201072011: 13132012: 6201262013: 14142014: 462014462015: 80802016: 502016502017: 18182018: 122018122019: 17172020: 4202042021: 442022: 2202222023: 222026: 120261

n = 299 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2006 Buick Lacrosse recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

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.

Electrical system:ignitionJun 23, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V355000 · 3,141,731 vehicles

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:frontalOct 31, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V417000 · 794 vehicles

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.

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.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Loss of Headlights (RQ17002) — opened Apr 24, 2017, closed Mar 29, 2021.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Vehicle rear-ended at high rate of speed. Impact included rollover. Driver was buckled but seatbelt and/or seat failure and no air bag deployment for either occupant. Serious bodily injury occurred. Vehicle on hold pending further police investigation and scene reconstruction by multiple agencies.

Air Bags · received Jan 20, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11712184

So many issues with the Buick. Made of glass. First I had no coolant line and I took it to be inspected before at, Baumen Ford and they said everything was fine with it. Turns out needed new coolant line, head gasket, timing cover, and switch. 5 new tires, rebuilt transmission, epc solenoid…

Electrical System · received Nov 27, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11557083

The contact owns a 2006 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the headlights activated, the front driver’s and passenger’s side low-beam headlights intermittently failed to remain illuminated, making it difficult to see the roadway. No warning light was…

Exterior Lighting · received Sep 1, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11542059

The contact owns a 2006 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlamps failed to properly illuminate the roadway. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the…

Exterior Lighting · received Sep 13, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11484192

The contact owns a 2006 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Air Bags · received Aug 22, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11480585

Other Buick Lacrosse years

← 2005 Lacrosse · 2007 Lacrosse →

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 2006 Buick Lacrosse?

Owners most often report exterior lighting, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 156 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Buick Lacrosse?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2006 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 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.