2008 Buick Lacrosse Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lacrosse years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 250 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Buick Lacrosse. That ranks 3rd out of 15 Lacrosse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (84 complaints, 34%), typically at around 55,850 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 6 fires, 6 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
.jpg){kind=link}
- 250owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 84 | 34% | 55,850 | “door locks” (25%) | $1,400 |
| Air Bags problems | 77 | 31% | 50,000 | “air bag” (62%) | $1,400 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 61 | 24% | 60,500 | “low beam” (26%) | — |
| Engine | 17 | 7% | 60,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 14 | 6% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 14 | 6% | 72,851 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 6% | 76,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 4% | 41,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 4% | 53,718 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 2% | 47,765 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 2% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 2% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 2% | 51,167 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 61,575 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 1% | 2,850 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 46,383 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 54,700 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 88,882 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Buick Lacrosse recalls (2)
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.
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.
Air bag light comes on is also intermitt some times stays on and someimes on only for a minute or two
On three occasions, when driving at night, both headlights suddenly went out. The next day the headlights were working normally. The dealer's service department could not find anything wrong. Later, we found out there was a "Safety Recall" (#14291),but it expired one year before our car developed…
My vehicle has been parked for the better of about two years due to head lamp failure and engine shutting off without warning at any particular time. Steps were made to fix the issue but the problem continues still to this day.
The contact owns a 2008 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the headlights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the headlamps had failed. The headlamps were replaced and the failure was remedied however, the failure…
The contact owns a 2008 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the airbag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…
Other Buick Lacrosse years
← 2007 Lacrosse · 2009 Lacrosse →
| 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 | 250 | 2 |
| 2007 Lacrosse | 250 | 3 |
| 2006 Lacrosse | 299 | 3 |
| 2005 Lacrosse | 315 | 4 |
See all Buick Lacrosse problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.
Similar Buick models
Embed this 2008 Buick Lacrosse badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Buick Lacrosse?
Owners most often report electrical system, air bags, exterior lighting problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 84 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Buick Lacrosse?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 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 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.