2011 Buick Lacrosse Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jul 14, 2026 · 169 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Lacrosse years
More complaints than other years 7th of 15 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
5 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 169 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Buick Lacrosse. That ranks 7th out of 15 Lacrosse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (32 complaints, 19%), typically at around 55,355 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 1 fire, 12 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.

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 2011 Buick Lacrosse problems

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

Electrical System32 · ~55,355 mi
Engine30 · ~61,528 mi
Suspension27 · ~62,800 mi
Power Train19 · ~44,450 mi
Service Brakes17 · ~71,000 mi
Visibility/wiper14 · ~66,985 mi
Steering12 · ~45,087 mi
Unknown or Other12 · ~47,971 mi
Air Bags11 · ~30,725 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)9 · ~72,216 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System3219%55,355——
Engine3018%61,528——
Suspension2716%62,800——
Power Train1911%44,450——
Service Brakes1710%71,000——
Visibility/wiper148%66,985——
Steering127%45,087——
Unknown or Other127%47,971——
Air Bags117%30,725——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)95%72,216——
Seats95%58,500——
Vehicle Speed Control95%49,465——
Visibility95%117,350——
Structure85%14,170——
Engine and Engine Cooling53%2,206——
Fuel/propulsion System53%53,352——
Equipment42%840——
Seat Belts21%110,269——
Wheels21%75,427——
Exterior Lighting11%60,000——
Forward Collision Avoidance11%———
Lane Departure11%70,060——
Latches/locks/linkages11%9,400——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic11%1,800——
Tires11%15,402——
Traction Control System11%38,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2021, with 21 complaints
2010: 2201022011: 19192012: 102012102013: 662014: 112014112015: 15152016: 122016122017: 13132018: 152018152019: 15152020: 132020132021: 21212022: 6202262023: 552024: 2202422025: 222026: 220262

n = 169 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2011 Buick Lacrosse recalls (4)

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

Suspension:rearDec 22, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V00F000 · 4,271 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse, 2012-2013 Buick Regal, and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received an improper amount of electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately fracture.

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

Fix: Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 27, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212346640. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recalls 20V-764 and 21V-633.

Suspension:rearDec 21, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V764000 · 220,006 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Buick Regal, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received excessive electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately to fracture.

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

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners were mailed an interim notification on January 27, 2021, and April 15, 2021. A third notification was mailed on August 19, 201. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202308930.

Seats:front assembly:power adjustJul 23, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V447000 · 414,333 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.

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 crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:windshield:electrical heating elementMar 4, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V149000 · 10,179 vehicles

Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 buick lacrosse and cadillac srx vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 103, "windshield defrosting and defogging systems". On these vehicles, the software in the electronic climate control (ecc) module may disable the ability to adjust the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (hvac) system settings. If this happens, the driver will not be able to control the heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle.

Risk: If this condition affects the defrost system when it is required, it may decrease the driver's visibility, and could result in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will reprogram the ecc module free of charge. The safety recall began on march 11, 2011. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

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 purchased a 2011 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 143,939 and at the time of registration, it was…

Electrical System · received Jul 14, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11750433

I am reporting a serious safety defect involving a 2011 Buick LaCrosse CXL. The vehicle has repeatedly shut off while being driven, creating a dangerous situation. The issue first occurred in January 2026. The vehicle was later towed for repair in February 2026, and I was told the issue had been…

Engine · received Apr 14, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11731073

The contact owns a 2011 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while attempting to use the defroster, the HVAC system was not working properly, and paper towels were used to wipe the inside and outside windshield. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH or while…

Visibility · received Oct 27, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11695748

When going around town or on the highway the steering wheel will start shaking badly and when going to break even after the breaks have been changed the parking break will not stay on and the steering wheel will start shaking horribly to the point where your might crash your car I have had the car…

Service Brakes · received Sep 7, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11685571

The contact owns a 2011 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware of a failure with the defrost system. The contact stated that the windows failed to defrost properly, causing a visibility hazard while driving. The dealer was contacted; however, the…

Visibility · received May 28, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11591050

Other Buick Lacrosse years

← 2010 Lacrosse · 2012 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 2011 Buick Lacrosse?

Owners most often report electrical system, engine, suspension problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 32 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2011 Buick Lacrosse?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2011 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 2011 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.