2012 Buick Lacrosse Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 17, 2026 · 206 owner complaints analyzed

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

Owners have filed 206 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Buick Lacrosse. That ranks 5th out of 15 Lacrosse model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (62 complaints, 30%), typically at around 66,000 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 4 fires, 5 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations 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 2012 Buick Lacrosse problems

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

Electrical System62 · ~66,000 mi
Engine46 · ~52,947 mi
Suspension31 · ~92,000 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)25 · ~83,738 mi
Power Train24 · ~25,000 mi
Steering24 · ~50,500 mi
Unknown or Other18 · ~93,000 mi
Service Brakes16 · ~50,500 mi
Vehicle Speed Control12 · ~6,850 mi
Fuel/propulsion System8 · ~90,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System problems6230%66,000“generator control” (10%)—
Engine4622%52,947——
Suspension3115%92,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)2512%83,738——
Power Train2412%25,000——
Steering2412%50,500——
Unknown or Other189%93,000——
Service Brakes168%50,500——
Vehicle Speed Control126%6,850——
Fuel/propulsion System84%90,000——
Structure73%11,327——
Seats63%2,300——
Engine and Engine Cooling52%34,000——
Wheels52%30,000——
Air Bags42%87,000——
Seat Belts42%21,500——
Exterior Lighting31%66,000——
Equipment21%7,450——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility21%100——
Latches/locks/linkages21%33,000——
Tires10%348——
Traction Control System10%34,080——
Visibility/wiper10%———

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2021, with 39 complaints
2011: 1201112012: 882013: 122013122014: 25252015: 112015112016: 882017: 162017162018: 12122019: 212019212020: 10102021: 392021392022: 13132023: 6202362024: 11112025: 4202542026: 99

n = 206 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 Buick Lacrosse recalls (5)

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.

Electrical systemMay 6, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V173000 · 42,904 vehicles

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles equipped with eAssist. These vehicles may have a condition in which the Generator Control Module (GCM) may not function properly. This could cause a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.

Risk: If the vehicle is continued to be driven, the engine may stall and/or the vehicle may not start. In addition, there may be a burning or melting odor, smoke, and possibly a fire in the trunk.

Fix: GM will notify owners and dealers will test the GCM and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13136.

Electronic stability control (esc)Aug 3, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V404000 · 4,077 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling certain model year 2012 buick lacrosse passenger vehicles manufactured from june 9, 2011, through july 2, 2011, for failing to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 126, "electronic stability control systems (esc)." the stabilitrak system has an incorrect calibration that may cause the system to not properly detect if a sensor were to malfunction, and the warning light indicating that the system is not operating would not illuminate, as required in the safety standard.

Risk: The improper diagnosing may cause the esc to falsely activate, resulting in sudden changes in vehicle handling and deceleration, particularly at higher speeds, which may cause the driver difficulty in maintaining the vehicle's desired path of travel and desired vehicle speed, and could result in a crash without warning.

Fix: Gm dealers will reprogram the electronic brake control module free of charge. The safety recall began on september 12, 2011. 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.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Sands Chevrolet/Hybrid System Fire/Stall (AQ14001) — opened May 2, 2014, closed May 22, 2016.
  • Generator Control Module Fires (RQ13003) — opened Jul 5, 2013, closed Jul 22, 2014.

Recent owner reports

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

**Subject:** Formal Safety Defect Complaint: Premature Failure of Completed Recall Remedy (NHTSA Campaign 13V173000 / GM Recall 13136) Resulting in Sudden Loss of Power Steering **VEHICLE INFORMATION** * **Year/Make/Model:** 2012 Buick LaCrosse Hybrid (eAssist) * **VIN:** [XXX] * **Current…

Electrical System · received Sep 17, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11765050

Shows service stability track

Electrical System · received Jul 30, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11753857

I was driving my car the engine turned off by itself everything locked up when i stop i tried to start it again and it just clicked, I thought it was the battery got a new battery started up drove it about a half mile did it again turned off everything locked up

Unknown or Other · received Jul 14, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11750340

I was driving my car the engine turned off by itself everything locked up when i stop i tried to start it again and it just clicked, I thought it was the battery got a new battery started up drove it about a half mile did it again turned off everything locked up

Unknown or Other · received Jul 14, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11750341

2012 Buick LaCrosse V6 (Fairfax Plant). The vehicle suffered a sudden, complete loss of engine power and forward propulsion while traveling at highway speed, cutting off mid-drive with no warning. This occurred alongside a persistent StabiliTrak malfunction; the dash showed repeated "Service…

Engine · received Jul 10, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11749557

Other Buick Lacrosse years

← 2011 Lacrosse · 2013 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 2012 Buick Lacrosse?

Owners most often report electrical system, engine, suspension problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 62 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Buick Lacrosse?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2012 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 2012 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.