2012 Buick Lacrosse Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Lacrosse years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- 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.

- 206owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 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 | 62 | 30% | 66,000 | “generator control” (10%) | — |
| Engine | 46 | 22% | 52,947 | — | — |
| Suspension | 31 | 15% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 25 | 12% | 83,738 | — | — |
| Power Train | 24 | 12% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 24 | 12% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 18 | 9% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 8% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 6% | 6,850 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 4% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 3% | 11,327 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 3% | 2,300 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 2% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 2% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 2% | 21,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 7,450 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 1% | 100 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 348 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 34,080 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Buick Lacrosse recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:rear
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:rear
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 adjust
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 system
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)
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…
Shows service stability track
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
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
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…
Other Buick Lacrosse years
← 2011 Lacrosse · 2013 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 | 206 | 5 |
| 2011 Lacrosse | 169 | 4 |
| 2010 Lacrosse | 189 | 2 |
| 2009 Lacrosse | 106 | 2 |
| 2008 Lacrosse | 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
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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.