Buick Lacrosse Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 253 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Buick Lacrosse across 13 model years. The 2008 model year has the most (77). The words owners use most often: “air bag” (55% of reports).
- 253air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 41mention a crash
- 26mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $1,650typical repair cost reported by owners
- 43%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 139 of 253 complaints (55%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 51 of 253 complaints (20%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the Buick Lacrosse at $1,650, and half of them between $1,300 and $1,900.
Based on 23 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2018), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 193 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 253 complaints, 41 mention a crash, 26 an injury.
Buick Lacrosse air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Lacrosse | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2016 Lacrosse | 6 | 13% | 73,000 |
| 2015 Lacrosse | 7 | 16% | 15,495 |
| 2014 Lacrosse | 8 | 13% | 30,915 |
| 2013 Lacrosse | 5 | 4% | 4,900 |
| 2012 Lacrosse | 4 | 2% | 87,000 |
| 2011 Lacrosse | 11 | 7% | 30,725 |
| 2010 Lacrosse | 16 | 8% | 50,000 |
| 2009 Lacrosse | 27 | 25% | 49,036 |
| 2008 Lacrosse | 77 | 31% | 50,000 |
| 2007 Lacrosse | 18 | 7% | 48,000 |
| 2006 Lacrosse | 38 | 13% | 62,000 |
| 2005 Lacrosse | 34 | 11% | 75,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2014, 2015, 2016
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
Seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2014, 2015, 2016
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
Air bags:side/window
Model years: 2015
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.
Air bags:frontal
Model years: 2005, 2006
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was in a front end collision where the damages were over $20,000.00 and the air bags did not deploy.
On June 22,2026, I was involved in a frontal impact collision while traveling at approximately 35 mph. The vehicle suffered a catastrophic failure of the entire occupant restraint system. Despite a severe, high-speed frontal impact, the frontal airbags failed to physically deploy, and the seatbelt…
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.
Auto insurance company informed safety regulations due to recalls on this vehicle.
The contact owns a 2016 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at undisclosed speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the driverâs side air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Buick Lacrosses have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 253 owner complaints about air bags for the Buick Lacrosse. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Buick Lacrosse air bags?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the Buick Lacrosse?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,650 (half paid between $1,300 and $1,900), from 23 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Buick Lacrosse?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 139 of 253 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (51).
Other Buick Lacrosse problems
- Electrical System problems (590)
- Exterior Lighting problems (493)
- Steering problems (228)
- Engine problems (215)
- Suspension problems (143)
- Power Train problems (140)
- Service Brakes problems (107)
See all Buick Lacrosse problems.