2009 Buick Lucerne Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Apr 10, 2026 · 128 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Lucerne years
Fewer complaints than other years 4th of 6 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 128 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Buick Lucerne. That ranks 4th out of 6 Lucerne model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (76 complaints, 59%), typically at around 84,727 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 17 fires, 5 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.

Buick Lucerne
Buick Lucerne V8 Washington DC, USA. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: OWS Photography, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2009 Buick Lucerne problems

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

Electrical System76 · ~84,727 mi
Fuel/propulsion System36 · ~82,000 mi
Structure8 · ~114,557 mi
Engine7 · ~82,309 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline7 · ~71,000 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)6 · ~77,000 mi
Steering6 · ~49,440 mi
Air Bags5 · ~39,600 mi
Vehicle Speed Control5 · ~6,114 mi
Unknown or Other4 · ~62,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System problems7659%84,727“fuse box” (43%)—
Fuel/propulsion System3628%82,000——
Structure86%114,557——
Engine75%82,309——
Fuel System, Gasoline75%71,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)65%77,000——
Steering65%49,440——
Air Bags54%39,600——
Vehicle Speed Control54%6,114——
Unknown or Other43%62,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling32%6,127——
Latches/locks/linkages32%37,000——
Power Train22%78,500——
Seats22%3,000——
Service Brakes22%65,000——
Visibility22%12,000——
Wheels22%70,395——
Exterior Lighting11%400——
Fuel System, Diesel11%99,600——
Fuel System, Other11%6,114——
Seat Belts11%805——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic11%23,094——
Suspension11%97,000——
Tires11%45,000——
Visibility/wiper11%147,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2015, with 20 complaints
2009: 4200942010: 552011: 3201132012: 112013: 5201352014: 992015: 202015202016: 17172017: 192017192018: 14142019: 112019112020: 332021: 4202142022: 222023: 5202352024: 332026: 320263

n = 128 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2009 Buick Lucerne recalls (2)

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

Electrical system:ignitionJun 23, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V355000 · 3,141,731 vehicles

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.

Electrical systemJun 4, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V240000 · 1,365,070 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.

Risk: It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.

Fix: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 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 owns a 2009 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in rainy weather, the windshield wipers became inoperable, causing the driver's visibility to be significantly reduced and severely rendering the safe operation of the vehicle. The dealer was…

Visibility/wiper · received Apr 10, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11730411

The contact owns a 2009 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact was able to safely drive onto the shoulder, and the tow truck was contacted. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the fuel…

Fuel System, Gasoline · received Apr 7, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11729732

Woke up to my passenger seat burnt up, liquid oozing out the burnt up seat and wires and metal sticking out. Looks like the fire started under the seat.

Seats · received Feb 28, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11721148

The contact owns a 2009 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspection he became aware that one of the relays from the electric fuel pump under the rear…

Electrical System · received Nov 1, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11623101

The car died suddenly and would not start, with no warnings or codes. Towed it to a Midas repair shop and it was diagnosed as a corroded Low Profile Fuel Pump relay. This was replaced, and the car ran fine for 3 days before going dead in the middle of driving and left me stranded in an…

Fuel/propulsion System · received Aug 1, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11605954

Other Buick Lucerne years

← 2008 Lucerne · 2010 Lucerne →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2011 Lucerne492
2010 Lucerne542
20091282
2008 Lucerne2183
2007 Lucerne1644
2006 Lucerne3304

See all Buick Lucerne 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 2009 Buick Lucerne?

Owners most often report electrical system, fuel/propulsion system, structure problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 76 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2009 Buick Lucerne?

Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2009 Buick Lucerne a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Lucerne model years, the 2009 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.