Buick Lucerne Electrical System Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jun 13, 2026 · 399 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 399 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Buick Lucerne across 6 model years. The 2008 model year has the most (121). The words owners use most often: “fuse box” (22% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Fuse box: mentioned in 89 of 399 complaints (22%)
  • Pump relay: mentioned in 74 of 399 complaints (19%)
  • Instrument panel: mentioned in 43 of 399 complaints (11%)
  • Rear seat: mentioned in 38 of 399 complaints (10%)

At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?

Based on 262 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles46 · 18%
10k–25k miles10 · 4%
25k–50k miles22 · 8%
50k–75k miles52 · 20%
75k–100k miles59 · 23%
100k–150k miles60 · 23%
150k+ miles13 · 5%

How serious are the reports?

Of 399 complaints, 12 mention a crash, 42 a fire, 8 an injury.

Buick Lucerne electrical system complaints by model year

Peak: 2008, with 121 complaints
2006: 10120061012007: 592007592008: 12120081212009: 762009762010: 192010192011: 23201123

n = 399 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearElectrical System complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2011 Lucerne2347%106,000
2010 Lucerne1935%71,000
2009 Lucerne7659%84,727
2008 Lucerne12156%77,602
2007 Lucerne5936%48,727
2006 Lucerne10131%38,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2014, with 85 complaints
2006: 2620062007: 252008: 1520082009: 32010: 1020102011: 82012: 620122013: 82014: 852014852015: 322016: 2320162017: 272018: 2520182019: 362020: 1420202021: 132022: 720222023: 182024: 1120242025: 42026: 32026

n = 399 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (4)

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

Model years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

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 system:12v/24v/48v battery:cablesNov 5, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V553000 · 13,780 vehicles

Model years: 2010, 2011

Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 dts and buick lucerne vehicles equipped with v8 engines. The starter or alternator cable is in contact with the power steering return line. If either the starter or alternator cable is contacting the power steering return line, the cable could wear through the line, causing a power steering fluid leak.

Risk: A power steering leak could result in a loss of power steering, increasing the risk of a crash, and/or the leak onto hot engine parts could cause an engine compartment fire.

Fix: Dealers will secure and if necessary reroute the lines to prevent contact. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 19, 2010. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, buick at 1-866-608-8080 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

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

Model years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

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.

Electrical systemAug 28, 2008 · NHTSA campaign 08V441000 · 857,735 vehicles

Model years: 2006, 2007, 2008

Problem: Gm is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 buick lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; my 2007-2008 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, saturn outlook; and my 2008 buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system. A short circuit on the printed circuit board for the washer fluid heater may overheat the control-circuit ground wire.

Risk: This may cause other electrical features to malfunction, create an odor, or cause smoke increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on september 12, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; cadillac at 1-800-982-2339 or http://www.cadillac.com; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or http://www.saturn.com, gmc at 1-866-996-9436; or hummer at 1-800-732-5493; or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a> .

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

Vehicle purchased used through Carvana. Battery installed at purchase was approximately 10 years old and later failed, causing starting issues and an instance of power loss while driving that left the vehicle stranded. Battery has been replaced and original battery retained.

Received Apr 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11732618

The vehicle’s instrument cluster appears to be a non-original unit that may not be correct for the model year. The cluster is responsible for displaying the odometer and communicating with other vehicle systems. After purchase, I observed that diagnostic scan tools could not consistently access…

Received Apr 20, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11732305

Fuel pump relay is overheating to dangerously high temperatures. At least 211 F degrees. Causes the fuel pump fuse to melt leaving me stranded. Immediate replacement of the 20 AMP fuse is necessary to get the car running again. The fuel pump relay gets really hot even if the AC is not on. Waited…

Received Mar 28, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11727683

We have a Buick Lucerne 2010. We went out it would not start. Tow it to dealership they replace the fuel pump. We did. Get it home next day it will not start again. Tow it to dealership again. This time they find melted wire connectors. Under back seat and on a fuse box.They replace them it starts…

Received Aug 14, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11680803

I purchased the vehicle a week before the incident. There were no warning lights or messages and nothing to indicate there was a problem. I was driving in a crowded parking lot so I was going very slow. When I turned my car suddenly died. My husband was passenger and my daughter and 2 sons were in…

Received Jun 21, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11668301
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.

Frequently asked questions

Do all Buick Lucernes have electrical system problems?

No. NHTSA has 399 owner complaints about electrical system for the Buick Lucerne. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the Buick Lucerne electrical system?

Yes: 4 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Buick Lucerne?

The most frequent phrase is “fuse box”, in 89 of 399 complaints, followed by “pump relay” (74).

Other Buick Lucerne problems

See all Buick Lucerne problems.