2005 Buick LaCrosse Reliability
The 2005 Buick LaCrosse has 315 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and electrical system. Compared with nearby LaCrosse model years (2005–2007), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the LaCrosse's typical year.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
315
NHTSA owner complaints
5
Recall campaigns
7
Complaints citing a crash
6
Complaints citing a fire
2005 Buick LaCrosse complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 model year, filed between 2004 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 82 | 26% |
| Electrical system | 80 | 25% |
| Steering | 51 | 16% |
| Air bags | 34 | 11% |
| Service brakes | 34 | 11% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 19 | 6% |
| Body structure | 16 | 5% |
| Suspension | 13 | 4% |
2005 Buick LaCrosse recalls
5 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2005 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05V156000 | Apr 20, 2005 | Service brakes — pedals and linkages | On certain passenger vehicles, the clip that secures the brake pushrod to the brake pedal arm pin could have been bent when it was installed. A bent clip may come off, allowing the brake booster pushrod to separate from the brake pedal. |
| 06V417000 | Oct 31, 2006 | Air bags — frontal | 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… |
| 09E005000 | Feb 17, 2009 | Steering | Dorman is recalling 979 steering knuckles, dorman p/nos. 697-902 and 697-903, sold under dorman's "oe solutions<sup>tm</sup>" brand name, and napa p/nos. 7-8502 and 7-8503 which were sold for replacement use on the various vehicles listed above. A potential… |
| 14V355000 | Jun 23, 2014 | Electrical system — ignition | 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.… |
| 15V519000 | Aug 14, 2015 | Exterior lighting — headlights | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x… |
How the 2005 compares with nearby LaCrosse years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year LaCrosse analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 (this page) | 315 | 5 | Exterior lighting | Avoid |
| 2006 | 299 | 4 | Exterior lighting | Caution |
| 2007 | 250 | 4 | Exterior lighting | Caution |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2005 Buick LaCrosse
- Lights: check headlights (low and high), brake lights and turn signals; condensation inside the housings is worth noting.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Steering: check for a steering warning light, heavy or notchy steering and clunks over bumps; power-steering faults show up at low speed.
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 5 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2005 Buick LaCrosse can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2005 Buick LaCrosse reliability FAQ
Is the 2005 Buick LaCrosse reliable?
The 2005 Buick LaCrosse has 315 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and electrical system. Compared with nearby LaCrosse model years (2005–2007), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the LaCrosse's typical year.
What are the most common 2005 Buick LaCrosse problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse are exterior lighting (82), electrical system (80), steering (51), air bags (34). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2005 Buick LaCrosse have recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse, including 05V156000 (service brakes — pedals and linkages) and 06V417000 (air bags — frontal). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2005 Buick LaCrosse compare with the 2004 and 2006 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2006 has 299 complaints and 4 recalls (caution). The 2005 has 315 complaints and 5 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2005 Buick LaCrosse?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Buick LaCrosse research
Other Buick LaCrosse model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2005 LaCrosse, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.