Buick Lacrosse Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 1,245 NHTSA complaints, the Buick Lacrosse years to avoid are 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 — the worst logged up to 2.4× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by engine failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No year rated caution
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 250 | 52 | 2 | AVOID |
| 2009 | 106 | 22 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2010 | 189 | 98 | 2 | AVOID |
| 2011 | 168 | 82 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2012 | 201 | 103 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2013 | 127 | 69 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2014 | 62 | 29 | 5 | SOLID |
| 2015 | 44 | 26 | 3 | BEST |
| 2016 | 46 | 31 | 2 | BEST |
| 2017 | 34 | 14 | 2 | BEST |
| 2018 | 12 | 7 | 3 | N/A |
| 2019 | 6 | 3 | 2 | N/A |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Buick Lacrosse. Full methodology.
Common Buick Lacrosse problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Buick Lacrosse are engine, electrical, steering. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Engine stalls without warning while driving
· Buick Lacrosse 2008–2018Corroborated by 16 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 173 engine complaints across 2008–2018, typically 1,345–180,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $1,600.
Electronic Stability Control system malfunction / false activation
· Buick Lacrosse 2010–2012Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 137 electrical complaints across 2010–2012.
Power steering loss while driving
· Buick Lacrosse 2011–2016Corroborated by 14 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 36 steering complaints across 2011–2016, typically 23,098–106,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $4,000.
Why these years stand out
2008 Buick Lacrosse: 250 owner complaints on federal record, 52 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Buick Lacrosse.
2010 Buick Lacrosse: 189 owner complaints on federal record, 98 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Buick Lacrosse.
2011 Buick Lacrosse: 168 owner complaints on federal record, 82 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Buick Lacrosse.
2012 Buick Lacrosse: 201 owner complaints on federal record, 103 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Buick Lacrosse.
2013 Buick Lacrosse: 127 owner complaints on federal record, 69 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Buick Lacrosse.
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FAQ
What years of the Buick Lacrosse should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Buick Lacrosse years to avoid are 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by engine issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Buick Lacrosse?
The 2015, 2016 and 2017 Buick Lacrosse show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Buick Lacrosse verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Buick Lacrosse's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Buick Lacrosse before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Buick Lacrosse reliable?
The Buick Lacrosse's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 1,245 NHTSA owner complaints, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 rate "avoid", while 2015, 2016 and 2017 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Buick Lacrosse?
The most-reported problem area for the Buick Lacrosse is engine, followed by electrical and steering. Confirmed failures include engine stalls without warning while driving, electronic stability control system malfunction / false activation, power steering loss while driving. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Buick Lacrosse across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Buick Lacrosse, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.