Buick Verano Years to Avoid
CarWhere's analysis of 439 federal NHTSA complaints for the Buick Verano, by model year, updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No year rated avoid
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 106 | 72 | 3 | CAUTION |
| 2013 | 106 | 58 | 3 | CAUTION |
| 2014 | 101 | 53 | 6 | CAUTION |
| 2015 | 58 | 17 | 0 | BEST |
| 2016 | 59 | 24 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2017 | 9 | 4 | 1 | N/A |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 Verano. Full methodology.
Common Buick Verano problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Buick Verano are engine, electrical, transmission. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Excessive engine oil consumption without warning light
· Buick Verano 2012–2016Corroborated by 33 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 109 engine complaints across 2012–2016. Owner-reported repair cost $5,000–$6,000.
Passenger airbag sensor failure / non-deployment
· Buick Verano 2012–2014Corroborated by 13 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 81 electrical complaints across 2012–2014. Owner-reported repair cost $600.
Transmission control module failure
· Buick Verano 2013–2016Corroborated by 5 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 39 transmission complaints across 2013–2016, typically 84,000–117,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $1,100–$7,000.
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FAQ
What years of the Buick Verano should you avoid?
No Buick Verano model year rises to an "avoid" rating in the current federal data; see the year-by-year verdicts below.
What are the best years for the Buick Verano?
The 2015 Buick Verano shows 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 Verano 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 Verano's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Buick Verano 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 Verano reliable?
No Buick Verano model year rates "avoid" in the current federal data. Across 439 NHTSA owner complaints, the model's record is relatively even year to year, with 2015 the cleanest — 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 Verano?
The most-reported problem area for the Buick Verano is engine, followed by electrical and transmission. Confirmed failures include excessive engine oil consumption without warning light, passenger airbag sensor failure / non-deployment, transmission control module failure. 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 Verano 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 Verano, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.