2008 Buick Lacrosse problems
The 2008 Buick Lacrosse has 343 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (25%) concerns electrical system. Next are air bags (22%) and lighting (18%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 343 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 25% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 16 and 9
- Injuries and deaths
- 10 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 55,000 miles 278 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 28 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 50 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 72 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 57 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 44 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 9 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 11 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 4 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 278 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 55,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 56,000 miles (62 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 16 complaints mention a crash; 9 complaints mention a fire; 10 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 13 model years of the Buick Lacrosse with enough data (114 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. When the contact depressed the brake pedal at 10 MPH to stop the vehicle, it did not respond and drifted into an intersection, causing a severe crash. There were no warning indicators prior to the failure. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The contact has pictures of the vehicle in its current condition. The manufacturer stated that, within the next two weeks, the vehicle would be inspected to determine the cause of the failure.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 buick lacrosse. While driving approximately 30 MPH and making a left turn, the power steering and brakes seized without warning. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a concrete pole, gas meter, and tree; however, the engine continued to rev. The contact had to make several attempts to turn off the vehicle. The air bags deployed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The driver received facial and hand injuries and the passenger received stomach injuries.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. During the daytime, the instrument panel lighting was very dim, which made it difficult to view the gauges. The dealer stated that the vehicle was working up to standard and that the design of the vehicle could not be altered. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 5. Updated 10/03/14 updated 3/10/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. While reversing at a low speed, the driver side low beam head lamp failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the bulb needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v755000 (exterior lighting). The part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.