2012 Buick Lacrosse problems
The 2012 Buick Lacrosse has 309 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (20%) concerns electrical system. Next are engine (17%) and suspension (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 309 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 20% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 15 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 7 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 54,000 miles 216 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 | 56 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 26 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 37 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 24 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 22 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 19 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 16 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 10 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 216 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 54,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 66,000 miles (39 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 15 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 7 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 13 model years of the Buick Lacrosse with enough data (132 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 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 2012 buick lacrosse hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH and attempting to park, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to 100 MPH and crashed into a wall. The vehicle was destroyed and the contact suffered injuries to the back, hands, shoulders and hip. The contact was transported to the hospital. The first respond stated that the cruise control was activated at the time of the crash, which deactivated the braking system and caused the vehicle to accelerate without warning.
The a-pillar of the vehicle is extremely wide and obstructs visibility. The vehicle is dangerous to drive, and the width of the pillar has caused us to pop 3-tires (one left, two right) (three separate times/three different drivers) due to an inability to adequately gauge turns as a result of the pillar's width. It is an extreme design flaw and action should be taken against GM for such a negligent design.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. While driving 30 MPH, the contact's vehicle was struck on the front driver's side fender and door. The contact stated that the front driver's air bag failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact's head struck the steering wheel and she sustained body and muscular pain from the seat belt. The contact was treated at the hospital for minor injuries. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop to be repaired.
After starting engine and placing gear in drive, the car accelerated on its own so fast that it left tire marks on the pavement from where the acceleration started. The car passed through the parking lot lane, over two curbs, slightly scraping a small post in the parking lot causing the damage to the right side of the car.
The car started stalling and it smell like something was burning. The car would shut off and restart on its own. I replaced the engine out of my pockets and now I am having the exact same problems. First before replacing the engine the serpentine belt broke and I had the repaired, about six month later a bolt broke inside the engine and that is when I replaced the engine. I just got the car back three weeks ago and now it is doing the same thing.