YearToAvoid

2005 Buick LaCrosse Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2005 Buick LaCrosse has 315 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 57, ranking 7th worst out of 15 model years and earning a Caution verdict. Electrical system problems dominate, making up 49% of complaints, with headlight failures and fuse-panel fires reported at a median 91,000 miles.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
57/100
#7 of 15 LaCrosse years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
315
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
7
reported in complaints
Fires
6
Injuries
4
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2015
rated Best

Top 2005 Buick LaCrosse problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System155 (49%)
  2. Steering51 (16%)
  3. Brakes36 (11%)
  4. Airbags34 (11%)
  5. Engine27 (9%)
  6. Structure & Body24 (8%)
  7. Suspension, Wheels & Tires19 (6%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain19 (6%)
  9. Other9 (3%)
  10. Fuel System7 (2%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Low beam and daytime running headlights suddenly shut off while driving, sometimes at night mid-turn.
  • Fuse panel or headlamp driver module overheats, melts, or catches fire under the hood.
  • Main wiring harness under the hood catches fire with no prior warning.
  • Power steering and brakes fail together at highway speed, leading to loss of control.
  • Airbags fail to deploy in rear-end and side-impact crashes, including one with a reported neck injury.
  • Vehicle lurches forward or backward unexpectedly at low speed, striking nearby objects.
2005 Buick LaCrosse complaints: complaints filed per quarter302004 Q42006 Q42008 Q42010 Q42013 Q32015 Q42017 Q42020 Q4
315 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2004 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2014 Q3 (30).

2005 Buick LaCrosse recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V519000Aug 14, 2015Electrical System429,170 vehicles

    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 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlamp driver module (HDM) may overheat and fail, causing the headlamps and daytime running lights to not illuminate.

    Risk: Headlamps that do not illuminate reduce the driver's ability to see the roadway and reduce the vehicle's visibility to oncoming vehicles, both of which increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HDM, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14291.

  2. NHTSA 14V355000Jun 23, 2014Electrical System3,141,731 vehicles

    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. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

    Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.

  3. NHTSA 06V417000Oct 31, 2006Airbags794 vehicles

    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 covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.

    Risk: If the passenger sensing system malfunctions, the front air bag on the passenger side may be disabled when it should be enabled, or enabled when it should be disabled. In either case, in the event of a crash that requires air bag deployment, a front passenger's level of injury may be increased.

    Remedy: Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (gm) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in gm's letter to owners. The recall began on november 6, 2006. Owners should contact gm at 1-877-477-1022 to begin the process of repurchasing their vehicle.

See all 4 recalls for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse →

2005 compared with other LaCrosse years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Caution573154—
2006Avoid1002993—
2007Caution642503—

All Buick LaCrosse years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2005 Buick LaCrosse reliable?
Compared to other LaCrosse model years, 2005 ranks 7th worst out of 15 years with a complaint index of 57 and a Caution verdict based on NHTSA complaints and recalls.
What is the biggest problem with the 2005 Buick LaCrosse?
Electrical system issues are the top complaint area, accounting for 49% of the 315 complaints, mainly headlight failures and fuse-panel fires reported at a median of 91,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Buick LaCrosse have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2005 LaCrosse covering the electrical system, airbags, and brakes, including a brake pedal pushrod clip issue and a headlamp driver module recall.
How does the 2005 LaCrosse compare to other years?
The 2005 model's complaint index of 57 is better than 2006 (100), 2008 (86), and 2010 (93), which are all rated Avoid, but worse than later years like 2015 through 2019, which rate Good or Best.
Were there any fires reported in the 2005 Buick LaCrosse?
NHTSA data shows 6 fire-related complaints, mostly tied to electrical system failures such as fuse panels and wiring harnesses overheating.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.