2008 Buick LaCrosse Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2008 Buick LaCrosse has 250 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 86, ranking 3rd worst of 15 model years, with an Avoid verdict. Electrical System problems dominate at 54% of complaints, alongside 2 recall campaigns tied to fuse box and key fob issues.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 86/100
- #3 of 15 LaCrosse years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 250
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 12
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
- 6
- Top issue
- Electrical System
Top 2008 Buick LaCrosse problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System134 (54%)
- Airbags77 (31%)
- Engine24 (10%)
- Structure & Body24 (10%)
- Other17 (7%)
- Brakes16 (6%)
- Steering14 (6%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (3%)
- Transmission & Powertrain5 (2%)
- Fuel System3 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report the fuse box and relay switch melting or catching fire, sometimes filling the garage or engine bay with smoke.
- Some describe the steering wheel seizing or shaking violently at highway speed, leading to loss of control.
- Several report brakes failing to respond or jamming at low speed, resulting in crashes into intersections or other vehicles.
- One owner described an airbag that failed to deploy in a tree collision, resulting in serious injury and a fatality.
- A power seat mechanism reportedly failed after a rear-end collision, leaving both front seats inoperative.
2008 Buick LaCrosse recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
2008 compared with other LaCrosse years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Buick LaCrosse reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 LaCrosse ranks 3rd worst among 15 model years, with a complaint index of 86 and an Avoid verdict.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2008 Buick LaCrosse?
- Electrical System issues make up 54% of the 250 complaints, including fuse box and relay failures that led to smoke and fires, at a median mileage of 58,000.
- Does the 2008 Buick LaCrosse have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2008 LaCrosse, both tied to the Electrical System, including a headlamp dimmer module replacement and a key fob fix related to the airbag system.
- How does the 2008 LaCrosse compare to other LaCrosse years?
- The 2008 model's complaint index of 86 is higher than most other years, with only the 2006 (100) and 2010 (93) rated worse; the 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 models earn Best verdicts with much lower indexes.