2012 Buick LaCrosse Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
89/100
#2 most-complained of 10 LaCrosse years
The 2012 Buick LaCrosse ranks 2nd-worst of 10 model years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 89, 206 NHTSA complaints, and 5 recalls. Electrical System (31%) and Engine (30%) are the top-reported problem areas, making it an Avoid year relative to other LaCrosse years.
- Complaints
- 206
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes / fires
- 10 / 4
- Injuries / deaths
- 5 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 17 city / 27 hwy
Top 2012 Buick LaCrosse problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System64 (31%)
- Engine62 (30%)
- Brakes41 (20%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires36 (17%)
- Steering24 (12%)
- Transmission & Powertrain24 (12%)
- Other22 (11%)
- Structure & Body15 (7%)
- Fuel System8 (4%)
- Airbags4 (2%)
What owners report
- Some vehicles lost power suddenly while driving around 45 mph, leaving the vehicle unable to restart.
- Owners describe the accelerator pedal breaking off, causing unintended surges into the vehicle ahead.
- The steering wheel tilt mechanism reportedly unlocked while driving, causing loss of control.
- Some cars rolled away unexpectedly while parked and struck nearby structures.
- Owners report engine stalling at highway speed accompanied by a burning plastic smell.
- Rear lower control arms reportedly broke suddenly during highway driving, triggering stability control activation.
2012 Buick LaCrosse recalls
5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V00F000Dec 22, 2021Suspension, Wheels & Tires4,271 vehicles
Suspension:rear
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse, 2012-2013 Buick Regal, and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received an improper amount of electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately fracture.
Risk: A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 27, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212346640. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recalls 20V-764 and 21V-633.
- NHTSA 20V764000Dec 21, 2020Suspension, Wheels & Tires220,006 vehicles
Suspension:rear
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Buick Regal, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received excessive electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately to fracture.
Risk: A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners were mailed an interim notification on January 27, 2021, and April 15, 2021. A third notification was mailed on August 19, 201. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202308930.
- NHTSA 14V447000Jul 23, 2014Structure & Body414,333 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:power adjust
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.
Risk: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.
2012 Buick LaCrosse fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 27 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,100
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Gasoline or E85
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other LaCrosse years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Buick LaCrosse reliable?
- Relative to other LaCrosse model years, the 2012 ranks 2nd-worst out of 10 years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 89 and 206 NHTSA complaints, so it carries an Avoid verdict.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Buick LaCrosse?
- NHTSA data shows the top problem areas are Electrical System (64 complaints, 31%) and Engine (62 complaints, 30%), followed by Brakes (41 complaints, 20%) and Suspension, Wheels & Tires (36 complaints, 17%).
- Does the 2012 Buick LaCrosse have recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2012 LaCrosse, covering Suspension, Structure & Body, Electrical System, and Brakes components. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- At what mileage do problems typically show up on the 2012 LaCrosse?
- Median mileage at failure varies by area: Electrical System issues median 66,000 miles, Engine issues median 52,894 miles, and Brakes issues median 75,000 miles, per NHTSA complaint data.
- Is the 2012 LaCrosse better or worse than other years?
- It's worse than most other years: its Complaint Index of 89 is higher than 2013 (67), 2014 (56), 2015 (33), 2016 (44), 2017 (22), 2018 (11), and 2019 (0), though slightly better than 2011's 100.