YearToAvoid

2013 Buick LaCrosse Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

43/100

#9 most-complained of 15 LaCrosse years

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

The 2013 Buick LaCrosse has 129 owner complaints and 5 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 43 out of 100 — #9 highest of 15 LaCrosse model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is electrical system (54 complaints, 42% of the total). Complaints report 5 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries, and 1 death.

Complaints
129
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
5 / 3
Injuries / deaths
5 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
21
17 city / 27 hwy

Top 2013 Buick LaCrosse problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System54 (42%)
  2. Engine33 (26%)
  3. Suspension, Wheels & Tires30 (23%)
  4. Steering24 (19%)
  5. Other11 (9%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain11 (9%)
  7. Brakes9 (7%)
  8. Fuel System9 (7%)
  9. Structure & Body6 (5%)
  10. Airbags5 (4%)
2013 Buick LaCrosse complaints: complaints filed per quarter122013 Q12015 Q32017 Q12018 Q32020 Q32022 Q12024 Q12025 Q3
197 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2019 Q4 (12).

2013 Buick LaCrosse recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. NHTSA 21V633000Aug 12, 2021Suspension, Wheels & Tires32,894 vehicles

    Suspension:rear

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Regal, Chevrolet Malibu, and 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 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. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on September 30, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 3, 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 N212330130.

  3. 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2013 Buick LaCrosse →

2013 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
Regular
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.

2013 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
2011Avoid79169420
2012Caution71206521
2013Good43129521
2014Good3663521
2015Best2144321

All Buick LaCrosse years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Buick LaCrosse a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 Buick LaCrosse ranks #9 of 15 among LaCrosse model years (Complaint Index 43/100, verdict: Good). It has 129 complaints and 5 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Buick LaCrosse?
The most reported problem areas are electrical system (54 complaints), engine (33 complaints), and suspension, wheels & tires (30 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 58,999 miles.
Does the 2013 Buick LaCrosse have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2013 Buick LaCrosse, most recently reported 2021, covering suspension, wheels & tires and electrical system.
What is the fuel economy of the 2013 Buick LaCrosse?
EPA rates the 2013 Buick LaCrosse at 21 MPG combined (17 city / 27 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

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.