2013 Buick LaCrosse Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2013 Buick LaCrosse has a complaint index of 43, ranking 9th worst out of 15 model years, and carries a Good verdict. It has 129 complaints and 5 recalls, led by electrical system issues (42% of complaints).
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 43/100
- #9 of 15 LaCrosse years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 129
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 5
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 5
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 5
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 17 city / 27 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 5 / 1
Top 2013 Buick LaCrosse problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System54 (42%)
- Engine33 (26%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires30 (23%)
- Steering24 (19%)
- Other11 (9%)
- Transmission & Powertrain11 (9%)
- Brakes9 (7%)
- Fuel System9 (7%)
- Structure & Body6 (5%)
- Airbags5 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Vehicles stall while idling or driving, with the battery warning light flashing on the instrument panel and sometimes a burning odor.
- A section of wheel metal has broken off from the inside face near the engine bay, damaging the tire without any sign of curb or road impact.
- Engines have reportedly accelerated on their own during low-speed maneuvers like parking, leading to loss of control.
- Airbags have failed to deploy during a head-on collision, while in other cases the passenger sensing system triggers warnings for very light objects like a small purse.
- The transmission has downshifted abruptly at highway speed, causing sudden engine acceleration followed by rapid deceleration.
- Power windows have continued closing after the switch was released, and dashboard warning lights (charging system, power steering, ABS) have appeared together before the vehicle shut down.
2013 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 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.
- 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.
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
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Buick LaCrosse reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 LaCrosse has a complaint index of 43 and a Good verdict, ranking 9th worst among 15 model years — better than most earlier LaCrosse years but not as strong as 2015-2019 models.
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 Buick LaCrosse?
- Electrical system issues make up 42% of complaints (54 of 129), followed by engine problems at 26% and suspension, wheels & tires at 23%.
- Does the 2013 Buick LaCrosse have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2013 LaCrosse, covering rear suspension toe links and electrical system components including the transmission control module and generator control module. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- What year Buick LaCrosse should I avoid?
- According to NHTSA data, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2011 LaCrosse years carry Avoid verdicts with complaint indexes of 100, 86, 93, and 79 respectively, all worse than the 2013 model's index of 43.
- At what mileage do 2013 LaCrosse electrical problems show up?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 62,750 for electrical system complaints on the 2013 LaCrosse.