YearToAvoid

2016 Buick LaCrosse Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2016 Buick LaCrosse has a complaint index of 29, ranking 11th of 15 model years, and earns a Good verdict. Steering complaints lead with 12 reports (25% share), followed by engine issues, but only 2 recalls are on file.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
29/100
#11 of 15 LaCrosse years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
48
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
2
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
5
reported in complaints
Fires
2
Injuries
3
Top issue
Steering
Best nearby year
2017
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
21
18 city / 28 hwy
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0

Top 2016 Buick LaCrosse problems

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

  1. Steering12 (25%)
  2. Engine9 (19%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain7 (15%)
  4. Airbags6 (13%)
  5. Other5 (10%)
  6. Brakes4 (8%)
  7. Electrical System4 (8%)
  8. Collision Avoidance & Cameras3 (6%)
  9. Fuel System3 (6%)
  10. Structure & Body3 (6%)

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

What owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy in frontal or side-impact crashes, sometimes tied to NHTSA campaign 16V651000.
  • Frontal impact at approximately 35 mph produced no airbag deployment and loose, un-tightened seatbelts.
  • Vehicle experienced an unoccupied engine fire reported to NHTSA.
  • A fuel supply line to the engine developed a leak, causing a gasoline odor inside the cabin.
  • At highway speeds the dash displayed 'reduced engine power,' the transmission downshifted, and the car could only reach 45 mph, requiring an engine restart.
  • The front hood latch partially opened while driving at 22,100 miles.
2016 Buick LaCrosse complaints: complaints filed per month3Mar 2016Mar 2017Dec 2018Dec 2020May 2022Jul 2023May 2024Feb 2026
48 complaints filed with NHTSA from Mar 2016 to Aug 2026; peak Dec 2017 (3).

2016 Buick LaCrosse recalls

2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 17V437000Jul 10, 2017Seat Belts40,683 vehicles

    Seat belts:pretensioner

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

    Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

  2. NHTSA 16V651000Sep 8, 2016Airbags3,640,162 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

    Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

2016 Buick LaCrosse fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18 MPG
Highway
28 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.

2016 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
2014Good3663521
2015Best2144321
2016Good2948221
2017Best1434224
2018Best712324

All Buick LaCrosse years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Buick LaCrosse reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2016 LaCrosse a complaint index of 29 and a Good verdict, ranking 11th out of 15 model years for this model.
What is the top problem area for the 2016 Buick LaCrosse?
Steering leads with 12 complaints, a 25% share of all reports, with a median failure mileage of 25,549 miles.
Does the 2016 Buick LaCrosse have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2016 LaCrosse, covering seat belts (campaign 17V437000) and airbags (campaign 16V651000); neither is a do-not-drive recall.
How does the 2016 LaCrosse compare to other model years?
With a complaint index of 29, the 2016 LaCrosse ranks better than years like 2006 (index 100, Avoid) and 2008 (index 86, Avoid), but not as low as 2018 or 2019, which earn Best verdicts.
Were there airbag deployment failures reported for the 2016 LaCrosse?
Yes, airbags account for 6 complaints (13% share) and 5 crashes, including reports of frontal and side airbags not deploying during collisions.

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.