2012 Buick Verano Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 6 Verano years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2012 Buick Verano ranks worst of the 6 model years covered, with a Complaint Index of 100 and 106 NHTSA complaints. Engine issues make up 51% of complaints, followed by airbag problems at 25%, and 3 recalls target the airbag system.
- Complaints
- 106
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes / fires
- 8 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 4 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 24
- 21 city / 31 hwy
Top 2012 Buick Verano problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine54 (51%)
- Airbags27 (25%)
- Electrical System16 (15%)
- Steering9 (8%)
- Brakes8 (8%)
- Transmission & Powertrain7 (7%)
- Visibility & Wipers6 (6%)
- Other5 (5%)
- Fuel System4 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (4%)
What owners report
- Engine stalls suddenly at highway speeds, sometimes with all gauges going dark and no ability to restart.
- Airbags fail to deploy in crashes, including collisions with poles, dividers, and deer, resulting in injuries.
- Corrosion and faulty connections at the positive battery cable cause repeated battery replacements and a reported fire.
- A percolating or rattling noise is heard while driving slowly, worse on uneven surfaces, that got louder after a strut replacement.
- Brakes reportedly activate on their own while parking, causing low-speed collisions.
2012 Buick Verano recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 14V300000Jun 6, 2014Airbags31,520 vehicles
Air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. Note: This is an expansion of recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023.
- NHTSA 13V023000Jan 24, 2013Airbags4,167 vehicles
Air bags
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
- NHTSA 12V522000Oct 31, 2012Airbags2,949 vehicles
Air bags
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal airbag, that airbag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
2012 Buick Verano fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 31 MPG
- Combined
- 24 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,700
- 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 Verano years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Buick Verano reliable?
- Compared with other Verano model years, 2012 has the worst record: it carries a Complaint Index of 100, the highest of the 6 years tracked, and ranks 1st worst overall. NHTSA lists 106 complaints, mostly Engine (51%) and Airbags (25%).
- What problems does the 2012 Buick Verano have?
- Owners most often report Engine problems (54 complaints, median mileage 65,000) and Airbag failures (27 complaints, median mileage 61,500), including 7 crashes tied to airbags.
- Does the 2012 Buick Verano have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Verano, all involving the driver-side frontal airbag's steering wheel coil, which GM replaced free of charge. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- Which Verano year should I avoid?
- Based on NHTSA data, 2012 and 2014 are marked Avoid, with Complaint Index scores of 100 and 80. The 2013 model is Caution, while 2015, 2016, and 2017 score better, with 2015 and 2017 rated Best.
- How is fuel economy on the 2012 Buick Verano?
- EPA rates the 2012 Verano at 24 mpg combined (21 city / 31 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,700.