2012 Buick Verano Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2012 Buick Verano ranks worst of 6 model years for this model, with a complaint index of 100 and 106 NHTSA complaints, driven mostly by engine stalling and airbag non-deployment. It carries 3 airbag recalls and is rated Avoid relative to other Verano years.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 100/100
- #1 of 6 Verano years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 106
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 8
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 4
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 24
- 21 city / 31 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 4 / 0
Top 2012 Buick Verano problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Engine stalls suddenly at highway speeds, sometimes with all gauges going dark and no ability to restart.
- Airbags fail to deploy during crashes, including collisions with poles, deer, and dividers.
- A steering wheel airbag coil defect is tied to three separate recall campaigns.
- Owners report a rattling or percolating noise from the suspension area, worse on uneven roads and after strut repairs.
- Battery cable corrosion and faulty electrical connections led some owners to replace the battery multiple times, in one case with a reported fire.
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?
- NHTSA data ranks the 2012 Verano worst among the 6 model years covered, with a complaint index of 100 and 106 complaints, mostly about the engine and airbags. It carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Verano years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Buick Verano?
- Engine complaints make up 51% of reports, often involving stalling, followed by airbag issues at 25% of complaints, including failures to deploy in crashes. Electrical system problems account for 15%.
- Does the 2012 Buick Verano have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Verano, all involving a driver-side frontal airbag shorting bar that can intermittently contact the airbag terminals. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- Which Buick Verano year is better than 2012?
- The 2015 and 2017 model years are rated Best with complaint indexes of 20 and 0, and 2016 is rated Good with an index of 40, all far below the 2012 index of 100.
- At what mileage do 2012 Verano problems typically show up?
- Median mileage at failure across all complaints is 56,000, with engine complaints centering around 65,000 miles and airbag complaints around 61,500 miles.