The Buick LaCrosse carries the brand’s unconventional design ethos quite successfully. After the initial attention, the sedan has failed to keep the buyers hooked but it does get a lot of things right including the reliability part as well. There are a few issues with the airbags of the current model while the previous model also had similar issues. The brand did issue a total of two recalls as of now regarding the airbag failure issue. The official complaint number against the 2017 LaCrosse stands at 25, a good one as compared to the 20,161 units sold. Apart from the airbag issue, the LaCrosse has been seeing issues with its power steering since the previous model year and the current model also faced some reports regarding it. In the segment, the sedan competes against the Lexus ES 350, the Lincoln MKZ, and the Toyota Avalon.
Buick LaCrosse user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Powertrain malfunction: One owner mentions in his report that the powertrain of the vehicle malfunctioned. On one occurrence, the vehicle failed to move forward while reversing and shifting into drive mode. On another occasion, after the owner came to a stop the vehicle refused to accelerate. During the incidents, all the warning lights were illuminated within the instrument cluster. During a visit to the dealership, the technicians cleared the codes but the issues recurred.
- Power loss: A single complaint regarding this issue mentions that while the owner was driving, the vehicle lost power. The instrument cluster displayed a reduced engine power message and the vehicle refused to accelerate beyond 45mph.
- Transmission problems: A couple of owners have faced problems with the transmissions of their vehicles. One owner says in the report that while driving at around 40-50mph or 25-30mph, the vehicle would shake violently. Upon further inspection, the dealership informed that the transmission required a replacement and it was payable. They also mentioned that this issue is common for General Motors transmissions.
Safety problems
- Airbag failure: A few owners faced issues with the airbags of their vehicles. The reports state that while the affected vehicles were involved in crashes, the airbags failed to deploy. The brand did issue a couple of recalls regarding this issue with NHTSA campaign numbers 16V651000 and 17V437000.
- Power steering failure: The 2017 Buick LaCrosse has faced power steering issues like the previous year’s model. The owners complained that while driving, the power steering system failed with the steering wheel seizing. After that, the vehicles became hard to control and were towed.
2016 Buick LaCrosse recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
September 8, 2016 |
16V651000 |
Frontal Airbags May Not Deploy |
A failure of the front airbags 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. |
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous airbag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. |
|
2 |
July 10, 2017 |
17V437000 |
Frontal Airbags May Not Deploy |
A failure of the front airbags 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. |
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous airbag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. |
Should you buy a used Buick LaCrosse?
The Buick LaCrosse offers a promising set of characteristics that have the potential to beat its peers but the lack of popularity undermines the possibilities. The sedan is a comfy, luxurious, and up-to-date vehicle that also scores plenty on the safety scores as well. The reliability of the sedan is commendable while there is an unresolved problem that is the power steering failure issue. For that, the brand has not issued any recalls yet. While going for a used example, stay alert about the steering failure and the faulty airbag system.
