2012 Buick LACROSSE - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2012 Buick Lacrosse has received excellent safety ratings across the board, with a perfect score of 5 stars in overall, front crash, and side crash ratings. The car also includes standard electronic stability control, which enhances its safety features further. However, it does not come equipped with forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems. In terms of recalls and complaints, there have been 5 recalls and 182 complaints reported for this model. Overall, the Buick Lacrosse is a top performer in terms of safety and is a reliable choice for consumers looking for a secure driving experience.

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Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

182

Recall Count

5

Investigation Count

2

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2012 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2012 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2019 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2019 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 3 5 4
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 3 4 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 4 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2019 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 5
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 4 5

Complaints for the 2012 Buick LACROSSE

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding sound coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. there was no warning light illuminated. the local dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted; however, no additional assistance was provided. the contact stated that the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 21v00f000 (suspension). the approximate failure mileage was 207,777."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2021-01-09
Complaint:
"2012 buick lacrosse. consumer writes in regards to nhtsa safety recall 20v-764 the consumer stated while driving the vehicle began zig-zagging and became difficult to drive. the vehicle was repaired at a local auto repair shop due to the parts being unavailable at the dealer. the consumer requested to be reimbursed for the cost of repairs. the manufacturer was contacted, but denied reimbursement due to the vehicle not being repaired at an authorized dealer."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2023-08-01
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 20v764000 (suspension) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the rear end of the vehicle seemed loosened whenever the vehicle hit a bump while driving at various speeds. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the part was not yet available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. the approximate failure mileage was 152,000. parts distribution disconnect."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2022-10-08
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v764000 (suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the local dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2021-01-09
Complaint:
"2012 buick lacrosse. consumer writes in regards to rear toe link suspension safety recall. the consumer stated the vehicle experienced the safety recall failure. the dealer was unable to repair the vehicle in a timely manner as the parts were on back order. the consumer bought the parts and had the vehicle repaired. the consumer requested reimbursement from the manufacturer, but was denied for unknown reasons."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2021-05-11
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v764000 (suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the dealer was made aware of the issue. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2021-02-06
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v764000 (suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact then received a second recall notice which stated that parts were now available. the dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the parts remained unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2021-01-02
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v764000 (suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact then received a second notice that stated that parts were now available. the dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that the parts were still not yet available. the manufacturer had been notified of the issue. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2021-01-01
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v764000 (suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2021-01-01
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 buick lacrosse. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 20v764000 (suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2021-09-08

Recalls for the 2012 Buick LACROSSE

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2020-12-10
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2021-12-22

BUICK Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BUICK ranks 20 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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