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#BS-2012-BUILAC-672B2012 Buick Lacrosse
Based on reports from 297 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 297 complaints, 15 crashes, 4 fires, and 5 recalls.
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
59 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 54K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (69 reports) • Median: 54K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Electrical (59 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2012 Buick Lacrosse: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 20% of all reports filed for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, with 59 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 54,456 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 54K-mile mark.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, with 49 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Suspension Issues
Suspension complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, with 28 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Steering Issues
Steering complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse. Recent trend: decreasing.



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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (5 recalls)
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 BUICK LACROSSE PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 9, 2011, THROUGH JULY 2, 2011, FOR FAILING TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 126, "ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEMS (ESC)." THE STABILITRAK SYSTEM HAS AN INCORRECT CALIBRATION THAT MAY CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO NOT PROPERLY DETECT IF A SENSOR WERE TO MALFUNCTION, AND THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATING THAT THE SYSTEM IS NOT OPERATING WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE, AS REQUIRED IN THE SAFETY STANDARD.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles equipped with eAssist. These vehicles may have a condition in which the Generator Control Module (GCM) may not function properly. This could cause a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.
SUSPENSION:REAR
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.
SUSPENSION:REAR
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.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Buick Lacrosse is the 2011 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2012 Buick Lacrosse vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)
This vehicle
297
Class avg
331
Complaint volume is roughly in line with other midsize cars vehicles from 2012.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 297 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Buick Lacrosse Model Years
View all Buick Lacrosse years →2012 Buick Lacrosse: Frequently Asked Questions
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 297 owner reports. Know before you buy.