What 169 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Buick Lacrosse Hybrid

OUR FAMILY'S 2011 BUICK LACROSSE ONLY HAS 57K MILES ON IT, AND THE ENGINE ALREADY HAS PERMANENT IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE FROM A MANUFACTURER OVERSIGHT IN WHICH THE TIMING CHAIN "SKIPS TIME." WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR UNPREDICTABLY LOST ALL POWER, INCLUDING POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. I QUICKLY MUSCLED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT THIS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR OUR FAMILY AS WE WERE FORCED TO CROSS TRAFFIC, AT SPEED, TO REACH THE ROAD SHOULDER. A DAY PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THE VEHICLE WENT INTO "REDUCED POWER" MODE WHILE TRAVELING UPHILL, CUTTING SPEED FROM 55MPH TO 35MPH, BACKING UP TRAFFIC. CARS WERE PASSING AND HONKING IN A DOUBLE YELLOW-LINED STRETCH OF ROAD. WE SUBSEQUENTLY SHOULDERED THE CAR, SHUT OFF ITS POWER AND IT SEEMED TO BE OPERATING PROPERLY UNTIL OUR DESTINATION, BUT WE ONLY HAD 3 MILES LEFT TO TRAVEL. THE TIMING GEAR IS PRESSED-ON INSTEAD OF KEYED-ON. THIS CAN CAUSE THE TIMING CHAIN TO "SKIP TIME," DAMAGING THE ENGINE AND CAUSING ERRATIC ENGINE BEHAVIOR. OUR MECHANIC HAS SEEN OUR EXACT ENGINE ISSUE WITH THE 3.6L 6-CYL ENGINES IN VARIOUS OTHER GM VEHICLES. THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO CAUSE ENGINE REBUILD COMPANIES TO KEY-ON THE TIMING GEAR, INSTEAD OF GM'S TYPICAL PRESS-ON PROCESS. OUR MECHANIC ADVISES THAT KEYING-ON THE TIMING GEAR IS KNOWN TO FIX THE ORIGINAL ISSUE OF THE TIMING CHAIN DANGEROUSLY "SKIPPING TIME." ONE SUCH COMPANY, RECOMMENDED BY OUR MECHANIC, IS JASPERENGINES.COM. I HOPE THAT THE NHTSA CAN INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND HOLD GM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DANGEROUS OVERSIGHT FOR WHICH GM FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR ADDRESS. MY COMPLAINT IS ON RECORD AT GM'S CORP SERVICE CENTER WITH PHONE NUMBER 866-790-5600 - TICKET #[XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 11297962

THE BRAKE PEDAL GETS 'STUCK' DURING NORMAL BREAKING. I HAVE TO PUT MY FOOT UNDER THE PEDAL AND PULL IT BACK UP OR THE BRAKES WILL NOT DISENGAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11290230

THE CAR WAS JUST PURCHASED ON 112619 AND THE DAY I BOUGHT I GOT WARNING LIGHT ON DASH NEXT DAY CAR IS IN REDUCED POWER MODE, TOOK BACK TO CARMAX TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED THEY CLEANED TPS ADV IT WAS DIRTY POOR CONTACT. TWO DAYS LATER THE LIGHT IS BACK ON THIS TIME THE CAR IS SENT TO BUICK DEALERSHIP IN GILBERT THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AND I WAS TOLD ISSUE IS FIXED 24 HOURS LATER CAR IS BACK IN REDUCED POWER MODE

NHTSA ODI 11288482

WHILE DRIVING THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. NO ACCIDENT OF ANY SORT. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT! GM DOES NOT WANT TO BE LIABLE. IM A SINGLE MOM. IM $2000 AWAY FROM PAYING THE CAR OFF, TO BE CAR NOTE FREE AS I HAVE A DAUGHTER IN COLLEGE. I HAVE THE CAR SERVICED REGULARLY . THEIR DATA IS INCORRECT.

NHTSA ODI 11286688

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE THE DEFROSTER ON THE HOT SETTING IN ORDER FOR THE WINDOWS TO CLEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR COMPRESSOR PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V149000 (VISIBILITY), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 117,350.

NHTSA ODI 11241977

BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT RAISE AFTER APPLY, REMAINS APPLIED AND BRAKE LIGHTS REMAIN ON UNWANTED WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION AND STATIONARY ON STREETS, HIGHWAYS AND WHILE TURNING. GM ISSUED AN INTERNAL BULLETIN ON 05/11/2018 (SEE PIC5692D) RECOGNIZING THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS AMONG 5 OF ITS MODELS (BUICK LACROSSE, BUICK REGAL, CADILLAC SRX, CADILLAC XTS AND CHEVROLET MALIBU) WITH THE LACROSSE PROBLEM BEGINNING 2010 THROUGH 2015. BRUSTOLON, A GM DEALER IN MYSTIC, CT CHARGED ME $70.63 TO REPLACE THE PEDAL AND RETAINER CLIPS. GIVEN HOW WIDESPREAD THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN AMONG SEVERAL GM MODELS FOR UP TO 6 YEARS, THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GM AS A RECALL AT NO COST TO THE VEHICLE OWNER.THIS SITUATION IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN DEPRESSED REMAINS APPLIED WEARING THE BRAKES OUT PREMATURELY. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11235284

JULY 23, 2019 -I WAS ON THE HWY FOR APPROX. FOUR HOURS WITH MY NIECE WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR CREATED A LOUD SOUND AND I LOST POWER AND CONTROL OF MY CAR INCLUDING MY BRAKES. I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MILE PER HOUR. LUCKILY, TWO CARS HAD JUST PASSED ME WHEN THIS OCCURRED OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE HAD A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WAS ON THE LEFT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER. THE HWY. WAS FLAT AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP. THE ENGINE WOULDN'T START, BUT AFTER APPROX. FIVE MINUTES IT STARTED BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO MOVE. THE CAR IDLED EXTREMELY ROUGH. THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WERE ON. I WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK IN 96 DEGREE WEATHER FOR TWO HOURS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET A TOW TO A GARAGE 40 MILES AWAY. THIS HAPPEND ON TUESDAY. I LEFT MY CAR AT THE BUICK DEALER AND LEFT THE KEY IN THE DROP BOX. I WAS TOLD WEDNESDAY MORNING THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT UNTIL TODAY (THURSDAY), SO I HAVE NO IDEA AS YET WHAT DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED TO THE ENGINE. I HAVE ONLY 53,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND IT IS A 2011 MODEL. HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN?

NHTSA ODI 11234782

EVERY TIME I WILL DRIVE FOR SO LONG I'D LOSE ALL POWER RADIO DASH LIGHTS HEADLIGHTS EVERYTHING AND START BLINKING AND GOING OUT AND FINALLY THE CAR WAS JUST DIE. COME TO FIND OUT IT IS ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND IT'S COSTING ME MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH TO EVEN GET IT BACK FROM THE SHOP.

NHTSA ODI 11233569

WHENEVER WE FUEL OUR 2011 BUICK LACROSSE CXS IT WOULD NOT FULLY START AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, IT WOULD RUN THE BATTERY DOWN. AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT IF WE RAPIDLY PUMP THE ACCELERATOR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRYING TO START IT WOULD PICK UP AND FULLY START. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AND IS STILL DOING, REGARDLESS OF THE FUEL STATION (EXXON-MOBILE, SHELL, MURPHY/WALMART, CITGO, CHEVON, VALERO, FUEL DEPOT, ECT.). HERE IS A LIST OF THINGS WE HAVE ATTEMPTED: 1) WITH THE GAS TANK AT ABOUT HALF, OPEN THE GAS TANK PUT THE GAS PUMP INTO THE TANK, DON'T PUMP ANY GAS, CLOSE THE TANK, START THE VEHICLE (MAYBE OPENING THE TANK WAS THE CULPRIT): ALL IS FINE. 2) WITH THE TANK AT ABOUT HALF, FULL THE TANK (DIFFERENT STATION), START THE VEHICLE: ALL IS BAD. 3) WITH THE TANK AT ABOUT EMPTY, FULL THE TANK (DIFFERENT STATION), START THE VEHICLE: ALL IS BAD. 4) WITH THE TANK AT ABOUT QUARTER, FULL TO HALF TANK (DIFFERENT STATION), START THE VEHICLE: ALL IS BAD. MY CONCLUSION IS THAT THE VEHICLE IS CREATING THE PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. BEFORE REACHING THIS POINT, I HAD TO CALL FOR ROAD SERVICE TWICE. IN THE FIRST CASE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND NOTHING AND THE SECOND WE JUMPED THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11231982

WINDOWS WILL NOT DEFOG AC BARELY RUNS TOOK IT IN TO A SHOP TO GET A RECHARGE BUT STILL NOTHING. MY SEAT ROCKS BACK AND FORTH LIKE A ROCKING CHAIR ON DRIVER SIDE. I ALSO HAVE PICTURES AND VIDEOS BUT DON'T KNOW HOW SEND COPY PASTE THE LINK TO YOU...

NHTSA ODI 11220495

DRIVER SEAT HAS COLLAPSED. I FIRST NOTICED THIS WHEN I GOT IN TO DRIVE AFTER MY HUSBAND HAD DRIVEN THE CAR AND I HAD TO ADJUST THE REAR VIEW MIRROR...SOMETHING I HAD NEVER HAD TO DO IN THE PAST AND IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE. I CAN NO LONGER SAFELY SEE ABOVE OR AROUND THE SIDE MIRRORS UNLESS I SIT ON A PILLOW.

NHTSA ODI 11190935

TAKATA RECALL MY BUICK LACROSSE ONE TIME GOING DOWN THE ROAD OUT OF THE BLUE IT DONE ENGINE POWER REDUCTION,AND THEN IT JUST DIED ON ME.AFTER THAT I DID GET IT TO START BUT IT RAN RUFF AND AFTER A FEW WEEKS IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI 11190153

DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. SUDDENLY THE INFORMATION PANEL FLASHED STABILITRAK SERVICE REQUIRED (OR SIMILAR) THEN LOW POWER MODE. CAR WENT FROM 60 TO 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. UNABLE TO SPEED UP. NEEDED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TURNED CAR OFF. TRIED TO RESTART AND IT WOULDN'T RESTART FOR SEVERAL TRIES. RESTARTED AND STILL SAID LOW POWER AND WAS IDLING LOW. TRIED AGAIN AND WAS NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES AND ALWAYS IS SIMILAR. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AT ALL IN A 30 MILE TRIP, SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS 3 TIMES. VERY DANGEROUS! COULD BE REAR ENDED! I HAVE READ MANY OTHER ACCOUNTS OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE 2011 BUICK LACROSSE. AFTER THIS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. WHEN I HAD THE AUTO PARTS STORE RUN DIAGNOSTICS IT FLAGGED MULTIPLE MISFIRES, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR 3 TIMES, POWER CONTROL MODULE INDICATOR, TRACTION CONTROL. IT SEEMS THIS IS A FLAW IN THIS CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO GET A PICTURE OF THE SATBILITRAK SENSOR INDICATOR LIGHT, BUT IT FLASHES ON AND OFF PRETTY QUICKLY AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN.

NHTSA ODI 11181366

MY CAR STATED THAT MY TRAKSTABILTY SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE SERVICED THEN REDUCED ENGINE POWER LITE UP. CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT AND WOULD NOT INCREASE IN SPEED OVER TWENTY MILES PER HOUR. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN MY CAR OFF LEAVE IT PARKED UNTIL I COULD GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON OTHER 2011 LACROSSES AND THEIR IS A SPECIAL SERVICE BULLETIN WITH FREE REPAIR BUT FOR SOME REASON NOT IN MINE. I HAD TO PAY 500 DOLLAR TO REPLACE THIS. MY CAR ONLY HAS 74000 MILES ON IT AND I COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED IF I WASN'T IN A PLACE WHERE I COULD TURN MY VEHICLE OFF SAFELY.

NHTSA ODI 11176117

I WAS GOING 50 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION AND STABILITRAK CAME ON AND THEN STATED REDUCED ENGINE POWER. AT WHICH TIME I LOST ALL POWER TO GET THROUGH INTERSECTION. ALMOST GOT HIT BY 3 DIRECTIONS TRYING TO GET MY CAR OUT OF THE ROAD. I FINALLY COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON DROVE FOR ANOTHER MILE BEFORE IT DID IT AGAIN. THIS IS NOT SAFE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. I AM NOW STUCK AT WORK I DO NOT DARE TO DRIVE IT.

NHTSA ODI 11171317

ELECTRONIC CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM ALLOWS WINDSHIELD TO BECOME FOGGED OVER AND I CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE OR CONTROL HVAC SYSTEM. I CANNOT CONTROL THE HEATING, COOLING AND VENTILATION. EXAMPLE: THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO BLOW OR ALLOW WARM AIR IN CABIN WHEN THE A/C IS ON SET AT 68-72 DEGREES. THIS IS WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION AND AT IDLE ON ANY ROAD I TRAVEL. I REPORTED PROBLEM TO RICE BUICK-GMC, INC. 8330 KINGSTON PIKE KNOXVILLE, TN 37919-5449 (865) 693-0610 ON 9/16/2014, 9/25/2014 AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED & GETTING WORSE TO DATE 01/07/2019. I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL. SAFETY RECALL IS LISTED FOR 2011 BUICK LACROSSE ON MARCH 4, 2011 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V149000 SOFTWARE IN ELECTRONIC CLIMATE CONTROL AFFECTS DEFROST SYSTEM REDUCING DRIVERS VISIBILITY AND COULD RESULT IN CRASH. UNABLE TO CONTROL HVAC SYSTEM. SECOND PROBLEM IS ENGINE/ EMISSIONS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, SENSOR ERRORS. ALL HAVE CAUSED CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON.

NHTSA ODI 11164871

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION AND INTITATING A TRN ON A CITY STREET, THE ENGINE STOPPED AND LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE JUMPED AND A ROD KNOCK SOUND OCCURRED. THE ENGINE LATER SIEZED UP PERMANENTLY AT THE SERVICE CENTER. THE VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND OIL LEVELS WERE WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING RANGE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR INDICATIONS OF ENGINE TROUBLE.

NHTSA ODI 11164259

STEERING FREEZES UP IN MOSTLY DAMP, WET DAYS WHEN DRIVING VERY SLOW INTO PARKING AREA'S.....STEERING COMPLETELY LOCKS...CANNOT MOVE WHEEL AT ALL....AFTER A MINUTE OR LESS, I HEAR A NOISE AND THE WHEEL IS UNLOCKED... HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER LAST TWO MONTHS , BUT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE PAST FEW WEEKS...I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE CAR...

NHTSA ODI 11153409

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING, AND DEFROSTER FAILED TO FUNCTION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

NHTSA ODI 11130416

THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VOLUNTARILY COME TO A STOP, AND CUT ITSELF OFF WITHOUT NOTICE. THEN, SUBSEQUENTLY, THE BATTERY LIGHT/ICON STARTED TO APPEAR ONTO THE DASH SCREEN, FOLLOWED BY A DECELERATION WHILE DRIVING WITH AN INFORMATION NOTICE STATING THAT THE BATTERY POWER HAD BEEN REDUCED. WITH THIS NOTIFICATION YOUR ABILITY TO ACCELERATE BECOMES HINDERED, AND HAVING CONSULTED WITH ON-STAR, A DIAGNOSTIC TEST RESULTED WITH A CODE OF P-0335, AND THE PROBLEM LISTED AS AN IGNITION SYSTEM ENGINE MISFIRE. SUCH DIAGNOSIS COMES WITH A WARNING OF SPEED PRECAUTIONS, AND HIGHWAY DRIVING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

NHTSA ODI 11102976

SUSPENSION NEEDS SERVICE, WARNING CAME ON

NHTSA ODI 11102183

WHEN IN MOTION A/C DOESN'T REALLY WORK, IT RARELY COOLS OFF AND DOESN'T WORK WHEN CAR IS STOPPED. DEFROSTER FOGS UP WINDOWS TO WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE AND CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. A/C BLOWS OUT HOT AIR BUT IT'S CHARGED.

NHTSA ODI 11101731

TWICE AFTER FILLING UP WITH GAS, MY CAR WAS OILS NOT START AT THE PUMP. EACH TIME I HAD TO WAIT SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD ACTUALLY START. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAITED, IT STARTED THEN IMMEDIATELY QUIT AGAIN. THERE IS A VERY HARD START WHEN IT ATTEMPTS TO START AS WELL. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN IMMEDIATELY WENT OFF. I TOOK THE CAR DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT HAD TO REMAIN RUNNING UNTIL THEY COULD GET IT IN. THIS WAS 540P ON FRIDAY, MAY 25TH BEFORE A HOLIDAY.

NHTSA ODI 11098066

POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE IT HAS EXCESS PLAY IN THE CANSHAFT.

NHTSA ODI 11091162

SUNROOF EXPLODED OUTWARD GOING 70MPH ON INTERSTATE. NO CARS AROUND ME NO BIRDS OR OTHER THINGS. ROAD PERFECTLY SMOOTH STRAIGHT DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. NO BAD WEATHER AND ALL WINDOWS RAISED AT THE TIME. SCARED ME TO DEATH. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UP UNTIL THE TIME IT EXPLODED. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BULLET AT FIRST.

NHTSA ODI 11091005