Home · 2011 Buick Lacrosse Hybrid · Complaints

What 169 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Buick Lacrosse Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (169)Crash / fire / injury (18)Electrical system (32)Engine (30)Suspension (27)Visibility & wipers (23)Transmission & drivetrain (19)Brakes (18)Steering (12)Airbags (11)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (9)Seats (9)

12 of 169 complaints match · Steering · clear filters

Sep 7, 2025SteeringBrakesDriver assistance

When going around town or on the highway the steering wheel will start shaking badly and when going to break even after the breaks have been changed the parking break will not stay on and the steering wheel will start shaking horribly to the point where your might crash your car I have had the car looked at multiple times by different manufacturers dealerships and auto shops and they all say to Change the breaks I tell them that I had them changed by Buick and Chevrolet of Dan Cummins where I had got the car and they done the same thing over again as when I bought the car

NHTSA ODI 11685571

Mar 20, 2023Steering

Car lost all steering while driving down the road

NHTSA ODI 11512897

Apr 21, 2021SteeringLane Departure

STABILITRACK SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON

NHTSA ODI 11413160

Jun 16, 2019SteeringSeatsVisibility & wipers

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

Dec 31, 2018SteeringBrakesEngine

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

Nov 23, 2018Steering

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

Sep 8, 2017Steering

I WAS DRIVING DOWN OUR LOCAL EXPRESSWAY WITH OUR CHILDREN AND THE TILT STEERING LOCKING LEVEL GAVE WAY AND MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME UNSTABLE, MOVING ABOUT. LOST CONTROL OF TILT AND TELESCOPIC LOCKING ON THE WHEEL.

NHTSA ODI 11022262

Jun 23, 2015Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. UPDATED 8/21/15*CN UPDATED 10/26/2017*CN

NHTSA ODI 10726751

Mar 9, 2015SteeringSuspensionBrakesCrash

I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THE CAR ACCELERATED TOWARDS THE RIGHT TOWARDS A CURB ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND STEERING WHEEL AND CAR WHEELS LOCKED UP. I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEELS AND THE STEERING LOST ITS POWER BRINGING THE CAR TO SLAM INTO THE CURB. I HAD NO CONTROL OF STEERING OR TURNING THE WHEEL OF THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10693044

May 12, 2014SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash

ATTEMPTED TO STOP FOR RED TRAFFIC LIGHT; APPLIED BRAKES BUT THEY FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. CAR THEN ACCELERATED -- USED BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL UNSUCCESSFULLY. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP LAUNCHING CAR INTO VEHICLES PARKED IN A USED CAR DEALERSHIP LOT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10587767

Apr 9, 2014SteeringBody & structureSpeed controlCrash1 injury

WHILE TURNING LEFT AT A MAJOR INTERSECTION, CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND GAINED SPEED/MOMENTUM WHILE AT SAME TIME STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN & DRIVER COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR. CAR DID NOT COMPLETE THE LEFT TURN BUT RATHER CONTINUED DRIVING AS IF ALL ON ITS OWN AND CRASHED INTO A HIGH CURB ON RIGHT SIDE OF CAR. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY; FRONT CAR PARTS SIMPLY CRUMBLED AND FELL OFF; SUSPENSION WAS RUINED; CAR TIRE WAS PUNCTURED ALONG WITH THE TIRE RIM BEING CRACKED CLEAR THROUGH IN A COUPLE OF AREAS. DRIVER WAS INJURED WITH HEAD INJURY, CRACKED RIB, AND BROKEN RT. FOREARM. CAR WAS TOTALED OUT BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10578613

Nov 23, 2011SteeringCrash

HAVE HAD CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH ADJUSTABLE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING MECHANISM THE DEALER HAS ADVISED THAT IT "IS THE WAY IT IS" RETURNED MULTIPLE TIMES . I WAS TO FIND A MAJOR SERVICE REPAIR ON LINE ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. IT WAS THEN SUPPOSED TO BE REPAIRED...BUT WITHIN 5 MILES OF OUR HOME ON A TWISTING ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE LOCKING DEVISE!!!! I WAS TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR DUE TO THE WAY IT HAPPENED...WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND LOST CONTROL WENT OFF THE ROAD. I WILL NOT DRIVE THE CAR..($40,000 +) DUE TO THE WAY IT IS NOW. THE DEALERSHIP..GM..WILL BE SENDING A TOW TRUCK TO RE SERVICE THE PROBLEM TODAY...(IF THE SAFETY PROBLEM IS CORRECTABLE ) THIS HAS BEEN A ON GOING PROBLEM AND DEALERSHIP SAYS 'THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE SEEN SUCH A PROBLEM" (IF SO..WHY A SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED ..NHTSA 10038705..REFF PI-0462..? THE DEALERSHIP AND OR GM DID NOT STRESS THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF THIS PROBLEM. EVERYTHING ELSE ON THIS CAR HAS WORKED 100%...WITH EXCEPTION OF THE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AFTER SERVICING AFTER THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED FOR THIS CONDITION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10436826

Working with the data? Download all 169 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Buick Lacrosse Hybrid verdict →