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2012 Buick Lacrosse

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

204 owner complaints · 5 recalls · data verified July 27, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Electrical system problems dominate (29% of complaints).

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#285 of 542Among the 2012 models with a matured record, the 2012 Buick Lacrosse ranks #285, scoring higher than 47% of them. See the 2012 ranking →

Complaint volume75
Severity68
Recall load74
Trend73

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20112026 YTD

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

5/5 overall

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2012 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR AWD

Front crash
Side crash
Rollover

Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 12%

Stability control: StandardForward collision warning: NoLane departure warning: No

2 open NHTSA defect investigations on file, separate from the recalls above.

NHTSA crash-test photo, 2012 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR AWD

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2012 Buick Lacrosse, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miEngine~31k mi · 46 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (60) · Suspension (31) · Electronic Stability Control (esc) (25) · Steering (24)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.

Electrical system

29%

60 complaints · 7 in the last 2 years

Improperly calibrated Stabilitrak ESC system. Accelerator pedal position sensors 1-2 5v reference 3 circuit Heated oxygen 2 sensor Car is losing power and esc light is…

Read the electrical system complaints →

Engine

23%

46 complaints · typically near 31k mi · 2 in the last 2 years

All the specific details are unknown, but I had a mechanic work on my car and the problem that he had to fix. He stated that it should’ve been detected, but it was som…

Read the engine complaints →

Suspension

15%

31 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

All the specific details are unknown, but I had a mechanic work on my car and the problem that he had to fix. He stated that it should’ve been detected, but it was som…

Read the suspension complaints →

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

12%

25 complaints

The contact owns a 2012 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle…

Read the electronic stability control (esc) complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

We can place 1 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.

Read all 204 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 16 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (5)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Suspension · 21V00F000

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.

Risk: A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

Suspension · 20V764000

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.

Risk: A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

Seats · 14V447000

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.

Risk: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.

Electrical System · 13V173000

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.

Risk: If the vehicle is continued to be driven, the engine may stall and/or the vehicle may not start. In addition, there may be a burning or melting odor, smoke, and possibly a fire in the trunk.

Fix: GM will notify owners and dealers will test the GCM and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13136.

Electronic Stability Control (esc) · 11V404000

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.

Risk: THE IMPROPER DIAGNOSING MAY CAUSE THE ESC TO FALSELY ACTIVATE, RESULTING IN SUDDEN CHANGES IN VEHICLE HANDLING AND DECELERATION, PARTICULARLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS, WHICH MAY CAUSE THE DRIVER DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING THE VEHICLE'S DESIRED PATH OF TRAVEL AND DESIRED VEHICLE SPEED, AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Fix: GM DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Buick before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
  2. Owners of this model report electrical system problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any electrical system symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Owners of this model report engine problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 31k miles). Has this car shown any engine symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  4. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  5. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  6. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2012 Buick LACROSSE beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2012? See how every Lacrosse model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2012 Buick Lacrosse against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.