CSR

Buick · NHTSA safety record

2017 Buick Lacrosse

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 36 safety complaints about the 2017 Buick Lacrosse with the US government. Of those, no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the suspension and the steering.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 11 complaints, 31% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 15,900 miles, the median across the 20 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2016 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

36 complaints on file

36

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 · 31%
POWER TRAIN 9 · 25%
ENGINE 5 · 14%
SUSPENSION 4 · 11%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 · 11%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 8%
AIR BAGS 2 · 6%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 · 3%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 · 3%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 3%
SEATS 1 · 3%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 3%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 36.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 8.

12 9 6 3
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2017 Buick LACROSSE, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 4 DR AWD 4 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 9.9% 9.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

SUSPENSION:REAR

17V267000 · April 21, 2017

The defect
General Motors LLC (C) is recalling certain 2017 Buick LaCrosse vehicles. The rear suspension toe-links may have been incorrectly installed, and, as a result, they may loosen and disconnect from the rear suspension system.
The risk
If a rear-suspension toe-link disconnects, it may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left and right rear suspension toe-link assemblies, correcting their installation as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 25, 2017. Owners may contact Buick's customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 17168.

General Motors LLC · up to 11,246 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

17V116000 · February 23, 2017

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Buick LaCrosse vehicles. The electrical connectors for the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) system may not be properly sealed. As a result, water may enter and corrode the connectors possibly resulting in a loss of power steering.
The risk
A loss of power steering may result in increased manual steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect correct the seal seating and secure the EPS connector seals, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 17085.

General Motors LLC · up to 2,085 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 700 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that after his wife had parked and turning off the vehicle, moments later the vehicle was restarted and the check engine and TCM warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, the transmission shifter failed to shift out of park. The vehicle towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA complaint 11562549. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
My 2017 Buick LaCrosse Premium AWD (116,220 miles) experienced a severe all-wheel-drive failure causing significant binding and a loud rumbling/clunking noise during sharp, low-speed cornering and acceleration. The vehicle has been officially inspected by two separate authorized manufacturer service centers. On September 25, 2026, a certified GM technician at Advantage Buick GMC formally documented that the vehicle has a prominent rear drivetrain failure, identifying it as a "rear diff or driveshaft issue" that requires full component replacement. Prior to the complete mechanical failure, no warning lights or dashboard indicators illuminated. The binding symptoms appeared suddenly during

NHTSA complaint 11767766, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
My 2017 Buick LaCrosse Premium AWD experienced a sudden, dangerous mechanical failure of the Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor system while operating the vehicle under normal road conditions. The vehicle suffered an immediate loss of engine continuity and engine power, forcing the car into a hazardous low-speed limp mode while in active traffic. A certified repair facility inspected the vehicle, confirmed a complete failure of the internal pedal sensor circuit, and replaced the unit to restore safe operating throttle control. This specific electronic and mechanical defect represents a widespread manufacturing vulnerability that General Motors has officially acknowledged under Special

NHTSA complaint 11767773, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
This vehicle has major suspension issues containing the complete strut assembly, lower control arms, and strut yokes/forks, which can not be replaced due to the discontinuance of the vehicle and parts itself. Because of this the car cannot receive an alignment which cause the tires to be eaten up at a rapid rate. When going over a bump in the highway the steering column goes one way while the car goes another. The car slides all over the road. Extreme safety concerns for my family and I.

NHTSA complaint 11736767. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front driver's side wheel well. The contact stated that increased effort was needed to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the front driver's side strut. The vehicle was not repaired because parts were not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint 11610498. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
The air bag warning light in the dash came on intermittently during driving. I took the vehicle to the dealer for service December 27, 2023, since it was a safety issue that the authorized dealer needs to take care of. At first, they said it was a bad battery and the safety system needed reprogramming. Which they did for about $800. When driving home from the dealer the air bag light came back on so a few days later I returned the car to the dealer. Then they said it was the passenger seat safety module that needed to be replaced. That was back in January of 2024, over 6 months ago. At that point I learned that the car is not drivable since the air bag could deploy at any time or would not

NHTSA complaint 11603514, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The amplifier stopped working and all the sound comes through the amp including but not limited to seatbelt, door ajar, rear seat reminder, blinkers, back up sounds, and any and all sounds that the car my make for any safety features, onstar features, radio, Bluetooth, the list goes on.

NHTSA complaint 11602816. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Buick Lacrosse

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2018 12 3 —
2016 48 2 —
2015 44 3 —
2014 63 5 —
2013 129 4 1
2012 206 4 —
2011 169 3 —
2010 189 1 —

Other 2017 Buick models

Enclave 179 Encore 89 Envision 81 Verano 9

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Buick on this site — 63 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst