This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to call General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further assistance.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2008 Buick Lucerne body problems
severe 11 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
11
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
1crash
When does it fail?
Of the 11 body complaints filed for the 2008 Buick Lucerne, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Among the 5 model years of Buick Lucerne in our records for body problems, this one ranks #2 by owner-complaint volume.
No new NHTSA body complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 13 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering body on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to call General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further assistance.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This warranty bulletin provides labor operation numbers for customer concerns that cant be duplicated.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Informational bulletin describes warranty part reviews where door glass had chips or scratches.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗THIS PRELIMINARY INFORMATION COMMUNICATION ADVISES THE TECHNICIAN THE STEPS ON DIAGNOSING THE CONCERN. VEHICLE'S SUNROOF OPERATION INTERMITTENT, BIND, NOISE, AUTO-REVERSE, AND/OR WATER LEAKS.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2008 Lucerne's body shows a constellation of assembly and design problems. The driver's door handle regularly detaches or pulls completely away from the door when opened—multiple owners report the same failure recurring even after dealer replacement, with one GM technician admitting the shop is aware of the chronic issue. Horizontal chrome trim strips along the doors arrive loose and loosen further despite dealer service visits; one owner reported being told the problem will simply return if fixed again. Rear door latches fail, trapping occupants; one owner reported both back doors became inoperable, with the rear passenger-side failing first.
Interior fit is sloppy: center pillar trim panels leave visible gaps that clips won't fully close after four dealer attempts. A new vehicle arrived with excessive scratches across the entire body, which the dealer confirmed was faulty paint workmanship—the manufacturer refused to repair it.
One owner reported unintended acceleration (engine roaring, vehicle surging despite brake pedal being pressed) resulting in a parking-lot collision with landscaping. Additionally, the roof-pillar design and raised instrument cluster create a severe right-side blind spot for drivers under 5 feet tall or with age-related mobility limits, even with booster cushions, which one owner correlated to intersection crashes among seniors.
Same Buick Lucerne body reports on nearby years: 2006
Failure modes owners describe
Windshield/roof pillar design — reduced visibility for shorter/older occupants
Enlarged roof-support columns, modified front side windows with triangular panels, and raised instrument-cluster dashboard create a critical blind spot, particularly to the right side. Owners report this design severely restricts field of vision for drivers under 5 ft tall or those with age-related mobility issues, even with booster cushions, correlating to intersection accidents involving seniors.
When: Design present 1998–2008; visibility impacts reported on 2008 model
Symptoms owners cite: Critical loss of visibility, particularly to the right; Blind spots blocking right-side view at intersections; Booster pillows unable to fully compensate
Driver's side door handle — detachment/pulling away from door
The exterior chrome door handle on the driver's side detaches or pulls completely away from the vehicle when operated. Multiple owners report the same failure recurred after dealer replacement, with one dealer acknowledging awareness of the problem. The failure exposes internal lock mechanisms and creates a security hazard.
When: Reported at 85 miles into warranty; repeated failures through 85,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Handle pulls away or falls off when opening door; Failure repeats after dealer replacement with new handle; Internal lock mechanism exposed when handle detaches
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer replaced handle under warranty (cost ~$94 if out of warranty)
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM dealer aware of problem; replaced handle but defect returns
Horizontal exterior chrome door trim — loose, worsening, prone to damage
Horizontal chrome trim strips along the exterior doors are loose at the time of purchase and worsen over time. Dealer replaced them multiple times without permanent fix. Brushes from car washes can tear off the trim and damage paint. Owners restricted to hand-washing.
When: Present at purchase; condition worsens progressively
Symptoms owners cite: Loose chrome trim at the ends; Trim condition worsens despite repeated dealer replacement; Vulnerable to rotating car-wash brushes
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer replaced trim 3 times; problem recurring; owner resorts to hand-washing
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer advised replacement would be necessary again
Door latch failure — rear doors non-functional
Both rear doors develop malfunctioning latches, preventing doors from opening. Rear passenger-side latch failed first, followed by rear driver-side passenger door. Owner compares to Ford door-latch recall.
When: Rear passenger side failed ~2 years prior to complaint; rear driver-side passenger failure at time of report
Symptoms owners cite: Rear passenger-side door will not open; Rear driver-side passenger door will not open; Latch malfunction
Center pillar interior trim — gaps in coverage
Interior trim panels on the center pillar (the column between front and rear doors) do not fit properly, leaving gaps where the trim does not cover the opening. Dealer installed clips during multiple visits without resolving the gap completely.
When: Present on vehicle; reported after multiple dealer visits
Symptoms owners cite: Visible gaps in center pillar trim; Trim does not cover the structural opening
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer installed clips 4 times; one gap remains
Exterior paint workmanship — excessive scratches at delivery
Vehicle delivered new with excessive scratches covering the entire exterior body. Authorized dealer collision center confirmed scratches were due to faulty paint workmanship. Manufacturer refused to repair the defect.
When: At delivery (456 miles on odometer)
Symptoms owners cite: Excessive scratches across entire body; Poor paint finish quality at time of purchase
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer refused to repair defective paint
Unintended acceleration — engine roaring and vehicle surging with foot on brake
Engine roars and vehicle surges forward or jumps despite driver's foot being on the brake pedal. One incident caused vehicle to jump curb and strike landscaping; another caused forward surge at traffic light. Owner suspects drive-by-wire throttle control malfunction. Dealer planned to scan computer codes to investigate.
When: Two incidents reported — one approximately one year before current complaint; second at shopping center parking lot
Symptoms owners cite: Engine roaring with foot on brake; Vehicle surging forward or jumping without driver input; Loss of brake control authority
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle at Buick dealer body shop; service manager planned to use scan tool and read computer codes
Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
Horizontal exterior chrome door trims loose at the ends at time of purchase and have worsened. Took car in to gm repair facility (dealer) 3 times who replaced them, but condition always returned. Was told that if I brought it in again for replacement, it would happen again. Cannot have car washed by a facility that uses rotating brushes since the brushes would probably tear off the door trims and…
Inside center pillar (column between front and rear) trims had gaps where trims didn't cover the opening. Took car to a gm repair facility (dealer) 4 times. They installed clips but still there is a gap on one. *tr
Outside driver's chrome door handle pulls off when opening the door. Took it to a gm repair facility (dealer) who replaced it, but same problem returned with the new handle. Was told by an employee at a gm dealer that they are aware of the problem with the chrome door handle. Hazard: if a thief pulls on the handle while car is in a parking lot, or when car is stopped at a traffic light, the…
Sometime between 1998 and 2008 the Buick line, and almost all other lines, enlarged the size of the columns supporting the roof, modified the front side windows to add a small triangle of material at the front of the windows, and raised the height of the side mirrors and raised the height of the "dash" above the instrument cluster. I am in excess of 6 ft tall and this had little impact on my…
Had body trouble with your 2008 Buick Lucerne?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the body problem on the 2008 Buick Lucerne?
It's a meaningful issue. 11 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,500.
At what mileage does the body typically fail?
Across the 8 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most body failures cluster between 20,000 and 57,000 miles, with the median around 30,400. A quarter of owners report trouble before 20,000; a quarter make it past 57,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to body?
No active recalls currently cover body issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2008/Buick/Lucerne.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.