This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2010 Buick LaCrosse engine problems
severe Owners of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse have filed 20 NHTSA complaints about the engine, typically surfacing around 48,533 miles at roughly $3,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See engine across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
20
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
| Model year | engine complaints |
|---|---|
| 2006 LaCrosse | 7 |
| 2007 LaCrosse | 10 |
| 2008 LaCrosse | 3 |
| 2010 LaCrosse (this page) | 20 |
| 2011 LaCrosse | 20 |
| 2012 LaCrosse | 27 |
| 2013 LaCrosse | 8 |
2fires
When does it fail?
Of the 20 engine complaints filed for the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, 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 9 model years of Buick LaCrosse in our records for engine problems, this one ranks #3 by owner-complaint volume.
No new NHTSA engine complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 9 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 engine 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.
The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal for the delay.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This informational bulletin explains Unscheduled Supplemental Services and the importance of GM Simplified Maintenance Schedules.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides guidelines and diagnostic/repair information to technicians regarding vehicle engine oil consumption.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report several distinct engine failures in the 2010 LaCrosse. Timing chain failures occur in the 65k–78k mile range; the chain breaks, damages valves and cylinder heads, and leaves the engine inoperable. Repair costs run $3,250 or higher. Reduced engine power and throttle control issues are common—the engine unexpectedly loses power or stalls while driving, sometimes at highway speeds, causing loss of power steering and braking. GM issued a service bulletin for 2010–2011 models from specific plants, but owners with vehicles from other plants were denied coverage.
Intermittent stalling and no-start conditions occur at various mileages, sometimes requiring multiple dealer repair attempts that don't stick. Check engine lights often appear, pointing to catalytic converter failure that recurs even after replacement—one owner replaced the converter three times. Cooling system problems include continuous fan operation, overheating, and leaking tubes; one owner's tubes were covered by a December 2023 recall but GM initially refused to include his VIN despite the identical issue.
Two reports describe engine fires while parked; causes were not determined. One fire destroyed the owner's home. Owners report GM consistently declined warranty assistance or recall coverage, leaving them personally liable for repairs well beyond the manufacturer's covered period.
Same Buick LaCrosse engine reports on nearby years: 2007 · 2011 · 2012
Failure modes owners describe
Timing chain failure
Timing chain breaks, typically damaging rear valves and cylinder heads. Owners report engine shaking, loss of power, inability to restart, and low engine power warnings before failure. Repair requires complete timing chain and valve/head replacement.
When: 65,340 miles; 78,263 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Front end shaking; Engine power down/loss of power; Low engine power warning message; Engine will not restart; Engine trouble light illuminated
Codes mentioned: Low engine power message
Repairs/costs cited: Timing chain replacement with rear valve and cylinder head repair: $3,250. Complete engine replacement quoted at $6,800 but determined unnecessary.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM Customer Care refused assistance; no recall or warranty extension for 2010 LaCrosse despite TSB 11340A extending coverage to other GM models with timing chain issues.
Reduced engine power / throttle control failure
Engine randomly loses power while driving, causing vehicle to slow dramatically or stall. Owners report reduced power warnings and inability to accelerate. Multiple reports indicate defective throttle control assembly or TCM programming issues. GM issued service bulletin for 2010–2011 models from specific plants only, leaving other owners without coverage.
When: 47,739 miles; 52,000 miles; 60–70 mph incidents; 30 mph incidents; early in ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Reduced engine power warning illuminated; Inability to accelerate or limited to 9 mph; Engine stall while driving; Loss of forward momentum; Loss of power steering and braking ability; Engine powering down indicator illuminated
Codes mentioned: Check engine light, Park assist light
Repairs/costs cited: Throttle control assembly replacement. TCM reprogramming attempted but did not resolve issue long-term.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM issued service bulletin for 2010–2011 LaCrosse but only for vehicles manufactured at specific plants; owners with affected vehicles from other plants denied coverage.
Engine stall—intermittent / no-start condition
Engine fails to turn over intermittently or stalls without warning while driving. Issue recurs after multiple dealer repair attempts. Owners left stranded; dangerous for elderly drivers. Diagnosis difficult; ECM replacement recommended but not confirmed as solution.
When: Over 4-month period; various mileages (20,000; 67,000; 1,494 miles)
Symptoms owners cite: Engine fails to turn over intermittently; Engine stalls while driving without warning; Vehicle loses all power; all dashboard lights illuminate; No warning lights before stall (in some cases); Vehicle difficult to restart after stall; requires 5–15 minute wait
Codes mentioned: Check engine light (after restart in some cases)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer attempted repairs four times without lasting result; ECM replacement recommended by dealer as possible solution.
Catalytic converter failure—repeated
Check engine light illuminates and diagnostic points to catalytic converter. Converter replaced, but failure recurs. One owner required three replacements; another at 90,000 miles. Indicates either defective converter or underlying engine condition causing repeat failure.
When: 48,533 miles; 90,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine warning light illuminated
Codes mentioned: Check engine light
Repairs/costs cited: Catalytic converter replacement performed; recurred in multiple instances requiring repeat repairs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer notified; no assistance offered beyond warranty.
Engine fire
Vehicle caught fire while parked in garage or immediately after parking. One fire burned down owner's home. Vehicle at 36,000 miles destroyed in second incident. Cause of fires undetermined; GM inspector unable to identify cause in at least one case.
When: 36,000 miles; 7,800 miles; while parked
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden fire in engine compartment
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles destroyed by fire; not repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM sent representative to inspect; cause could not be determined.
Oil level sensor / low oil stall
Vehicle stalls while driving at highway speed with reduced power warning. Diagnosis reveals low oil level and inoperable oil level sensor. Loss of power steering and braking during stall creates safety hazard.
When: 81,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Reduced power warning indicator illuminated; Vehicle lost forward momentum; Loss of power steering and braking ability; Engine stalled; Unable to restart
Codes mentioned: Reduced power warning
Repairs/costs cited: Low oil level and inoperable oil level sensor identified; vehicle not repaired per narrative.
Cooling system / water pump issues
Cooling fan runs continuously for extended periods (1+ hour) without driver activation. Owner suspects water pump failure based on internet research. Separate report of engine overheating with noise under car during driving. Coolant system and service oil lights illuminate along with check engine light.
When: Unknown; 30-mile intervals
Symptoms owners cite: Cooling fan runs continuously without stopping; Engine overheating; Coolant system light illuminated; Service oil light illuminated; Check engine light illuminated; Noise under car while driving
Codes mentioned: Check engine light, Coolant system light, Service oil light
Repairs/costs cited: Owner suspected water pump; planned to take to shop for diagnosis. Coolant added but problem recurred within 30 miles.
Loud popping noise from engine
Loud popping sound occurs when ignition is turned on, and persists with ignition off (within 15 minutes of shutdown) and while driving. Starter unit replaced but did not resolve issue. Dealer and GM rep claim noise is 'normal' despite owner having never heard similar sound in other vehicles.
When: Month after purchase; persistent
Symptoms owners cite: Loud popping noise with ignition startup; Loud popping noise with ignition off (within 15 minutes of shutdown); Loud popping noise while driving
Repairs/costs cited: Starter unit replaced; issue persisted.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM rep and service manager stated the problem is 'normal.'
TCM / selector cable adjustment issue
Vehicle loses acceleration ability early in ownership, reducing speed to 9 mph. Check engine and park assist lights illuminate. TCM reprogrammed at dealer, but one month later vehicle loses power again at highway speed. Diagnosis indicates selector cable was too tight; adjustment attempted during complaint filing.
When: 13,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle will not accelerate beyond 9 mph; Check engine light illuminated; Park assist light illuminated; Vehicle slows down at highway speed without warning
Codes mentioned: Check engine light, Park assist light
Repairs/costs cited: TCM reprogrammed (initial repair); selector cable adjustment needed (follow-up).
Oxygen sensor wire damage / corrosion
Check engine light illuminates while driving. Dealer diagnosis reveals rodents chewed through oxygen 2 sensor wire. Manufacturer declined assistance because vehicle was out of warranty.
When: 37,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine warning indicator illuminated
Codes mentioned: Check engine light
Repairs/costs cited: Oxygen 2 sensor wire chewed by rodents; not repaired per narrative.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer declined assistance; failure not covered under warranty.
Cooling tubes / coolant system leak
Two cooling tubes found leaking during routine service. Mechanic provided recall sheet dated December 13, 2023. Owner contacted GM, which stated the vehicle was not included in the recall despite having the identical issue. GM suggested VIN might be added later, but as of April 8 follow-up, it had not been added to recall list. Vehicle had only 61,230 miles.
When: 61,230 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Coolant leaking from two tubes
Repairs/costs cited: Two tubes leaking; mechanic noted this would become a serious problem.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM issued recall December 13, 2023, but vehicle VIN not initially included despite having identical issue. As of April 8, VIN still not added to recall list; GM suggested it might be added later.
Synthesized from 20 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
Reduced engine power-while driving 30mph the vehicle will randomly reduce engine power and caused the vehicle to stall. I had to pull over and restart my vehicle 2 twice to make it home safely. Gm has a service bulletin out to repair 2010-2011 buck lacrosse only manufactured at specific plants. Gm dealer states I have same defective throttle that was manufactured in 2010-2011 lacrosse and causes…
Tl*the contact owns a 2010 Buick lacrosse. While the vehicle was parked, it suddenly caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire; a report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The origin of the fire was unknown. The manufacturer sent a representative who inspected the vehicle but could not find the acuse. The failure mileage was 7,800. Updated 3/7/11 *cn updated 04/25/11
Had engine trouble with your 2010 Buick LaCrosse?
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 engine problem on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse?
It's a meaningful issue. 20 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $3,100.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Across the 16 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most engine failures cluster between 20,000 and 78,263 miles, with the median around 48,533. A quarter of owners report trouble before 20,000; a quarter make it past 78,263. 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 $3,100 for engine 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 engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine 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/2010/Buick/LaCrosse.
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.