This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel on diagnosis and replacement of shock absorber and strut due to fluid leak.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2012 Buick LaCrosse suspension problems
moderate Owners of the 2012 Buick LaCrosse have filed 30 NHTSA complaints about the suspension, typically surfacing around 85,000 miles at roughly $900 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See suspension across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
30
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$900
| Model year | suspension complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 LaCrosse | 4 |
| 2010 LaCrosse | 13 |
| 2011 LaCrosse | 26 |
| 2012 LaCrosse (this page) | 30 |
| 2013 LaCrosse | 27 |
1crash
When does it fail?
Of the 30 suspension complaints filed for the 2012 Buick LaCrosse, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 150,000+ 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
Of the 9 model years of Buick LaCrosse we track for suspension problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 30.
Owners have filed 30 suspension complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering suspension 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 service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel on diagnosis and replacement of shock absorber and strut due to fluid leak.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides technicians with information to help identify the differences between what is considered a fluid leak, and what is considered fluid seepage.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer?s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions without utilizing the support of General Motors Technical Assistance Center. If valid vibration frequency or Road Force Variation data has been collected and a repair attempt does not correct the customer complaint, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further support. For any vehicles that remains unrepaired after being at the dealer for three days or more and a related bulletin or PI is not found, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for furthe
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides a vibration analysis worksheet the technician can use in conjunction with the appropriate Vibration Analysis-Road testing procedure when diagnosing vibration concerns.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The vast majority of complaints center on a rear suspension toe link defect covered by NHTSA recalls 20V764000 and 20V674000. Owners received recall notices starting in 2020 but encountered extended parts shortages lasting months or years. During the waiting period, many experienced dangerous suspension symptoms: vehicles drifting or zig-zagging at highway speeds, loss of steering control, rear end looseness over bumps, shaking, and hard steering. One owner crashed into a guard rail at 60 mph while waiting for recall parts; another lost control at 70 mph and hit a guard rail before the vehicle was destroyed. Several owners who finally repaired vehicles outside authorized dealers were denied reimbursement by Buick, claiming out-of-warranty status.
Beyond the toe link issue, owners reported one front sway bar fracture at low speed (66,938 miles) attributed to wear, unintended acceleration immediately after starting, unexplained deceleration at highway speed, stability control malfunction with jerking transmission, and recurrent camshaft timing solenoid codes. Most suspension complaints went undiagnosed because recall parts were simply unavailable—dealers couldn't complete repairs despite owner requests and manufacturer notification.
Same Buick LaCrosse suspension reports on nearby years: 2010 · 2011 · 2013
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended acceleration and loss of control
Vehicle accelerated on its own immediately after shifting into drive, causing driver to lose control despite brake application and gear shifting to neutral. Vehicle struck multiple curbs and parking lot structures before being stopped.
When: Immediately after starting engine and shifting to drive
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden acceleration without throttle input; Loss of braking effectiveness; Loss of vehicle control
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle towed to Buick dealer; case number assigned but repairs not detailed in narrative.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Buick assigned case number; no recall noted
Loss of control at highway speed
Vehicle lost control at 60 mph, likely related to recall 20V764000 suspension defect. Owner crashed into guard rail; vehicle was destroyed. Recall repair parts were unavailable.
When: 85,000 miles, while driving 60 mph
Symptoms owners cite: Loss of vehicle control; Crash into guard rail
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle destroyed; no repair attempted
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 20V764000 (Suspension) - parts not available
Inadvertent deceleration at highway speed
Vehicle suddenly decelerated nearly to a stop while cruising at 70 mph. Dealers tested vehicle but found no diagnostic codes and could not duplicate the failure. Issue remained unresolved.
When: 54,456 miles, while driving 70 mph
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden deceleration to near complete stop; Vehicle speed control loss
Repairs/costs cited: Taken to two dealers; no codes found; not repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 20V764000 (Suspension) - parts not available; no manufacturer assistance provided
Rear suspension looseness on bumps
Rear end of vehicle felt loose and unstable when hitting bumps at various speeds. Owner attributes this to suspension recall defect. Dealer confirmed recall parts unavailable.
When: 152,000 miles, at various speeds over bumps
Symptoms owners cite: Rear suspension feels loose; Instability when hitting bumps
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 20V764000 (Suspension) - parts not available; no manufacturer assistance
Vehicle drift with check engine light
Vehicle drifted side to side while driving at 40 mph with check engine warning light illuminated. Related to suspension recall 20V764000 with unavailable parts.
When: 104,772 miles, while driving 40 mph
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle drifting side to side; Check engine warning light illuminated
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 20V764000 (Suspension) - parts not available; no manufacturer assistance
Shaking and hard steering
Vehicle experienced shaking and became hard to steer while driving. No warning lights present. Related to suspension recall with unavailable parts.
When: Approximately 99,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle shaking; Hard steering
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not taken to dealer for diagnosis or repair
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 20V674000 (Suspension) - parts not available; manufacturer provided case number
Rear-end grinding noise
Grinding sound coming from rear end of vehicle at undisclosed speed. Owner suspects suspension-related failure but vehicle was never diagnosed or repaired.
When: 207,777 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Grinding noise from rear end
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not diagnosed or repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 21V00F000 (Suspension); no additional assistance provided
Vehicle zig-zagging and difficult to drive
Vehicle began zig-zagging and became difficult to steer while driving. Owner repaired vehicle at independent shop due to recall parts being unavailable at dealer, then requested reimbursement which was denied.
When: During normal driving
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle zig-zagging; Difficult to steer
Repairs/costs cited: Repaired at independent auto repair shop; owner paid out-of-pocket
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 20V764000 (Suspension) - parts not available at dealer; manufacturer denied reimbursement because repair not done at authorized dealer
Stability control and transmission issues
Stability control light came on randomly, causing transmission to kick and jerk, then vehicle would stop in traffic. Electronic brake light also came on. Dealer could not find root cause, reset computer, and eventually replaced transmission pump with used unit, but problem persisted.
When: During normal driving in traffic
Symptoms owners cite: Stability control light comes on randomly; Transmission kicking and jerking; Vehicle coming to stop; Electronic brake light illuminated
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer reset computer; replaced transmission pump with used unit - did not resolve issue
Front sway bar fracture
Front sway bar on driver side fractured while driving at 4 mph. Dealer inspected and attributed failure to normal wear and tear. Vehicle was repaired.
When: 66,938 miles, at 4 mph
Symptoms owners cite: Front sway bar fractured
Repairs/costs cited: Repaired at dealer
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer attributed to wear and tear; manufacturer notified
Camshaft timing solenoid malfunction
Owner reports recurring need to replace camshaft timing solenoid with persistent error codes P0011 and P0128. Mechanic indicated problem should have been detected earlier.
When: Unknown timing
Symptoms owners cite: Error codes P0011 and P0128 repeating
Repairs/costs cited: Multiple camshaft timing solenoid replacements required
Rear toe link suspension defect - recall parts unavailable (widespread)
Vast majority of 29 complaints involve NHTSA Campaign 20V764000 or 20V674000 (Suspension/Rear Toe Links). Owners notified of recall but parts remained on extended backorder, making vehicles undrivable or unreliable for months or years. Many owners report manufacturer exceeded reasonable timeframe for repair, faced parts distribution disconnect, and some experienced suspension-related driving incidents while awaiting recall completion.
When: Various mileages from 54,000 to 207,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Rear suspension looseness; Vehicle drift or zig-zagging; Loss of control at highway speed; Hard steering; Vehicle shaking
Repairs/costs cited: Recall parts on extended backorder; some owners purchased parts privately or had repairs done at independent shops
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 20V764000 and 20V674000 (Suspension/Rear Toe Links); parts distribution disconnect; manufacturer denied reimbursement for out-of-warranty repairs done outside authorized dealers
Synthesized from 30 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
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 something wrong with my car, letting me know that I had the problem and also I have to keep replacing my camshaft timing Solenoid my car keeps giving me error codes P0011 and P0128
The contact owns a 2012 Buick LaCrosse. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V764000 (Suspension) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear end of the vehicle seemed loosened whenever the vehicle hit a bump while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the…
The contact owns a 2012 Buick Lacrosse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V764000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a…
2012 Buick lacrosse. Consumer writes in regards to rear toe link suspension safety recall. The consumer stated the vehicle experienced the safety recall failure. The dealer was unable to repair the vehicle in a timely manner as the parts were on back order. The consumer bought the parts and had the vehicle repaired. The consumer requested reimbursement from the manufacturer, but was denied for…
Had suspension trouble with your 2012 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 suspension problem on the 2012 Buick LaCrosse?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 30 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $900 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the suspension typically fail?
Across the 9 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most suspension failures cluster between 66,938 and 104,772 miles, with the median around 85,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 66,938; a quarter make it past 104,772. 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 $900 for suspension 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 suspension?
No active recalls currently cover suspension 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/2012/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.