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.
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
Codes mentioned: P0011, P0128
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.