Owners report a cluster of electrical failures in the 2014 LaCrosse. Most concerning are repeated incidents where the dashboard goes blank or all gauges drop offline while driving at highway speeds—typically lasting seconds to 10 seconds before the car either restarts itself or power returns. These events have occurred at various mileages, including as early as 26,000 miles, and happened both in light traffic and on freeways.
Door and window electrical issues are prominent. Owners report the driver's side window motor burning up and causing the switch to smoke—a fire hazard the dealership flagged. Related complaints mention the radio staying on when the driver's door opens and driver-side door electrical splice issues. One owner referenced recall #14235 but stated it was not applied to their vehicle.
Additional problems include the push button start intermittently refusing to engage even with the brake pedal applied, a speedometer that flashes on and off (unresolved by a software update), and one owner becoming locked inside the vehicle when all electrical systems failed. Another owner noted the ignition key can be bumped during normal driving, stalling the engine.
Dealerships have largely been unable to diagnose the root causes. Dealers have made multiple visits without resolution, performed software updates that didn't hold, and in one case provided no remedy.
Failure modes owners describe
Door window motor failure and switch smoke/burn
Driver's side door window motor burned out, causing the switch to smoke and create a fire hazard. The fuse did not fail even though the switch was smoking during diagnosis. Related issues reported include radio failing to shut off when driver's door opens.
When: No mileage or specific timing provided
Symptoms owners cite: Window switch smoking; Burned-out window motor; Potential fire hazard from switch; Radio doesn't shut off when driver's door opens
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership diagnosed the issue; parts were ordered but repair status unknown. Driver's side door electrical splice and window motor harness implicated in related complaints.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall #14235 referenced by one owner but reportedly not applied to their vehicle; recall appears to address driver-side door electrical and window motor issues.
Push button start unresponsive to brake pedal engagement
On several occasions, pressing the brake pedal to engage the push button start produced no response. Two dealerships were consulted; one replaced the key fob battery without resolving the issue. Manufacturer provided no repair solution.
When: Occurred at approximately 26,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Push button start fails to respond when brake pedal is applied; Intermittent ignition engagement failure
Repairs/costs cited: Key fob battery replaced but did not resolve the problem; vehicle was not repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer provided no repair solution
Ignition key movement during driving
While driving at 35 mph with cruise control engaged, the driver's leg bumped the ignition key, causing it to rotate into the off position and stalling the engine. Owner notes this could have been catastrophic at higher speeds.
When: No mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: Engine stalls from incidental key rotation during driving; Ignition positioned such that minor leg contact can turn off the engine
Speedometer gauge flashing on and off
Speedometer gauge repeatedly flashes on and off. A software update was performed at the dealership, but the failure recurred.
When: Failure occurred at 73,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Speedometer gauge flashing intermittently
Repairs/costs cited: Software update performed at Bergstrom Buick GMC Cadillac of Green Bay but did not resolve the issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer was contacted and provided case number 8-4524536876, promised to call back within one week
Dashboard gauges going blank and car stalling while driving
While driving on a freeway, immediately after ending a hands-free call, all dashboard gauges went blank and the car stalled. Warning lights reappeared after several seconds and the car restarted. Multiple similar complaints reported for the same year and model.
When: Incident occurred on 8/15/16; no mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: All dashboard gauges go blank; Engine stalls while driving; Warning lights return after several seconds; Car able to restart
Battery power loss causing dashboard blackout and engine shutdown while driving
While driving at 65 mph in traffic, the vehicle suddenly loses battery power causing the dashboard to go blank and the engine to shut off. All electrical and engine power returns within one minute without driver intervention. Dealer unable to identify the problem after three visits in 90 days.
When: No specific mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden loss of battery power while driving; Dashboard goes blank; Engine shuts off; Electrical system resets after less than one minute
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle taken to dealer three times in 90 days; problem not diagnosed or repaired
Instrument panel blanking while driving
Instrument panel went blank for at least 10 seconds while driving on I-95 at 65-70 mph, then reset as though the car restarted. Engine did not stall during this event.
When: No mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: Instrument panel goes blank for extended period; Panel resets automatically; Occurs while driving at highway speed
Complete electrical system failure while driving
Owner became locked in the vehicle when the key would not start the engine, unlock the doors, or operate the power windows despite having the key present.
When: No mileage or timing provided
Symptoms owners cite: Key will not start engine; Power door locks inoperative; Power windows inoperative; Owner trapped in vehicle for approximately 4 minutes
Dashboard warning lights and switch malfunction
Service side detention message is active on the dashboard. Other dash lights are being affected. Turn signal lights only work intermittently. Car will not shut off.
When: No mileage or specific timing provided
Symptoms owners cite: Service side detention message displayed; Multiple dashboard lights affected; Turn signal lights intermittent; Engine will not shut off
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.