Buick LaCrosse reliability by year
7 recalls and 2,104 owner complaints across 15 model years. Best year to buy: 2016. Year to avoid: 2005.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 5 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 15 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the LaCrosse aggregated across 15 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Buick LaCrosse?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2016 Buick LaCrosse scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2019 range. 45 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Buick LaCrosse year should I avoid?
The 2005 Buick LaCrosse scores 7.0/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 314 owner complaints with NHTSA, 1 active recall. That doesn't mean every 2005 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Buick LaCrosse should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2010 (avoid — the electrical system — 6 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system); 2008 (avoid — the electrical system — 6 fire-related complaints on the electrical system); 2007 (avoid — the electrical system — 14 fire-related complaints on the electrical system); 2006 (avoid — the lighting — 5 fire-related complaints and 5 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2005 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 68 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 70,000–134,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Buick LaCrosse are tracked?
15 model years (2005 through 2019) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 7 recalls and 2,104 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Buick LaCrosse?
electrical is the most-reported category — 499 complaints across 13 model years. Average shop repair runs about $850.