Buick Lucerne reliability by year
17 recalls and 943 owner complaints across 6 model years. Best year to buy: 2011. Year to avoid: 2007.
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 3 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2007, 2010, 2011 . 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 6 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Lucerne aggregated across 6 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Buick Lucerne?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2011 Buick Lucerne scores 7.8/10 — the strongest in the 2006–2011 range. 49 complaints on file, 2 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Buick Lucerne year should I avoid?
The 2007 Buick Lucerne scores 6.4/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 164 owner complaints with NHTSA, 4 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2007 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Buick Lucerne should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2009 (avoid — the electrical system — 15 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system); 2008 (avoid — the electrical system — 18 fire-related complaints and 3 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2006 (avoid — the electrical system — 1 fatality report and 2 fire-related complaints on the electrical system). The cleaner years on the data are 2011, 2010, 2007. 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 Lucerne are tracked?
6 model years (2006 through 2011) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 17 recalls and 943 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Buick Lucerne?
electrical is the most-reported category — 346 complaints across 6 model years. Average shop repair runs about $850.