What breaks most · 2005 to 2018 model years
Buick LaCrosse problems by year
Owners have filed 1,638 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Buick LaCrosse across model years 2005 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2005 for exterior lighting complaints, 2006 for exterior lighting complaints and 2007 for exterior lighting complaints. The quietest years are 2016, 2015 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2006, 2007
- Fewest complaints: 2016, 2015, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 16382005 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2005303 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 7855 fires · 58 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 59kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 48Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 303 | 7 | 5 | Exterior lighting (81) | |
| 278 | 15 | 4 | Exterior lighting (145) | |
| 237 | 7 | 4 | Exterior lighting (123) | |
| 228 | 10 | 2 | Electrical system (78) | |
| 101 | 3 | 2 | Exterior lighting (46) | |
| 148 | 4 | 2 | Engine (38) | |
| 109 | 11 | 4 | Electrical system (24) | |
| 104 | 6 | 5 | Electrical system (29) | |
| 52 | 3 | 5 | Electrical system (23) | |
| 35 | 7 | 5 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 17 | 3 | 3 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 15 | 2 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (4) | |
| 9 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 2 | 0 | 3 | Engine (1) |
What fails on the 2005 Buick LaCrosse
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 27% |
81 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 25% |
75 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 17% |
50 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse |
| Air bags | 10% |
30 | 4 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
21 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 6% |
19 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 5% |
16 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 4% |
13 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2005 Buick LaCrosse |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Had my daughter's 2005 buick lacrosse hdm replaced for the recall and 3 months later the low-beams went out again. I took the car back to the dealer and they said the recall was done and now i would have to pay. The hdm failed while my daughter was driving home at night.
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My front headlamp low-beam keep burning out ...was suppose to be repaired by re=call...have replaced lamp and wireing 4 more times since dealears fix
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2007 buick lacrosse. Consumer requests reimbursement for recall notice 15v519000. *smd the consumer stated the headlights unexpectedly stopped working. After the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, a few days later, a recall letter regarding the headlights arrived in the mail. *jb
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Buick LaCrosse years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2006, 2007 carry the most filings on the Buick LaCrosse. The 2005 alone has 303 complaints, led by exterior lighting.
What is the most common Buick LaCrosse problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is exterior lighting with 81 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Buick LaCrosse problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Buick LaCrosse complaints that include mileage is about 59,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.