Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
18
Latest Sep 7, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
11%
of 169 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Buick Lacrosse submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Owner reports naming driver-assistance
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
BrakesDriver assistanceSteering
Filed Sep 7, 2025
When going around town or on the highway the steering wheel will start shaking badly and when going to break even after the breaks have been changed the parking break will not stay on and the steering wheel will start shaking horribly to the point where your might crash your car I have had the car looked at multiple times by different manufacturers dealerships and auto shops and they all say to Change the breaks I tell them that I had them changed by Buick and Chevrolet of Dan Cummins where I had got the car and they done the same thing over again as when I bought the car
NHTSA ID
11685571
Incident
Jul 6, 2025
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jul 12, 2021
I noticed today as I was stopped at a red light with my foot on brake the vehicle was kinda jumping like it was trying to go while foot was on brake. I drove a little further and the service stabilitrak light came on followed by the reduced engine power. The car proceeded to die in the middle of a busy street. After a few minutes it did restart and I was able to get it home. This seems to be a common problem with 2011 buick lacrosse. Ihave seen several complaints about this same issue.
NHTSA ID
11424471
Incident
Jul 12, 2021
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Apr 21, 2021
STABILITRACK SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON
NHTSA ID
11413160
Incident
Apr 19, 2021
Mileage
70,060 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jun 1, 2020
FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 103 WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING SYSTEM AND I DON'T KNOW IF ITS EFFECTING MY A/C TO I HAVE TAKEN IT EVERYWHERE TO GET FIX AND NO ONE FIXES IT COMPLETELY STILLS BLOW COOL NOT COLD LIKE IT IS SUPPOSED TO. *TR
NHTSA ID
11326885
Incident
Jun 12, 2019
Mileage
120,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 17, 2020
LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE A 2011 BUICK LACROSSE WHICH HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS TRYING TO GET FIXED FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO OTHER CERTIFIED AUTO TECHNICIANS AND I CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES. FRI, 2/14/2020 I ALMOST LOSS MY LIFE. MY CAR DASHBOARD STARTED GOING BLACK AS I DROVE UP TO RAMP ONTO THE INTERSTATE IT COMPLETELY LOSS POWER AND VEERED OFF THE ROAD INTO THE GRASS. I WAS SECONDS AWAY FROM THE INTERSTATE!
NHTSA ID
11309679
Incident
Feb 14, 2020
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 25, 2019
JULY 23, 2019 -I WAS ON THE HWY FOR APPROX. FOUR HOURS WITH MY NIECE WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR CREATED A LOUD SOUND AND I LOST POWER AND CONTROL OF MY CAR INCLUDING MY BRAKES. I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MILE PER HOUR. LUCKILY, TWO CARS HAD JUST PASSED ME WHEN THIS OCCURRED OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE HAD A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WAS ON THE LEFT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER. THE HWY. WAS FLAT AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP. THE ENGINE WOULDN'T START, BUT AFTER APPROX. FIVE MINUTES IT STARTED BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO MOVE. THE CAR IDLED EXTREMELY ROUGH. THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WERE ON. I WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK IN 96 DEGREE WEATHER FOR TWO HOURS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET A TOW TO A GARAGE 40 MILES AWAY. THIS HAPPEND ON TUESDAY. I LEFT MY CAR AT THE BUICK DEALER AND LEFT THE KEY IN THE DROP BOX. I WAS TOLD WEDNESDAY MORNING THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT UNTIL TODAY (THURSDAY), SO I HAVE NO IDEA AS YET WHAT DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED TO THE ENGINE. I HAVE ONLY 53,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND IT IS A 2011 MODEL. HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN?
NHTSA ID
11234782
Incident
Jul 23, 2019
Mileage
53,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Feb 20, 2019
DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. SUDDENLY THE INFORMATION PANEL FLASHED STABILITRAK SERVICE REQUIRED (OR SIMILAR) THEN LOW POWER MODE. CAR WENT FROM 60 TO 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. UNABLE TO SPEED UP. NEEDED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TURNED CAR OFF. TRIED TO RESTART AND IT WOULDN'T RESTART FOR SEVERAL TRIES. RESTARTED AND STILL SAID LOW POWER AND WAS IDLING LOW. TRIED AGAIN AND WAS NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES AND ALWAYS IS SIMILAR. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AT ALL IN A 30 MILE TRIP, SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS 3 TIMES. VERY DANGEROUS! COULD BE REAR ENDED! I HAVE READ MANY OTHER ACCOUNTS OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE 2011 BUICK LACROSSE. AFTER THIS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. WHEN I HAD THE AUTO PARTS STORE RUN DIAGNOSTICS IT FLAGGED MULTIPLE MISFIRES, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR 3 TIMES, POWER CONTROL MODULE INDICATOR, TRACTION CONTROL. IT SEEMS THIS IS A FLAW IN THIS CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO GET A PICTURE OF THE SATBILITRAK SENSOR INDICATOR LIGHT, BUT IT FLASHES ON AND OFF PRETTY QUICKLY AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN.
NHTSA ID
11181366
Incident
Feb 19, 2019
Mileage
91,431 mi
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 10, 2019
MY CAR STATED THAT MY TRAKSTABILTY SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE SERVICED THEN REDUCED ENGINE POWER LITE UP. CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT AND WOULD NOT INCREASE IN SPEED OVER TWENTY MILES PER HOUR. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN MY CAR OFF LEAVE IT PARKED UNTIL I COULD GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON OTHER 2011 LACROSSES AND THEIR IS A SPECIAL SERVICE BULLETIN WITH FREE REPAIR BUT FOR SOME REASON NOT IN MINE. I HAD TO PAY 500 DOLLAR TO REPLACE THIS. MY CAR ONLY HAS 74000 MILES ON IT AND I COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED IF I WASN'T IN A PLACE WHERE I COULD TURN MY VEHICLE OFF SAFELY.
NHTSA ID
11176117
Incident
Jan 27, 2019
Mileage
74,930 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 21, 2018
THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VOLUNTARILY COME TO A STOP, AND CUT ITSELF OFF WITHOUT NOTICE. THEN, SUBSEQUENTLY, THE BATTERY LIGHT/ICON STARTED TO APPEAR ONTO THE DASH SCREEN, FOLLOWED BY A DECELERATION WHILE DRIVING WITH AN INFORMATION NOTICE STATING THAT THE BATTERY POWER HAD BEEN REDUCED. WITH THIS NOTIFICATION YOUR ABILITY TO ACCELERATE BECOMES HINDERED, AND HAVING CONSULTED WITH ON-STAR, A DIAGNOSTIC TEST RESULTED WITH A CODE OF P-0335, AND THE PROBLEM LISTED AS AN IGNITION SYSTEM ENGINE MISFIRE. SUCH DIAGNOSIS COMES WITH A WARNING OF SPEED PRECAUTIONS, AND HIGHWAY DRIVING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
NHTSA ID
11102976
Incident
Jun 19, 2018
Mileage
105,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jan 6, 2018
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH, DROPPED SUDDENLY TO 30 MPH. HAD TO PULL ONTO SHOULDER FROM PASSING LANE, ALMOST REAR ENDED BY TRACTOR TRAILER DUE TO SUDDEN POWER LOSS, COULD NOT ACCELERATE. STABILITRAK LIGHT TURNED ON STATING ENGINE POWER REDUCED. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED, WENT AWAY. CAME BACK ON AGAIN 3 X'S WHILE DRIVING BACK HOME ON HIGHWAY, HAD TO CONTINUOUSLY PULL OVER AND RESTART ENGINE TO CLEAR.
NHTSA ID
11060889
Incident
Jan 5, 2018
Mileage
112,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jan 6, 2018
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, SUDDEN WARNING STABILITRAK NEEDS SERVICE, ENGINE POWER REDUCED. SPEED DROPPED TO 30 MPH ON HIGHWAY FROM 70MPH TRAFFIC FLOW. COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL TO KEEP UP W/TRAFFIC, HAD TO PULL ONTO SHOULDER TO AVOID GETTING REAR ENDED. COULD NOT ACCELERATE ENOUGH SPEED TO MERGE BACK ONTO HIGHWAY LIGHT TURNED OFF. DANGEROUS!!!
NHTSA ID
11060886
Incident
Jan 5, 2018
Mileage
112 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jan 4, 2017
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE SKIDDED AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE THE STABILITRAC AND ABS WARNING INDICATORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REDUCED POWER WARNING INDICATOR ALSO ILLUMINATED. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE SENSOR IN THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL HUB THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 05/04/17*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER FEELS THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A RECALL. UPDATED 07/25/2017*JS
NHTSA ID
10939697
Incident
Dec 30, 2016
Mileage
105,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistanceSteering
Filed May 12, 2014
Crash reported
ATTEMPTED TO STOP FOR RED TRAFFIC LIGHT; APPLIED BRAKES BUT THEY FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. CAR THEN ACCELERATED -- USED BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL UNSUCCESSFULLY. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP LAUNCHING CAR INTO VEHICLES PARKED IN A USED CAR DEALERSHIP LOT. *TR
NHTSA ID
10587767
Incident
Apr 25, 2014
Mileage
5,004 mi
Body & structureDriver assistanceSteering
Filed Apr 9, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE TURNING LEFT AT A MAJOR INTERSECTION, CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND GAINED SPEED/MOMENTUM WHILE AT SAME TIME STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN & DRIVER COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR. CAR DID NOT COMPLETE THE LEFT TURN BUT RATHER CONTINUED DRIVING AS IF ALL ON ITS OWN AND CRASHED INTO A HIGH CURB ON RIGHT SIDE OF CAR. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY; FRONT CAR PARTS SIMPLY CRUMBLED AND FELL OFF; SUSPENSION WAS RUINED; CAR TIRE WAS PUNCTURED ALONG WITH THE TIRE RIM BEING CRACKED CLEAR THROUGH IN A COUPLE OF AREAS. DRIVER WAS INJURED WITH HEAD INJURY, CRACKED RIB, AND BROKEN RT. FOREARM. CAR WAS TOTALED OUT BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR
NHTSA ID
10578613
Incident
Mar 14, 2014
Mileage
12,890 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 29, 2013
I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM NOT LONG AFTER GETTING CAR WHEN STOPPED IN DRIVE GOING FROM BRAKE TO GAS CAR SEEMS TO ACT LIKE ITS ON OIL SLICK THEN CATCHES ON WITH A SUDDEN JERK. IT WILL ALSO WHEN GOING FROM GAS TO BRAKE EVEN ON INCLINE WILL LUNGE FORWARD IT ALSO WILL JUST SUDDENLY SPEED UP WITH OUT ANY ACCELERATION ITS LIKE THE CAR IS IN CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVE HAD CAR IN SEVERAL TIMES AND ALWAYS THEY CANT TELL ME ANYTHING I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO NOTICES THIS ANYONE WHO IS IN CAR ASKS WHAT WAS THAT OR WHAT JUST HAPPENED. *TR
NHTSA ID
10532433
Incident
Oct 25, 2010
Mileage
4,181 mi
Driver assistance
Filed May 30, 2013
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DECELERATING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND AGREED TO SEND A ENGINEER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,000. *TR
NHTSA ID
10514263
Incident
May 15, 2013
Mileage
24,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 28, 2012
Crash reported
SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION DURING A LOW SPEED (<5 MPH) TIGHT LEFT HAND TURN. FIRST INCIDENT RESULTED IN CRASH AGAINST HOUSE WALL, DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. VEHICLE REPAIRED BELOW INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE, NO DAMAGE TO STRUCTURE. SECOND INCIDENT IN A PARKING LOT, ON OR ABOUT MAY 16, 2012, ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE WITH NO CRASH. THIRD INCIDENT OCCURRED AT NEIGHBORS HOUSE JUNE 26, 2012, CAUSING CRASH. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND GARAGE DOOR. ALL INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHEN LIFTING FROM ACCELERATOR PRIOR TO STEPPING ON THE BRAKE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE (VEHICLE STILL IN DRIVE, NO BRAKING). AFTER 3RD INCIDENT VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE BUT WAS TOWED TO THE SELLING/SERVICING BUICK DEALER. VEHICLE IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED BY DEALER. CONDITION DOES NOT OCCUR EVERY TIME IN THE SAME TIGHT LEFT HAND TURN. TYPE OF TURN IS 90 DEGREES IN DRIVEWAYS TO SIDE LOADING GARAGES AND INTO PARKING SPACES. *TR
NHTSA ID
10463391
Incident
Feb 8, 2012
Mileage
3,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jun 11, 2012
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, VEHICLE ELECTRONICS WENT INOPT WHILE CRUISING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH. SPEEDOMETER, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, TURN SIGNALS, NAVIGATION AND RADIO WERE ALL INOPT. *TR
NHTSA ID
10461254
Incident
Jan 30, 2012
Mileage
5,334 mi
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own