2012 Buick Lacrosse Engine Problems

2012 Buick LaCrosse V6 (Fairfax Plant). The vehicle suffered a sudden, complete loss of engine power and forward propulsion while traveling at highway speed, cutting off mid-drive with no warning. This occurred alongside a persistent StabiliTrak malfunction; the dash showed repeated "Service StabiliTrak" warnings before the failure, then turned bright orange with multiple warning lights and a message instructing me to activate my turn signal and pull over before RPMs dropped to zero. Because power cut out instantly, my [XXX] son (passenger) and I were trapped in the center lane of a dense, multi-lane highway. I was forced to dodge high-speed traffic and coast the dead vehicle across multiple active lanes to reach the shoulder, creating an imminent collision risk to us and other drivers. We were then stranded on the narrow shoulder awaiting a tow, with traffic passing within feet at highway speed. Both my son and I have CMT2A (Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease), a neuromuscular disability limiting mobility; we were incapable of quickly evacuating the vehicle or reaching safety up the embankment, leaving us trapped in a highly dangerous position. No official inspection or diagnosis has been performed yet. My dash displayed the same "Service StabiliTrak" warning referenced in NHTSA Campaign 11V404000, though my VIN was excluded from that recall, and my failure went beyond the handling/deceleration issue described in that recall to a complete loss of propulsion. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11749557

Incident

Jul 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2012 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle shut off in the middle of the roadway and the vehicle failed to restart. A bystander advised the contact to press the alarm button twice to restart the vehicle. The contact followed the advice of the bystander, and the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where an unknown diagnosis was made. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where an unknown repair was performed; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer on several occasions. The dealer replaced the motor mounts, the engine oil, and other unknown parts; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ID

11742307

Incident

Mar 30, 2026

Mileage

71,000 mi

All the specific details are unknown, but I had a mechanic work on my car and the problem that he had to fix. He stated that it should’ve been detected, but it was something wrong with my car, letting me know that I had the problem and also I have to keep replacing my camshaft timing Solenoid my car keeps giving me error codes P0011 and P0128

NHTSA ID

11706046

Incident

Dec 18, 2025

The contact owns a 2012 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

NHTSA ID

11555415

Incident

Nov 2, 2023

Mileage

170,000 mi

The charging system in my vehicle is no longer working. There's been a recall done for the charging system. It was fixed back in 2013 before long before I bought the vehicle. It's only been nine years since it's been fixed and now it's not working again. I'd like this matter to be looked into as I believe it's faulty at no fault of my own.

NHTSA ID

11494896

Incident

Oct 15, 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after a while. The contact stated that the service stabili trac warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the error code. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the error occurred several times. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.

NHTSA ID

11466932

Incident

Jun 27, 2021

Mileage

56,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The stability trac and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who provided several unknown codes. The manufacturer was contacted but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. The contact has stated that due to the seriousness of the problems, that they no longer own the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11466742

Incident

Jun 30, 2021

Mileage

56,000 mi

Car shut off while in stopping position. Happen 3 times before supposed problem was fixed and then two more time after oil change and transmission control module fixed. Dealership does not know what the issue. Thankful each time I was not driving on interstate.

NHTSA ID

11440583

Incident

Sep 1, 2021

The contact owns a 2012 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oxygen sensor warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic reset the oxygen sensor warning light. However, after driving for 400 miles, the oxygen sensor warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11432507

Incident

Aug 15, 2021

Mileage

40,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ID

11430369

Incident

Aug 1, 2021

Mileage

44,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE STABILITY TRACK AND ANTI-THEFT WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER 15 SECONDS AS PER THE OWNERS MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS AND WOULD REPROGRAM ITSELF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HERITAGE AUTO GROUP (965 VETERANS MEMORIAL HWY NE, ROME, GA 30161) THREE TIMES FOR REPAIRS AND THE KEYS WERE REPROGRAMMED, THE LOOSENED THROTTLE BODY WAS TIGHTENED, AND THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER BUICK DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,399.

NHTSA ID

11408448

Incident

Apr 15, 2021

Mileage

93,399 mi

WHILE GOING AROUND CURVES THE ENGINE LOST POWER SEVERAL TIME. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, POWER STEERING FAILED, POWER BRAKES FAILED AND ENGINE RESTARTED ON ITS OWN AFTER A FEW SECONDS.

NHTSA ID

11400310

Incident

Mar 10, 2021

Mileage

122,000 mi

I FILED A COMPLIANT JAN. 25, 2021 (#11389775) IN REFERENCE TO MY CAR STALLING. WHICH HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY HAPPENING THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. I WAS CONTACTED BY MY MECHANIC THAT MY PROBLEM FITS THE ISSUES ON RECALL #13V173000 WHICH MY VIN # DOES NOT PULL AS A RECALL. I CALLED GM LAST YEAR IN REFERENCE TO THE SAME ISSUE WHICH THEY STATED BECAUSE MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW BUICK LACROSSE OWNERS THAT HAVE THE CARS THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH THIS E-ASSIST ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND ARE BEING TOLD THAT THEIR VIN # ARE NOT INCLUDED. IT SEEMS THAT GM HAS OVERLOOKED A LOT OF CARS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR A LITTLE OVER 5 YEARS AND MY CAR HAS NOT OPERATED CORRECTLY DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ATTACHED THE TEXT MESSAGE I HAVE RECEIVED FROM MY LICENSED MECHANIC.

NHTSA ID

11390721

Incident

Nov 29, 2020

Mileage

107,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR WOULD COMPLETELY POWER DOWN. AFTER SITTING IN THE EMERGENCY LANE FOR AN HOUR THE CAR WOULD START AND OPERATE AS IF NOTHING WAS WRONG. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR ALMOST 5 YEARS AND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. I HAVE SPENT OVER $6000 IN REPAIRS WITH NO SUCCESS.

NHTSA ID

11389775

Incident

Nov 29, 2020

Mileage

10,700 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT 20 MPH THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING AND THE SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER AS I WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPOT IN A PARKING LOT AT WORK THE CAR SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME AND A MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SEEN THAT THE ENGINE WAS HYDRO-LOCKED WHICH HE WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK. AFTER CHECKING THE SPARK PLUGS, COILS, VALVE COVER, TIMING, OIL, COOLANT, ALTERNATOR, STARTER, BATTERY, FUSE BLOCK AND WIRING HARNESS, THE PLUGS NEEDED REPLACED, THERE WAS METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL AND SOME TYPE OF FLUID IN SOME OF THE SENSOR PLUGS ON THE MOTOR. AFTER REPLACING THE PLUGS AND OIL AND OIL FILTER AND CLEANING OTHER COMPONENTS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO THE STORE AND THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM AND SERVICE STABILITY TRAK I STOPPED AT AUTOZONE TO HAVE THEM SCAN THE ENGINE AND THE CODE CAME BACK WITH MALFUNCTION WITH SPARK PLUG #3 SO I BOUGHT A NEW PLUG AND ON THE WAY HOME ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER LEAVING AUTOZONE THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. MY MECHANIC CAME AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO RESTART AND GET IT BACK HOME WHICH WAS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS. AFTER DOING ANOTHER TUNEUP AND GETTING IT TO DRIVE AGAIN 2 BLOCKS FROM MY PLACE A ROD WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE FRONT BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE BLOCK WHICH THEN REQUIRED FOR A NEW ENGINE. I CALLED GM, BUICK, THE CAR LOT I GOT THE CAR FROM AND EVERYONE SAID THERE WAS NO LONGER A WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE SO THE ONLY CHOICE I WOULD HAVE WAS TO PAY $10,000 FOR A NEW ENGINE NOT INCLUDING LABOR PRICE. MY CAR INSURANCE DIDN'T COVER MECHANICAL FAILURES EITHER SO I WAS STUCK WITH A $30,000 CAR THAT WASN'T DRIVABLE. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN JAN. 2015 WITH 31,000 MILES ON IT AND THIS HAPPENED IN NOV 2015 WITH 40 SOME THOUSAND MILES ON IT. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS KEPT UP TO DATE ALSO.

NHTSA ID

11354395

Incident

Nov 15, 2016

Mileage

43,000 mi

MY 2012 BUICK LACROSSES NEWEST PROBLEM IS ONE THAT ACTUALLY SCARES ME. I CAN BE DRIVING ALONG AT 65 MILES AN HOUR AND IT WILL KINDA JERK A COUPLE OF TIMES, THEN USUALLY IT WILL FLASH 'SERVICE THE STABILITY TRACK' THEN I LOSE POWER STEERING AND IT DIES. I'M LUCKY IF I CAN MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA AND THE HIGHWAYS AROUND HERE ARE TWO LANE WITH MINIMUM SHOULDERS. SO WHEN THE CAR DOES THIS IT IS DANGEROUS. IT HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES NOW. IT WILL RESTART AFTER ABOUT 15-30 MINUTES AND DRIVE JUST FINE. I'VE TAKEN IT TO A MECHANIC AND NOTHING SHOWS UP ON THE COMPUTER, EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD. BUT ITS NOT, THIS IS BY FAR THE WORST OF THE PROBLEMS I'VE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR AND THERE HAVE BEEN QUITE A FEW.

NHTSA ID

11258473

Incident

Aug 19, 2019

Mileage

106,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, STATING THAT THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC OR DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,000.

NHTSA ID

11256605

Incident

Sep 9, 2019

Mileage

152,000 mi

AC SYSTEM WENT OUT, COMPRESSOR AND CLUTCH STOPPED WORKING.

NHTSA ID

11232221

Incident

May 25, 2019

Mileage

69,530 mi

IN 3500 MILES MY CAR CONSUMED 4 QTS OF OIL. IN RETURNED THAT CAUSED STALLING VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON A HIGHWAY AND ENGINE DAMAGE. GM KNOWS THAT IT'S A PROBLEM BUT WILL ONLY FIX THE PROBLEM IF YOU ARE UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ID

11229202

Incident

Jun 19, 2019

Mileage

129,000 mi

JUST OVER 70,000 MILES ON THE CAR. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND STALLING AT IDLE. ENGINE LIGHT CODE INDICATED A CAM SHAFT MISALIGNMENT. DEALER TORE ENGINE APART TO FIND THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED THAT A FEW OF THE VALVES WERE EITHER BENT OR HAD BROKEN OFF. REPAIR WOULD BE A COMPLETE ENGINE REBUILD/REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ID

11208682

Incident

May 13, 2019

Mileage

70,000 mi

DRIVING MY CAR WAS JUST GREAT ON MY 81ST DAY OF OWNERSHIP IT ALL CHANGED I WAS LEAVING A RED LIGHT IN VICKSBURG OFF THE INTERSTATE ONTO WARRENTON RD I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ALL POWER TO EVERYTHING IN THE VEHICLE AND IF ANYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THAT ROAD THE ARE HARDLY ANY ROOM TO PULL OVER SO BAD THAT IF I HAD A PASSENGER HEY WOULD HAVE TO CLIMB OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE TO GET OUT OR ELSE SLIDE RIGHT INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, TALK ABOUT BAD TIMING WITH THE EXCEPTION FOR THE RADIO THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY CLICK ONCE NO ABNORMAL SMELLS SMOKE OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO THINK OF ANY ENGINE DAMAGE. AFTER HOURS OF WAITING THE TOW TRUCK CAME CHECKED THE CAR TRIED TO BOOST IT AND COULDN'T GET A CHARGE AFTER GETTING IT HOME I TOOK THE BATTERY TO THE ADVANCE AUTO PARTS TO CHARGE IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS A DEAD CELL SO J BROUGHT ANOTHER BATTERY GOT IT HOME JUST FOR IT TO CLICK STILL NO CRANK, IT'S PUSH TO START SO IT WAS JUST ONE SINGLE CLICK AND THE ENGINE LIGHT IS THE ONLY LIGHT ON THE DASH THAT WOULD ILLUMINATE. SO I CALLED ONSTAR THEY TOLD ME IT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO A DEALER IMMEDIATELY DUE TO A CHARGING ISSUE AFTER TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT'S THE MOTOR LOCKED UP WHICH IS OBSERD DUE TO THE FACT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF IT DOING ANYTHING ABNORMAL BEFORE IT SHUT DOWN AND WITH IT BEING NEW I WAS TOLD IT WOULD SHUT DOWN BEFORE IT RAN HOT AND MESS UP THE ENGINE AND ALSO MAKES ME WONDER WHY IT WOULD EVEN BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE OF THE FACT OF THE ENGINE PROTECTION MECHANISM. NOW THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP JUST SITTING THERE AND I HAVE NO WAY TO WORK AND STILL HAVE TO PAY CAR NOTE AND INSURANCE ON A VEHICLE I DON'T EVEN HAVE ACCESS TO ANYMORE. THE DEALERSHIP IS DIXON AUTO AND BODY SALES AND I'M STUCK WAITING WITH NOTHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO AS FAR AS A RIDE.

NHTSA ID

11194995

Incident

Mar 29, 2019

Mileage

107,666 mi

HI THERE COMING HOME THE OTHER DAY ON HIGHWAY LOST EVERYTHING , LUCKILY I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE NO STEERING VERY HARD TO STOP ! HAD TO GET IT TOWED ! SERPENTINE BELT OFF ! REPLACE BELT THREE TIMES BELT KEEPS COMING OFF ! NEED HELP !

NHTSA ID

11186535

Incident

Mar 13, 2019

Mileage

18 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BUICK LACROSSE. UPON STOPPING THE VEHICLE, IT STALLED AND HESITATED TO RESTART. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED DON BROWN CHEVROLET (2244 S KINGS HIGHWAY BLVD, SAINT LOUIS, MO 63110, (314) 450-7161) WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11184524

Incident

Mar 2, 2019

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC ON CITY STREET DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC MY VEHICLE COMPLETED SHUT DOWN NO WARNING, ENGINE LIGHT POPPED ON, THE WHEEL BECAME STIFF THE BRAKES BECAME STIFF. I PUT IT IN PARK, TURNED THE IGNITION OFFEND STARTED IT UP AGAIN, IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND I CONTINUED DRIVING FOR ANOTHER 4 MILES ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. PULLED INTO PARKING SHUT IF OFF AND STARTED IT BACK UP BUT ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON, DROVE 4 MILES HOME, AS TURNING ONTO STREET SHUT OFF AGAIN WHEEL LOCKED, BRAKES STIFF, REPEAT FIRST STEPS, DROVE 50 FT, SHUT OFF, DROVE ANOTHER 50 FT SHUT OFF, BUT THEN DIDN'T START BACK UP RIGHT AWAY. WAIT A MINUTE STARTED UP BUT WAS HESITATING. NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN, 130K MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ID

11179946

Incident

Feb 13, 2019

Mileage

130,031 mi

EXCESS OIL CONSUMPTION BETWEEN OIL CHANGE, USED 3 QUARTS. STARTED APPROXIMATELY 57000 MILES. NO OIL LEAKS OR SMOKING DETECTED PER DEALERSHIP. PLATINUM WARRANTY WAS BOUGHT WITH NEW VEHICLE, 6 YRS. OR 85000 MILES, WITH FWS, INC. THE DEALERSHIP STATED CONSUMPTION DUE TO STUCK PISTON RINGS. WARRANTY CO. REFUSES TO COVER. WHAT CAN GM DO TO HELP.

NHTSA ID

11166734

Incident

Jun 14, 2018

Mileage

57,000 mi