2017 Buick Lacrosse Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2017 Buick Lacrosse, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical1126.8%
- Powertrain (other)819.5%
- Engine512.2%
- Driver assistance49.8%
- Suspension49.8%
- Airbags24.9%
- Steering12.4%
- Visibility12.4%
- Body & structure12.4%
- Brakes12.4%
- Fuel system12.4%
- Interior & seats12.4%
- Seat belts12.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The amplifier stopped working and all the sound comes through the amp including but not limited to seatbelt, door ajar, rear seat reminder, blinkers, back up sounds, and any and all sounds that the car my make for any safety features, onstar features, radio, Bluetooth, the list goes on.
Intermittent failure to start All electrical components failed to operate after total shutdown while at a stopped traffic light. After being towed to dealer it did start on its own.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that after his wife had parked and turning off the vehicle, moments later the vehicle was restarted and the check engine and TCM warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, the transmission shifter failed to shift out of park. The vehicle towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Car has 4 trips on rollback and one driving in for transmission problems 3 trips was when coming to a stop the car will will slide to stop almost making us hit dash of car each time there would be a warning about a minute before service transmission . One of the Trip for transmission service light I did drive it in. The car went in yesterday for transmission service again. My thinking of this is what would happen if I were driving 70 MPH and the car locked up what would happen to me and the people around me.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that after his wife had parked and turning off the vehicle, moments later the vehicle was restarted and the check engine and TCM warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, the transmission shifter failed to shift out of park. The vehicle towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power on several occasions. The vehicle restarted after a while. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with a faulty power inverter module. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 12,500.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Vehicle loses power every gmc vehicle I have owned (3) seen to have this issue throttle pedal position sensor while driving on the interstate vehicle speed drops to reduce engine power which is very scary and dangerous
I HAVE HAD MY CAR IN SHOP AT LEAST 10 TIMES FOR THE SAME REASON AND IT NEVER ENDS. THEY KEEP CHANGING OR DOING SOMETHING TO THE GEAR SHIFTER. IT KEEPS SAYING SERVICE TRANSMISSION NOW IT SAYING ALL KINDS OF WARNINGS ABOUT STEERING EXCEEDING SPEED TRACK SOMETHING PLUS SERVICE TRANSMISSION WON'T SHIFT SOON ETC IT'S RIDICULOUS TO PAY THIS MUCH FOR A CAR AND HAVE IT IN THE SHOP THIS MANY TIMES IN 2 YEARS IT'S IN THERE AGAIN NOW AND PROBLEM STILL ISN'T FIXED
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
This vehicle has major suspension issues containing the complete strut assembly, lower control arms, and strut yokes/forks, which can not be replaced due to the discontinuance of the vehicle and parts itself. Because of this the car cannot receive an alignment which cause the tires to be eaten up at a rapid rate. When going over a bump in the highway the steering column goes one way while the car goes another. The car slides all over the road. Extreme safety concerns for my family and I.
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front driver's side wheel well. The contact stated that increased effort was needed to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the front driver's side strut. The vehicle was not repaired because parts were not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The air bag warning light in the dash came on intermittently during driving. I took the vehicle to the dealer for service December 27, 2023, since it was a safety issue that the authorized dealer needs to take care of. At first, they said it was a bad battery and the safety system needed reprogramming. Which they did for about $800. When driving home from the dealer the air bag light came back on so a few days later I returned the car to the dealer. Then they said it was the passenger seat safety module that needed to be replaced. That was back in January of 2024, over 6 months ago. At that point I learned that the car is not drivable since the air bag could deploy at any time or would not function if requested in an accident. General Motors says they do not have the part that is critical to the operation of the air bag system to replace. That was over 6 months ago, with no prediction when they will have the part. This is a critical part of the safety system that they can't replace which leads me to believe there is more to this than they are telling me!! Federal law requires them to have parts for vehicles less than 7 years old - they don't!! How many other vehicles have this part? Is the part defective since it failed without any other causes that could be identified? Why can't they replace this critical safety part after 7 months of waiting with no end in sight!!!
the airbag lite has been coming on for the last year saying it needs to be serviced. I have had it to the buick dealer for 4 times this last year and they still can not of will not fix it.The airbag lite comes on when we turn the steering wheel to the left.The last time I had it in was March of this year.When we left with the car the first left hand turn I made it came on.I am tired of fooling with it.after they work on it I told them to take it for a trail drive thye did not.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2017 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Steering Advance System Declined message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V116000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
CAR HAS 500 MILES ON IT. DRIVER SEAT BELT WILL NOT RELEASE. HAVE TO PUSH PULL NUMEROUS TIMES FOR ABOUT 2-4 MINUTES TO GET BELT TO RELEASE TO ATTACH. THEN WITH CERTAIN MOVEMENT BELT WILL LOCK YOU IN POSITION, NO ROOM TO MOVE UPPER TORSO. TOLD BY DEALER AND BUICK THAT THE PART IS NOT RELEASABLE, ONLY A PRODUCTION PART. IT HAS BEEN SITTING AT DEALERSHIP FOR OVER 3 WEEKS, STILL WAITING ON BELT ASSEMBLY. DEALER CLAIMS THAT THEY CAN ONLY WAIT ON GM, YET DEALER IS SENDING ME INFO ON THEIR GRET CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SALES. SALESMAN CONTACTED ME AND WANTED TO KNOW HOW AM I ENJOYING NEW VEHICLE--TOLD HIM TO LOOK OUT HIS WINDOW WHERE IT HAS BEEN SITTING FOR LAST 3 WEEKS. ALSO DRIVER SIDE WIPER ARM WAS HITTING A PILLAR WHEN IN OPERATION, VEHICLE WAS IN SHOP TO GET THIS AND DEFECTIVE PAINT ON BUMPER FOR 1 WEEK. WITH SEAT BELT ISSUE THIS IS GETTING CLOSE TO 1 MONTH.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
CAR DOORS UNLATCHED (BECOMING IN OPEN POSITION [UNLOCKED AND UNLATCHED] BEFORE IT BEING COMPLETELY OPEN). IT HAPPENED TWICE, ONES WHEN I WAS DRIVING AND THE WARNING BUZZER TURNED ON AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GIVE ME A MESSAGE TELLING ME THE DRIVING DOOR IS OPEN, THIS IS HAPPENED SUDDENLY AFTER DRIVING FOR 10 MINUTES IN VERY GOOD LOCAL STREETS CONDITION. I STOPPED TO CHECK THE DOOR AND I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND ITS BEEN UNLATCHED TO THE PRE OPEN POSITION. SECOND TIME HAPPENED WHEN WAS THE CAR PARKED AND LOOKED, AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE CAR HORN STARTS BEEPING AND THE LIGHTS FLASHING, L GOT A MESSAGE FROM ONSTAR ON MY PHONE TELLING ME MY CAR DOORS ARE IN OPEN POSITION. I WENT OUT TO CHECK THE CAR AND I FOUND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR IS IN OPEN POSITION (PRE OPEN POSITION, UNLOCKED AND UNLATCHED POSITION, IF YOU PULL THE DOOR IT WILL OPEN COMPLETELY). THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that the rear brakes were worn three times faster than the front brakes. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was concerned about the safety of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was taken to another dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to trade the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2017 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while at a stoplight the fuel-saving feature activated and the engine shut-off. After removing his foot from the brake pedal the STOP/START feature failed to activate. The contact used the Push to Start button and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
2003 BUICK LESABRE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HOLES, CORROSION AND A SPLIT BENCH DRIVERS SEAT. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED DUE TO THE LESABRE NOT PASSING INSPECTION IT WAS TRADED IN. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A 2017 BUICK LACROSSE. THE LACROSSE'S BUCKET SEATS EXACERBATED THE CONSUMER'S PRE-EXISTING BACK PAIN. UPDATED 09/26/2017*JS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
CAR HAS 500 MILES ON IT. DRIVER SEAT BELT WILL NOT RELEASE. HAVE TO PUSH PULL NUMEROUS TIMES FOR ABOUT 2-4 MINUTES TO GET BELT TO RELEASE TO ATTACH. THEN WITH CERTAIN MOVEMENT BELT WILL LOCK YOU IN POSITION, NO ROOM TO MOVE UPPER TORSO. TOLD BY DEALER AND BUICK THAT THE PART IS NOT RELEASABLE, ONLY A PRODUCTION PART. IT HAS BEEN SITTING AT DEALERSHIP FOR OVER 3 WEEKS, STILL WAITING ON BELT ASSEMBLY. DEALER CLAIMS THAT THEY CAN ONLY WAIT ON GM, YET DEALER IS SENDING ME INFO ON THEIR GRET CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SALES. SALESMAN CONTACTED ME AND WANTED TO KNOW HOW AM I ENJOYING NEW VEHICLE--TOLD HIM TO LOOK OUT HIS WINDOW WHERE IT HAS BEEN SITTING FOR LAST 3 WEEKS. ALSO DRIVER SIDE WIPER ARM WAS HITTING A PILLAR WHEN IN OPERATION, VEHICLE WAS IN SHOP TO GET THIS AND DEFECTIVE PAINT ON BUMPER FOR 1 WEEK. WITH SEAT BELT ISSUE THIS IS GETTING CLOSE TO 1 MONTH.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .