2010 Buick Lacrosse: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 189 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (16% of complaints); the 2009 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Dec 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 189 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Two warming lights come on when I turn the steering wheel - the ABS and the stability control light. When I turn the steering wheel both of these lights turn on. I viewed a video about this problem and the suggestion was made that the problem could be a safety issue and that it might be corrected by setting the car on a level spot and then turning the key to the on position (but not starting it) and then turn the steering wheel as far as it would go to the right and then to the left as far as it will go. Then turn the key to turn the car on. The problem I had trying that was that the steering wheel seemed to be locked in its neutral position so I was unable to perform that fix.”Owner report · Steering · May 2026
“The transmission (randomly) fails to upshift. 1st to 2nd gear. Cold or hot. Start or in morion. Transmission was last serviced at 120,000 miles.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2025
“The contact owns a 2010 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH with the A/C activated, there was a loud shattering sound coming from the roof of the vehicle. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected, and the contact became aware that the sunroof had exploded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.”Owner report · Visibility · Mar 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2010 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00F000 (SUSPENSION). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000.”Owner report · Suspension · Oct 2024
“I purchased a vehicle August 2, 2024 from Kingdom auto sales. The car was inspected July 2024 in which it passed shortly after the car wouldn't go over 40 mph. It would say it's an over speed. The car runs hot and the parking assist light won't go off May 25, 2025 I was driving on the highway in the car lost power and the speed was reduced after getting off the highway lost control of the steering wheel due to the stability and hit a guard rail. no reports was made. I contacted the dealership in which I haven't been contacted and problem not resolved.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Aug 2024
“The car continues to have serious engine issues. I keep getting a service Stability track and Engine Power Reduced warning. It has happened to me on the expressway and the car will not accelerate past 20 miles per hour. I had the car repaired on October of last year (3 months ago) and the issue persists. I decided to research online and this seems to be a major issue going on with Buicks. It sounds like GM has done nothing to remedy the malfunction. Many people state that even the dealers can seem to fix the issues and have no clue as to why this happens. This is a serious and life threatening mechanical failure that needs to be addressed.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Oct 2023
“I get Reduced Engine Power and Service Stabilitrak messages. Engine Code P2138 is prevalent. The car will not accelerate, nor maintain highway speeds, forcing the driver to pull off the road and shut off the car. The warning message returns under normal driving conditions. This code points to several components [Accelerator Pedal Position (APP) Sensor, Throttle Body Assembly with Sensor, Manifold Absolute Position (MAP) Sensor, etc...] All of which I have replaced. It is rumored that General Motors knows that it is a problem and the true fix is to replace the wire(s) and seal or replace the connector. Refer to GM Technical Service Document 070604019F”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2023
“While driving on highway the engine stopped suddenly and steering wheel was locked. The car had to be towed to repair shop.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2021
“While driving, the engine shuts down and restarts. At the same time, all four door locks unlock and lock. In most cases, the issue happens once and does not reappear for that trip. The worst can have it do this at least three times. Once, I did notice an alert message appears on my console that disappeared as soon as it happened. This instances appear not to be as bad, since I had the battery replaced (Shortly after this issue appeared, the battery went from being a "good" battery, to a dead one. Nevertheless, these issues do happen on a periodic basis.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2021
“The contact owns a 2010 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 6 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse, 2012-2013 Buick Regal, and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received an improper amount of electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 27, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212346640. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recalls 20V-764 and 21V-633.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Buick Regal, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received excessive electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately to fracture.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners were mailed an interim notification on January 27, 2021, and April 15, 2021. A third notification was mailed on August 19, 201. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202308930.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2010 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Lacrosse by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Buick Lacrosse reliable?
NHTSA has 189 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2010 Buick Lacrosse. The most complained-about area is engine (16% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2010 Buick Lacrosse problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 60,000 miles or less.
Does the 2010 Buick Lacrosse have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning suspension:rear. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.