Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Buick Lacrosse - part 1

Today is 8. 26. 2025, I took this car back and left it w/dealership: let them figure it out! I told them 0ne month after purchase this car is constantly empty with no/oil. I should not be getting oil changes this often. "OH, it just burns more oil and you bought a used car". . . Months later I hear smalls sounds, engine light comes on, then goes away, smoke begans to continue spreading behind the bumper building a permanent black spot on bumper! it smells, from time to time, plus car feels sluggish when driving past 50mph almost scared it will cut off** now, I gather my funds that I don't have to spend (cash) no creditcard and I proceed to belle tire! I am on file within their system. (receipts) they do what they do. . . Apparently no leaks. But the car is burning too much oil!! too fast! "keep an eye on your levels". . . Hmmm* I also got a maintenance tune-up on my next visit. So far roughly $2000 has been spent towards this vehicle (Buick). (new battery also) plus aaa cost *I have a membership* now time continues to move forward this car knocking,clouds of smoke, in the car, outside the car, around the car, thru the vents, pulling, stahling, knocking, clunck,clunck,; embarassing!!! my son and I, OH no. . . The meat inside a barbecue grill* drop off/ASAP (pulled over called aaa). (7/24/2024 - 8/25/2025)owned this car 1yr!! I need a new car they wont give me one. . . I made every monthly payment on time all by western union (receipts). I go into the same store each month 19th -22nd and pay. They don't want to trade-in either*.

See all problems of the 2013 Buick Lacrosse 🔎.

Well the belt tensioner and the hybrid motor drive motor performance and hybrid power train control module requested mil illumination yes not just any mechanic can work on the car because of the hybrid system is to much voltage and the check engine light came on the car.

When accelerating to get on to highway pushing on pedal but nothing happens, have to get pushing up and down until it goes. Has done this four time's and dealer says Buick has no fix for it. Have almost got rear ended twice.

See all problems of the 2019 Buick Lacrosse 🔎.

Diagnostic trouble code p0442. Evaporative emission system leak detected indicated by check engine light on.

See all problems of the 2016 Buick Lacrosse 🔎.

The 3. 6 liter engine in my 2018 Buick Lacrosse avenir only has 53,939 when we experienced a thermostat failure. The engine temperature was dead cold, and the dual electric fans were running non-stop. When I scanned the trouble code, I found po128 which points to a faulty thermostat. Because the thermostat is buried under the intake manifold, we had the local Buick dealership replace it at a cost of over $800. 00. I don't feel that a car with so few miles should be experiencing a thermostat failure. But this seems to be a common problem with the gm 3. 6 liter motor according to a number of Buick forums that I read after the problem occurred.

See all problems of the 2018 Buick Lacrosse 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the failure was diagnosed as a glitch, and the power steering control module (pscm) software update was performed; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact that the electric power steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The bolt that secures the serpentine belt tensioner unit to the motor block has repeatedly snapped apart leaving the tensioner unit to dangle from the block. Not secured, which causes the belt to dislodge or break (both have happened) the spring is left to flail about as is the tensioner unit since it is no longer connected to the engine block. Not to say where the other half of the bolt could end up. So far each time it snaps in half the other half remains in the block. But the unit is no longer secured to the block. While driving when this occurs makes controling the vehichle unsafe. It loses power and or surges at will. A hope to make it to the side of the road without crashing or causing a crash is an issue. I cannot afford a repair establishment, a family member does my repairs. . . . There has been no other inspection of the issue. As for warning lights. No. Everything is fine until the unit is jiggled away from the block after the bolt snaps in half. The force of the tensioner unit action (im assuming) is too much for the bolt - causing it to snap in two. It has occurred 2 times the second was the beginning of Feb 2025 and the first about 9 to 10 months earlier in 2024. The belt has also broken off before but the unit remained attatched to the block that time. I did see on youtube that others have had the bolt snap. Like it is not strong enough for the job it has to perform. Hope u can help.

The said vehicle was being serviced at loganville auto center. When I went to pick it up on February 9, 2024, the mechanic came out and showed me that two of the tubes were leaking and this would become a serious problem. He gave a recall sheet issued on December 13, 2023 that there was a recall involving our car for this very same issue. I called gm the next day and they stated that our car didn't come out of the barn they were recalling. I explained to them it was already happening to our car and the person stated that our VIN number may be added later. I called on April 8th and they stated it had not been added to the recall list. This car onbly has 61,230 miles on it. This is a serious issue and it should be covered under this recall because they know that is more widespread than what VIN numbers they have included.

See all problems of the 2010 Buick Lacrosse 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2017 Buick Lacrosse 🔎.

Thermostat failure at 56,000 miles.

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.

See all problems of the 2012 Buick Lacrosse 🔎.

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.

Stalls when going up hill or if I stop at stop light and then try to proceed it jerk and go fast and also the display goes out and restart.

The contact owns a 2018 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated the hand controls were not working properly. While driving, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The engine power reduced message was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. After several attempts, the codes were reset, and the vehicle worked as designed. The contact linked the failure to the special coverage campaign: n182188250. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who disconnected the hand controls and informed the contact that the controls were operating as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the accelerator pedal position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving at 55 mph, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to 15 mph. The message “engine power reduced” was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the accelerator pedal position sensor needed to be replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted, and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,600.

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.

The "auto stop" on my car, when I was at stoplights or stop signs, would not automatically restart. The engine failed to start again when stopped in "idle". .

The contact’s wife owns a 2013 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that on several occasions while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle lunged forward and the engine stalled however, the contact stated that when the brake pedal was released, the vehicle went into limp mode then lunged forward and the engine engaged at low speeds. Additionally, the contact stated that he heard a grinding sound at an undisclosed location of the vehicle. An unknown light illuminated indicating that the oil needed to be checked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer where it was diagnosed that the main belt and valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the valve cover needed to be tightened but the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,907.

The contact owns a 2013 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that after reversing out of the garage and parking in the driveway, turning the vehicle off and removing the ignition key however, approximately 30 minutes later the vehicle started independently. The ignition key had to be used to turn the engine off. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The contact indicated that the failure posed a severe carbon monoxide hazard. The failure mileage was 63,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that the engine fan failed to shut off after turning off the vehicle. The failure occurred while the vehicle was idling in a drive-thru with the temperature gauge reading that the engine was in the cold position. The driver then drove at speeds between 60 - 70 mph; after arriving at the residence, the engine fan failed to turn off. The contact disconnected the battery, and all the system functions were reset, and the fan shut off. The failure had become more persistent over time. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer due to the fault codes being erased after disconnecting the battery. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed there was no recall for the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.

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.

Car been smelling like gas for awhile engine light pop on and off. My car will not start I have replace the fuel pump car still won’t get gas . Replaced battery numerous of times battery keep won’t stay charge . I have a recall on my car I believe the suspension is under recall as well. I also had to replace my windshield wiper motor a few times slapped against my windshield and cracked windshield.

See all problems of the 2011 Buick Lacrosse 🔎.

The contact owns a 2011 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that the engine misfired while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that there was a defective valve in the engine which caused the misfire. The contact was informed that the failure was related to a manufacturer defect. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

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.

The contact owns a 2013 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the brake pedal was depressed, and she heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive to her destination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the generator control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

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.

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.

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.

While driving on highway the engine stopped suddenly and steering wheel was locked. The car had to be towed to repair shop.

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 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 manufacture was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.

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.

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.

Constantly been having engine problems. Engine light coming on and off. I was driving it down a highway, coming to a stop due to a red light when the whole front of my car begin to sputter and gave out. It read "stabiltrak" but when taken to the shop it only read a code for the carbon filter. Which, was changed and did fixed the problem for the time being. However, its doing the same thing again. . Which is very dissapointing because its a very well kept up with car, never goes without its necessities. . And at this point I'm thinking it could be my braking system due to this problem weakening my brakes but I don't see why because those were changed about 6 months ago. Maybe, even an electrical problem with my traction control.

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.

My 2013 Buick Lacrosse has a malfunctioning transmission control module which it already recalled by gm but my car does not fall under the recall because of my VIN the malfunctioning transmission control module cause my car to go into limp mode in the middle of the street in traffic.