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2012 Buick Lacrosse engine problems

51 complaints (25% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 53,000.

owner complaints
51
of this car's complaints
25%
typical mileage
53,000
crashes
0
recalls
0

Which part fails

Owners did not name a specific part.

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Buick Lacrosse engine problems in other years

2005201020152019

Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Buick Lacrosse engine

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Stalling 41Check engine light 29Loss of power 21Won't start 9

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2012 Buick Lacrosse owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jul 10, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · OH

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 the federal safety agency 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)

Filed Jun 5, 2026 · Engine · 71,000 miles · NJ

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.

Filed Dec 19, 2025 · Engine, Suspension · VA

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

Filed Nov 16, 2023 · Engine · 170,000 miles · VA

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.

Filed Nov 25, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · OH

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.

Filed Jun 1, 2022 · Driver assistance, Engine · 56,000 miles · MD

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.

Filed May 31, 2022 · Driver assistance, Engine · 56,000 miles · MD

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.

Filed Nov 15, 2021 · Engine, Transmission · FL

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.

Filed Sep 10, 2021 · Engine · 40,000 miles · IL

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.

Filed Aug 24, 2021 · Engine · 44,000 miles · IN

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.

Questions about the 2012 Buick Lacrosse engine

Does the 2012 Buick Lacrosse have engine problems?

Owners have filed 51 complaints about the engine of the 2012 Buick Lacrosse, 25% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2012 Buick Lacrosse engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 53,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Buick Lacrosse engine?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Buick Lacrosse have bad engine?

The Buick Lacrosse model years with the most engine complaints are 2010 (51 complaints), 2012 (51 complaints) and 2011 (35 complaints).

Other 2012 Buick Lacrosse problems

Electrical 62Suspension 31Driver assistance 25Steering 24Transmission 24Brakes 16Acceleration 12Fuel system 8Body 7Seats 6Wheels 5Airbags 4Seat belts 4Lights 3Locks 2Tires 1Visibility 1

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