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2008 Buick Lacrosse

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Buick Lacrosse do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 129.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

200 reports with mileage · 50 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 77 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports6 fire reports3 injury reports

What owners actually said

250 reports
160,000 miles · Oct 19, 2020
Exterior Lighting

THE HDM FAILED LEAVING ME WITH ONLY HIGH BEAMS, HAVE BEE TOLD THEY ARE NOT UNDER RECALL. SHAMROCK SERVICE CENTER, SPENT 1 AND 1/2 HRS DIAGNOSING AND FOUND NO RECALL. MANY OTHER MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I AM RETIRED AND CANNOT AFFORD THIS REPAIR. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME. WHEN I TURNED ON THE LIGHTS T…

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THE HDM FAILED LEAVING ME WITH ONLY HIGH BEAMS, HAVE BEE TOLD THEY ARE NOT UNDER RECALL. SHAMROCK SERVICE CENTER, SPENT 1 AND 1/2 HRS DIAGNOSING AND FOUND NO RECALL. MANY OTHER MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I AM RETIRED AND CANNOT AFFORD THIS REPAIR. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME. WHEN I TURNED ON THE LIGHTS TO GO HOME LAST WEEK, THERE WERE NO LIGHTS BUT HIGH BEAMS. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST BULBS, SO I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND I AM WAITING FOR THE PART TO COME IN. I KNOW THIS WILL BE EXPENSIVE AS I THINK ITS AROUND $100.00 PER HR. IT WAS IN A PARKING LOT WHERE I DISCOVERED IT. HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE HIGH BEAMS.

NHTSA ODI #11365170

40,000 miles · Oct 18, 2020
Vehicle Speed Control

ONCE IN A WHILE IT ACTS UP WHERE IT STATES THAT IT'S GOT LOW OIL PRESSURE EVEN THO IT'S GOT PLENTY OF OIL,ALSO IT HAS MISFIRED DURING WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT'S LIKE THIS: I'M DRIVING. EVERYTHING IS FINE UNTIL ALL OF THE SUDDEN I NOTICE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON ALSO THE T/C LIGHT COMES ON AND IT ALSO STATES THE LOW OIL PRESSURE AND THE A…

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ONCE IN A WHILE IT ACTS UP WHERE IT STATES THAT IT'S GOT LOW OIL PRESSURE EVEN THO IT'S GOT PLENTY OF OIL,ALSO IT HAS MISFIRED DURING WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT'S LIKE THIS: I'M DRIVING. EVERYTHING IS FINE UNTIL ALL OF THE SUDDEN I NOTICE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON ALSO THE T/C LIGHT COMES ON AND IT ALSO STATES THE LOW OIL PRESSURE AND THE ACCELERATION PEDAL IT ACTS UP. FOR EXAMPLE, I'M GIVING GAS AND IT ISN'T ACCELERATING AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD BE AND IT TOTALLY FLUCTUATES. I'VE ALSO HAD THE CAR MISFIRE AND SHUT OFF DURING ONE OF THESE EPISODES AS WELL. THESE EPISODES OF WHAT I HAD JUST DESCRIBED COMES AND GOES AND ACTUALLY IT STAYED GONE FOR A GOOD WHILE NOW UNTIL JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO. THE GUY WHO SOLD ME THIS CAR TOLD ME THAT THERE'SA RECALL ON WHATEVER ISSUE I'M HAVING WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL (I PLUGGED IN FIXD TOOL WHICH TELLS ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR AND GIVES ME TWO CODES THE CODES BEING: P: 2138 AND CODES P: 1125.

NHTSA ODI #11365031

124,000 miles · Oct 2, 2020
Exterior Lighting

I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR USED AND THE HEADLIGHTS DIDN'T WORK WHEN I GOT IT. THE HI BEAMS AND YELLOW MARKER LIGHTS DO WORK. JUST NOT THE LO BEAMS. I BOUGHT THE CAR ON 9/28/20, IT HAD 124,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT

NHTSA ODI #11362450

150,000 miles · Aug 19, 2020
Air Bags

RED AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. MANY OWNERS OF THESE CARS HAVE COMPLAINED. IT IS A POOR DESIGN AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, THERE IS NO AIR BAGS THAT WORK. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE WIRING AND IN THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM WHICH COSTS NEARLY 1K FOR A NEW SEAT BLADDER WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT FIX T…

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RED AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. MANY OWNERS OF THESE CARS HAVE COMPLAINED. IT IS A POOR DESIGN AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, THERE IS NO AIR BAGS THAT WORK. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE WIRING AND IN THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM WHICH COSTS NEARLY 1K FOR A NEW SEAT BLADDER WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. MANY OWNERS OF THESE MODELS ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEMS IN THESE VEHICLES. WHY HASN'T GM BEEN ORDERED TO REPAIR ALL OF THESE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE SYSTEMS? NEVER HAD AN AIR BAG PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE. LIGHT IS ON STEADY NOW AND ALL AIR BAGS ARE DISABLED DUE TO THIS ONE PROBLEM. NOT A GREAT DESIGN AND AS A SAFETY ISSUE, IT SHOULD BE A MANDATORY REPAIR BY GM. NONE OF MY OTHER BRANDS-FORD, NISSAN, OR HONDAS HAVE EVER HAD AN AIR BAG PROBLEM. THIS IS ANOTHER IGNITION KEY DESIGN TYPE LAWSUIT WAITING TO HAPPEN. WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ORDERED? OVER 70 COMPLAINTS RIGHT HERE FOR SAME ISSUES. WHEN IS SOMETHING GOING TO BE DONE BEFORE DEATHS OCCUR DUE TO NON DEPLOYMENT?

NHTSA ODI #11350184

78,000 miles · Apr 19, 2020
Air BagsStructureSuspensionCrash

I WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AT ROUGHLY 30 MILES AN HOUR AND THE FRONT AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI #11321576

61,000 miles · Jan 5, 2020
Air BagsEnginePower Train

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF AND I'VE HAD CLOSE CALLS. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND SIDE STREET WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI #11297251

Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2019
Air BagsElectrical SystemUnknown Or Other

THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON FREQUENTLY, BUT MAINLY DURING HOT SUMMER DAYS AND HAS CAME ON SEVERAL TIMES SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE MARCH OF 2019. THE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN WE ARE STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING. WHEN DOING RESEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER CONSUMERS VEHICLES. I HAD READ IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL IS…

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THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON FREQUENTLY, BUT MAINLY DURING HOT SUMMER DAYS AND HAS CAME ON SEVERAL TIMES SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE MARCH OF 2019. THE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN WE ARE STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING. WHEN DOING RESEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER CONSUMERS VEHICLES. I HAD READ IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND IN MY OPINION THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. ANOTHER ISSUE WE HAVE THAT I ALSO SEEN WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH LACROSSE OWNERS, IS THE POWER LOCKS. NONE OF MY LOCK WORK PROPERLY, ALL OF THEM HAVE TO BE MANUALLY LOCKED AND UNLOCKED. TODAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019, WE NOTICED THAT WHEN I TRIED GETTING OUT OF THE CAR THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. DOOR WAS UNLOCKED AND HAD BEEN UNLOCKED. MY BOYFRIEND TRIED OPENING THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE AND IT WOULD NOT OPEN. I TRIED TO LOCK IT AND UNLOCK IT AGAIN, I TRIED PUSHING THE DOOR REALLY HARD TO SEE IF IT WOULD POP OPEN AND NO LUCK. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A LOT MORE RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE AS I'VE HAD THIS ISSUES AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS.

NHTSA ODI #11288250

100,600 miles · Nov 19, 2019
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR LAST WEEK AND I NOTICED WHEN I HIT THE LOCK ON THE FOB, MY ALARM WOULD SOUND, BUT MY DOOR LOOKS WOULDN'T CLOSE. SO I TRIED IT IN MY CAR AS WELL WITH THE LOCKS ON THE DOOR AND NOTHING. THE UNLOCK WORKS PERFECT BY THE WAY (FOB & DOOR LOCKS). I MANUALLY LOCK MY DOORS AT NIGHT AND IN THE MORNING, THE LOCK…

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I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR LAST WEEK AND I NOTICED WHEN I HIT THE LOCK ON THE FOB, MY ALARM WOULD SOUND, BUT MY DOOR LOOKS WOULDN'T CLOSE. SO I TRIED IT IN MY CAR AS WELL WITH THE LOCKS ON THE DOOR AND NOTHING. THE UNLOCK WORKS PERFECT BY THE WAY (FOB & DOOR LOCKS). I MANUALLY LOCK MY DOORS AT NIGHT AND IN THE MORNING, THE LOCKS WILL WORK A FEW TIMES, AND THEN STOP AGAIN. ALSO THE DOORS DO NOT LOCK WHEN YOU TAKE THE CARE OUT OF PARK.

NHTSA ODI #11281227

82,000 miles · Oct 23, 2019
Air BagsElectrical SystemUnknown Or Other

FIRST ISSUE CAR WILL SHUT OFF DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY DOING 60 70 MILES AN HOUR IT WILL JUST SHUT OFF AND I HAVE TO COAST TO THE SIDE AND WAIT AND WAIT TILL IT STARTS AGAIN VERY DANGEROUS. NEXT ISSUE IS THE AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF I'M ASSUMING DO I DO TO A PRESSURE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHICH I HAVE A DAUGHTER TH…

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FIRST ISSUE CAR WILL SHUT OFF DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY DOING 60 70 MILES AN HOUR IT WILL JUST SHUT OFF AND I HAVE TO COAST TO THE SIDE AND WAIT AND WAIT TILL IT STARTS AGAIN VERY DANGEROUS. NEXT ISSUE IS THE AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF I'M ASSUMING DO I DO TO A PRESSURE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHICH I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE AIRBAG IS WORKING OR NOT. NEXT PROBLEM ARE THE DOOR LOCKS THEY LOCK THEY DON'T LOCK THE LEFT REAR DOES NOT WORK I HAVE TO MANUALLY PULL IT UP AND PUSH IT DOWN IF I WANT IT LOCKED THE KEY FOB WARNING IS ALWAYS ON MY DASH SAYING KEY FOB BATTERY IS LOW I REPLACED IT I REPLACE THE KEY FOB ITSELF IT JUST WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO. NEXT PROBLEM THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON GOES OFF COMES ON GOES OFF AND THEREFORE I CANNOT USE MY REMOTE START IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON IT HAS BEEN CHECKED THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR NOTHING SHOWS UP IF YOU CHECK THE GAUGES I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR MY REMOTE START CANNOT USE IT AND I'M IN MINNESOTA. I NEED MY CAR FIXED IT'S RELIABLE IT'S A GOOD CAR IT'S WHAT I DRIVE IT'S MY CAR I HAVE A DAUGHTER'S LIFE AT STAKE IN MY CAR I EXPECT IT TO BE TRUSTED IN THE CAR THAT I BOUGHT AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THE SITE REGARDING THE SAME ISSUES THAT MY CAR IS HAVING I AM HOPING LITERALLY HOPING THAT YOUR COMPANY IS WILLING TO FIX THESE ISSUES IN MY CAR AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING IN LINE CUZ THIS IS RIDICULOUS

NHTSA ODI #11270382

40,000 miles · Sep 5, 2019
Service BrakesCrash

SOMETIMES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE CAR DOES NOT COME TO A SMOOTH STOP, BUT RATHER JERKS AHEAD AND TAKES A VERY LONG DISTANCE TO STOP. THIS OCCURS OFTEN ON SNOW COVERED ROADS BUT ALSO OCCURS ON DRY ROADS. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A SMALL ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT STOP IN TIME. THE MESSAGE TO CHECK THE ABS OFTEN SHOWS. I HAV…

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SOMETIMES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE CAR DOES NOT COME TO A SMOOTH STOP, BUT RATHER JERKS AHEAD AND TAKES A VERY LONG DISTANCE TO STOP. THIS OCCURS OFTEN ON SNOW COVERED ROADS BUT ALSO OCCURS ON DRY ROADS. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A SMALL ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT STOP IN TIME. THE MESSAGE TO CHECK THE ABS OFTEN SHOWS. I HAVE JUST HAD A NEW BRAKE JOB WITH NEW ROUTERS BUT STILL GET THE MESSAGE TO CHECK AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND IT SEEMS THAT NOTHING WILL FIX IT. EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS A 2008, IT ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 80,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED BOTH ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. (SINCE THE PROBLEM IS ON-GOING, SOME OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS DO NOT APPLY. HOWEVER SINCE THE FIELDS ARE REQUIRED, I WILL HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING DOWN.)

NHTSA ODI #11253489

Official recalls

2

15V519000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Aug 14, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlamp driver module (HDM) may overheat and fail, causing the headlamps and daytime running lights to not illuminate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Headlamps that do not illuminate reduce the driver's ability to see the roadway and reduce the vehicle's visibility to oncoming vehicles, both of which increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HDM, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14291.

14V355000 · Electrical System:ignition

Jun 23, 2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

RQ17002 · Loss Of Headlights

Opened Apr 24, 2017 · Closed Mar 29, 2021

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:headlights

The subject vehicles are model year (MY) 2002-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2004-2007 Buick Rainier, 2003-2008 Isuzu Ascender, 2005-2009 Saab 9-7X, 2002-2004 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR, 2005-2009 Buick Lacrosse, and 2006-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. This scope includes the Trailblazer/Envoy variants: 2002-2006 Envoy XL/Trailblazer EXT and 2004-2005 Envoy XUV. The original scope of this investigation was expanded to include all vehicles equipped with the subject Headlight Driver Module (HDM). The focus of the investigation was to determine whether actions performed by General Motors adequately addressed any unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety in the subject vehicles concerning the headlights and the HDM that controls them.Under normal electrical load and environmental conditions, the HDM can overheat inside the Underhood Electrical Center (UEC). This can cause the module to fail and result in a simultaneous loss of both low beam headlights and both daytime running lights (DRLs), often with no warning or prior detectability to the driver. This failure can be intermittent or permanent. No other exterior lights are affected. High beams, turn signals, brake lights, and reverse lights are still operational.General Motors addressed this issue with 2 recalls (14V755 & 15V519) and a special coverage program (N172091910). In view of the recalls and special coverage program implemented by GM and the vehicle high beams continuing to operate, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by GM mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by HDM failure in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.