2011 Buick LaCrosse Problems, Recalls & Reliability
244 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Buick LaCrosse, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 66/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 61,528 miles.
Below average
Where 2011 sits among all LaCrosse years
What owners report
“Takata recall my buick lacrosse one time going down the road out of the blue it done engine power reduction,and then it just died on me.after that i did get it to start but it ran ruff and after a few weeks it would not start at all.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 LaCrosse
“The contact purchased a 2011 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 143,939 and at the time of registration, it was…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 LaCrosse
“The contact owns a 2011 Buick LaCrosse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V764000 (SUSPENSION) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 LaCrosse
“Loss of engine power while driving on highway at 75 mph, dropped suddenly to 30 mph. Had to pull onto shoulder from passing lane, almost rear ended by tractor trailer due to sudden power loss, could not accelerate. Stabilitrak light turned on stating engine power reduced. Turned car off and…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 LaCrosse
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 173 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 15,449 and 96,400 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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,…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 BUICK LACROSSE AND CADILLAC SRX VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 103, "WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING SYSTEMS". ON THESE VEHICLES, THE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ECC MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 11, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT…
Technical service bulletins
1,640 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2011 Buick LaCrosse. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 LaCrosse TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2011 Buick LaCrosse reliable?
The 2011 Buick LaCrosse drew 244 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 66/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2011 Buick LaCrosse problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Buick LaCrosse are engine (35 complaints), electrical (33), and suspension (27).
At what mileage do 2011 Buick LaCrosse problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Buick LaCrosse problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 15,449 and 96,400 miles.
Does the 2011 Buick LaCrosse have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 Buick LaCrosse. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.