U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Buick LACROSSE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

250 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

53,505 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 200 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 76 of 250 complaints (30.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Electrical and battery issues	25	10.0%
Steering behavior	20	8.0%
Braking behavior	19	7.6%
Engine operation	11	4.4%
Fuel system concerns	5	2.0%
Transmission and shifting	1	0.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Air Bags

Exterior Lighting

Engine

Latches/Locks/Linkages

Unknown Or Other

Steering

Service Brakes

Electrical System: 76; Air Bags: 75; Exterior Lighting: 58; Engine: 17; Latches/Locks/Linkages: 14; Unknown Or Other: 14; Steering: 13; Service Brakes: 10

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 31; 25,000 to 49,999: 57; 50,000 to 74,999: 56; 75,000 to 99,999: 36; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 4

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (57). 50 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2008: 6; 2009: 2; 2010: 11; 2011: 7; 2012: 5; 2013: 15; 2014: 60; 2015: 69; 2016: 26; 2017: 18; 2018: 7; 2019: 8; 2020: 7; 2021: 5; 2022: 1; 2023: 1; 2024: 2

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 25 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 20 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 19 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10356385 · 2010-09-20 (September 20, 2010)

INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND RADIO DISPLAY LIGHTS GO DIM, VERY HARD TO READ. DOES NOT CORRECT IF CAR IS TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON. DOES NOT CORRECT IF BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED THEN RE-CONNECTED. DOES NOT HAPPEN AT ANY CERTAIN TIME, JUST HAPPENS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10356385 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10477143 · 2012-09-26 (September 26, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD FRICTION SOUND AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE FRONT BRAKE HUB SPEED SENSOR, THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WIRING CONNECTOR TERMINAL WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED A BLINDING SPOT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,500. UP…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10477143 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10327744 · 2010-04-27 (April 27, 2010)

REPLACED POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION 2 TIMES,REPLACED FRAME BUSHING,REPLACED STABILIZER SHAFT LINK,REPLACED WORN FRONT SWAY BAR END LINKS,REPLACED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT,REPLACED LEFT FRONT STRUT,RETORQUED SUSPENSION BOLTS AND LUBRICATED BUSHINGS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 5,859 miles reported. Look up ODI 10327744 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10395243 · 2011-04-08 (April 8, 2011)

THE POWER STEERING IS MAKING A WHINING NOISE. THIS IS A FAIRLY NEW CAR AND IT'S NOT NORMAL TO HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME. BROUGHT IT TO A DEALERSHIP WHO COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG OTHER THAN THE SOUND. IT IS OBVIOUSLY GOING BUT ISN'T AT THAT POINT YET, PROBLEM BEING MY WARRANTY WILL EXPIRE BY THE TIME IT DOES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 38,603 miles reported. Look up ODI 10395243 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10218147 · 2008-02-15 (February 15, 2008)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LACROSSE. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 10 MPH TO STOP THE VEHICLE, IT DID NOT RESPOND AND DRIFTED INTO AN INTERSECTION, CAUSING A SEVERE CRASH. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT, WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, THE VEHICLE WOULD BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 2,700. UPDATED 03-11-08 *…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10218147 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10248037 · 2008-11-08 (November 8, 2008)

ON 3 OCCASIONS WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD HERE IN SACRAMENTO CA , EARLY MORNING HOURS , I DEPRESSED MY BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP FOR A STOP SIGN AND THE CAR DID NOT STOP JUST KEPT GOING , IT HAS DONE THIS 3 TIMES WHILE THE WEATHER WAS REALLY DAMP AND COLD , I TOOK IT TO A DEALER HERE IN SACRAMENTO AND THEY COULD NOT GET IT TO DUPLICATE , BUT THEY ARE WRONG , THEY TESTED THE CAR AT MID AFTERNOON WHEN IS WAS WARM OUTSIDE , LIKE I SAID IT ONLY DOES IT WHEN ITS REALLY COLD I HAVE 4 WHEEL DISC BRAKES AND IT'S LIKE THE BRAKES GRAB BUT DON'T STOP. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10248037 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10310692 · 2010-02-15 (February 15, 2010)

WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH I RAN OVER A ROAD BUMP AND MY 2008 BUICK LACROSSE SUPER SHUT OFF(STALLED). I COASTED TO THE BURM, HIT BRAKES TO A STOP. THE CAR STARTED ON THE FIRST TRY. CONTINUED MY TRIP WITH NO INCIDENCES. TOOK TO DEALER AND NO CODES SHOWED IN THEIR COMPUTER. CALLED GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND THEY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER. NO BULLETINS. SCARY TO DRIVE. TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT THIS TIME BUT MAY NOT BE THE NEXT TIME. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 9,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10310692 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10402969 · 2011-05-27 (May 27, 2011)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN INCORRECT FUEL LEVEL EVEN THOUGH FUEL WAS IN THE FUEL TANK. THEN, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. THE TECHNICIAN DISPENSED ONE GALLON OF FUEL INTO THE FUEL TANK AND WAS UNABLE TO DETECT A PROBLEM. THE FAILURE HAD NOT YET RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE F…

Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10402969 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10371320 · 2010-12-13 (December 13, 2010)

THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR LOCATED IN THE GAS TANK HAS FAILED THREE TIMES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. EACH TIME THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. THIS HAS OCCURRED FIRST IN DEC. 2008 (7574 MILES), THEN NOV. 2009 (21145 MILES), AND NOW DEC. 2010 (37344 MILES). THE SERVICE TECH AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THIS PROBLEM IS FAIRLY COMMON (IN FACT, WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR THIS TIME, THERE WAS A PONTIAC AZTEC WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BEING REPAIRED). THE TECH ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE CAUSE IS SULFUR IN THE GAS CAUSING THE SMALL WIR…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,837 miles reported. Look up ODI 10371320 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10794698 · 2015-11-18 (November 18, 2015)

THE TRANSMISSION FAIILED WITHOUT NOTICE. HOPE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT. I JUST BACKED INTO A PARKING SPACE WENT TO PULL OUT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN ANY DRIVE GEAR AT ALL. VEHICLE MILAGE 79850 MILES.

Owner-reported narrative. 79,850 miles reported. Look up ODI 10794698 at NHTSA ↗