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2010 Buick LaCrosse: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
41%
68 of 166 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

41% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Better than 52% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 23 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 36%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
68
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
189
this model year
Fires reported
9
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
6 crashes · 8 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM46 · 24%
ENGINE44 · 23%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)23 · 12%
STEERING17 · 9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL17 · 9%
POWER TRAIN17 · 9%

The years either side

2010
41%
68 of 189
2011
32%
51 of 169
2012
37%
73 of 205
2013
33%
41 of 129
2014
16%
8 of 63
2015
15%
5 of 44
2016
32%
13 of 48
2017
35%
11 of 34
2018
too few complaints
2019
too few complaints
2020
no data
2021
no data
2022
no data
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other full-size sedans with no elevated signal

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM11/26/20172 INJURED
SOLD A LEMON CAR BY DRIVETIME FINANCED THROUGH BRIDGECREST FINANCIAL LLC I PURCHASED THE CAR 12/22/2016 AND HAVE BEEN REPORTING PROBLEMS SINCE I DROVE OFF THE LOT. I LIVE BEYOND 300 MILES OF THE LOCATION WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE
POWER TRAIN04/25/2025
The transmission (randomly) fails to upshift. 1st to 2nd gear. Cold or hot. Start or in morion. Transmission was last serviced at 120,000 miles.
ENGINE04/16/2024
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 T…

Three of 68 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (2)

SUSPENSION:REAR
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, …
SUSPENSION:REAR
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, …

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2010 Buick LaCrosse

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.