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2013 Buick LaCrosse: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
33%
41 of 129 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

33% of relevant owner complaints on the 2013 Buick LaCrosse are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 65% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
41
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
129
this model year
Fires reported
3
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
5 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM54 · 42%
ENGINE30 · 23%
SUSPENSION27 · 21%
STEERING24 · 19%
POWER TRAIN11 · 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9 · 7%

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 in 2013

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,ENGINE08/26/2025
Today is 8.26.2025, I took this car back and left it w/dealership: Let them figure it out! I told them 0ne month after purchase this car is constantly EMPTY with no/Oil. I should not be getting oil changes this often. "Oh, it just burns more Oil and you bought a USED car"...Months later I hear smalls sounds, engine …
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE07/26/2025
Well the belt tensioner and the hybrid motor Drive Motor Performance and Hybrid Power train Control Module Requested MIL Illumination Yes not just any mechanic can work on the car because of the hybrid system is to much voltage And the check engine light came on the car
ENGINE02/16/2025
The bolt that secures the Serpentine belt tensioner unit to the motor block has repeatedly snapped apart leaving the tensioner unit to dangle from the block. Not secured, which causes the belt to dislodge or break (both have happened) the spring is left to flail about as is the tensioner unit since it is no longer conn…

Three of 41 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 (5)

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick LaCrosse vehicles, manufactured between April 25, 2012, through March 6, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles equipped with eAssist. Thes…
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, …

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

Before you buy a 2013 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. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.