"How reliable is the 2009 Buick Lacrosse?"

"Based on 146 NHTSA complaints, the 2009 Buick Lacrosse has a median complaint mileage of 60000 miles. The most common issue is EXTERIOR LIGHTING."

"What are common problems with the 2009 Buick Lacrosse?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Buick Lacrosse is EXTERIOR LIGHTING, accounting for a significant portion of the 146 total complaints filed."

2009 Buick Lacrosse: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 146 complaints

146

Total Complaints

60,000mi

Median Mileage

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

43,650 25th Percentile

60,000 Median Mileage

87,527 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AIR BAGS

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

ENGINE

SERVICE BRAKES

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

POWER TRAIN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"PURCHASED A 2009 BUICK LACROSSE IN FEB 09 FOR MY WIFE - AT VARIOUS TIMES ABOUT 6 EVENTS HAVE HAPPENED ALL TOGETHER WITH A STRONG ALCOHOL ODOR COMING INTO THE INTERIOR. THE SMELL IS STRONG AND CAUSES HER NOSE, EYE AND THROAT TO BURN. THIS PAST WEEKEND - SHE DROVE IT TO VA BEACH, VA WITH FAMILY AN..."

"I HAD COMPLETELY STOPPED MY VEHICLE IN A PARKING AREA AT A CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX WHERE I WAS DELIVERING A MEAL TO MY NEPHEW WHO RESIDES THERE. BECAUSE I HAD JUST RECENTLY LEARNED THAT SOMEONE FROM MY COMMUNITY WAS DYING FROM AN ENCEPHALITIS-INFECTED MOSQUITO AND I AM VERY PRONE TO MOSQUITO BITES, I DE..."

"2009 BUICK LACROSSE. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE AIR BAGS. CONSUMER STATES IT WOULD SHOW AIR BAGS OFF ABOUT ONCE A WEEK OR SO FOR A SHORT TIME AND KEEPS GETTING WORSE MORE OFTEN.*TGW"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 45 complaints

25th: 42,000 mi Median: 55,000 mi 75th: 87,054 mi

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 29 complaints

25th: 43,150 mi Median: 64,000 mi 75th: 85,000 mi

AIR BAGS 27 complaints

25th: 40,481 mi Median: 49,036 mi 75th: 63,750 mi

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 9 complaints

25th: 51,250 mi Median: 62,578 mi 75th: 86,162 mi

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 complaints

25th: 71,230 mi Median: 84,000 mi 75th: 100,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

MI: 12 OH: 11 NY: 9 TX: 9 FL: 7 PA: 7 MD: 6 IL: 6 MN: 5 NC: 5

Who Files Complaints?

4.1%

Original Owners

95.9%

Second+ Owners

Buick Lacrosse — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2005	411	62,986	EXTERIOR LIGHTING	13
2006	383	77,615	EXTERIOR LIGHTING	28
2007	326	64,000	EXTERIOR LIGHTING	9
2008	342	55,000	AIR BAGS	16
2010	275	63,000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	9
2011	241	55,900	ENGINE	27
2012	297	54,456	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	15
2013	196	62,000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	5
2014	89	40,000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	12
2015	54	25,000	STEERING	6
2016	57	40,000	STEERING	3
2017	41	15,000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28