Used Car Reliability

Buick LaCrosse: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy

The Buick LaCrosse is a comfortable, well-priced used luxury sedan — but the different engines and generations aren't equally reliable. Owners flag two specific pain points: timing-chain stretch on some early direct-injected V6s, and electronic-shifter or transmission-control complaints on the last-generation cars. Here's how the years compare.

Patterns, not verdicts. The years below reflect what owners most commonly report and what shops most often see. A specific used LaCrosse should be judged on its service history and a pre-purchase inspection — not the model year alone.

Years owners most often complain about

2010–2011

First years of the second-generation LaCrosse, when the 3.6L direct-injected V6 (LLT) is most known for timing-chain stretch, especially without strict oil-change discipline.

•Timing-chain stretch on the 3.6L V6 causing P0008 / P0009 codes and rough starts.
•Carbon buildup on intake valves — a symptom of direct injection combined with short-trip driving.
•HID headlight ballast failures.

2017–2019

Third-generation LaCrosse with the electronic push-button shifter. Complaints center on shifter behavior, transmission programming, and infotainment/electronics gremlins rather than mechanical failure.

•Electronic shifter can be unintuitive; some owners report unexpected shift-into-neutral events.
•9-speed transmission (later years) — harsh shifts and hesitation reports.
•Auto stop-start behavior and infotainment freezes.

Years that tend to hold up better

2008–2009 (first generation)

The original LaCrosse with the 3.8L V6 (naturally aspirated) is one of the most durable powertrains GM built in that era. Simpler than what replaced it, and typically cheap.

•Watch for intake manifold gasket seepage on high-mileage examples.
•Suspension bushings are the main wear item.

2013–2016

Later second-generation LaCrosse. The 3.6L V6 timing-chain issues are largely sorted by these years (updated chains and guides), and the 6-speed automatic is a proven unit.

•Still change oil on a shorter interval than the maximum on any 3.6L.
•eAssist mild-hybrid variants have their own battery-conditioning considerations.

What to check before you buy any LaCrosse

Cold-start the car yourself — a rattle for more than a second on a 3.6L V6 can indicate timing-chain stretch.
Scan for stored P0008, P0009, or cam/crank correlation codes.
On third-gen cars, spend real time with the electronic shifter and 9-speed transmission before buying — those are behavior complaints as much as mechanical ones.
Confirm oil-change records; DI V6s punish long intervals.
Check for coolant loss on any 3.6L — a slow drop with no visible leak points at the water pump, which lives inside the timing cover.

Codes worth knowing on this model

P0420 — Catalyst efficiency — often shows up on high-mileage V6 LaCrosses.
P0300 — Random misfire — worth checking on carbon-buildup cars.

Use WrenchPulse on the car in front of you

Model-year patterns tell you where to look. A pre-purchase scan tells you where you actually are. Plug in any OBD2 scanner, paste the codes into WrenchPulse, and get a plain-English read on what's stored, what's likely, and what a fair price is to walk away from.

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