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Which Years Of Used Buick Lacrosses Are Most Reliable?


in Reliability
Silver Buick Lacrosse
Buick Lacrosse by Navigator84 - CC-BY-SA-4.0

The Buick Lacrosse was said to be one of the most reliable cars ever created by Buick. During its years on the market, there were a lot of happy owners and the car was said to be very reliable. Of course, different years have different features and issues to be aware of and if you are wanting to purchase one of these, you will want to know the most reliable year of Buick Lacrosse to check into. 

The Buick Lacrosse was discontinued after 2019, which means a used model is your only option to choose from now. With a good reputation, you can find a great choice when you know what to look for. In this guide, we share some tips for the most reliable years and what years to avoid as well. Keep reading to help you find a great car for your needs. 


THE BUICK LACROSSE YEARS TO AVOID

Every model and year of Buick will have pros and cons. In this quick review, we’ll go over the best Buick LaCrosse years to purchase and the worst Buick LaCrosse years to avoid.


Most Reliable Years For The Buick Lacrosse

When you’re looking at any used vehicle, you know that some years are simply better than others. It’s the same with the Buick Lacrosse. If you want to make sure you get one of the better models, you need to know the top years. This vehicle has overall held a steady reputation through the years, but there were some years that weren’t so hot. 

This car was made from 2005-2019, giving the world 14 years of a great car from the US build. American production stopped in 2019. Of those 14 years, they really only had a couple of bad years so you can find a reliable car if you know the top years to avoid. We will chat more about that later. 

For now, let’s focus on the BEST years! The most reliable years for the Buick Lacrosse include: 

  • 2007 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2009 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2012 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2013 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2014 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2015 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2016 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2017 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2018 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2019 Buick Lacrosse

As you can see, they definitely had more really great years than they did have bad years. If you choose a model from any of these years, especially the later years, you’re probably going to end up with a great vehicle! 


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Is the Buick Lacrosse a Reliable Car? 

When you look at what previous owners of the Buick Lacrosse have to say, you find that it’s an overall reliable car with very few complaints through the years. Maintenance and care are steady and even average annual repairs is not bad at all. 

According to Repair Pal, the anticipated average annual cost of repairs and maintenance is only about $569, which is on the lower end of many brands out there. There are very few issues, especially if you get one of the best years that we mentioned. There are only about 15 consistent problems every reported throughout the year. 

These are the most common reported issues for this vehicle:

  • Door lock mechanism sticking
  • Steering shaft noises

How many repairs you need will depend on the care of the vehicle as well as what year or mileage you end up with. 

What Is The Least Reliable Year For Buick Lacrosse? 

As you peruse your choices for top years, you have a lot of options. While most years are considered pretty good and reliable, there are still some years that are better than others. Often times a new release year is a challenge, or it could be one minor change made that wasn’t great. 

Just like any other car brand out there, some years will be a flop. We made you a list of the years that you might want to avoid the Buick Lacrosse as those were just the bad years. Stick to the good years and you should be fine. 

These are the least reliable years for Buick Lacrosse. 

  • 2010 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2008 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2006 Buick Lacrosse
  • 2005 Buick Lacrosse

According to most previous owners, 2010 was the absolute worst year for the Buick Lacrosse. This model had a serious transmission issue that could cost more than $3,000 to have repaired if your vehicle had the problem. It was one of the most costly repairs and common in this year. 

The 2005, 2006, and 2008 models were all known for a headlight issue that affected the low beams the most. The repair wasn’t too expensive, but it was certainly a hazard if it happened to you driving at night. 2005 also had quite a few recalls that affected the quality of that year. 


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We looked into price, reliability, features, and more to create this list of the best used SUVs under $10k on the market today. Take a look - some of the best used SUVs have gone mostly overlooked or forgotten. 


What Are The Most Common Issues Of The Buick Lacrosse? 

What issues you might deal with certainly could vary with the Buick Lacrosse. We already mentioned the common failures of the worst years to avoid. However, even in the good years, there are a few things to be aware of for common issues. While those years may have less significant problems, it doesn’t mean you won’t have repairs. 

These are some of the most commonly known issues for the Buick Lacrosse models:

  • Sticking door locks
  • Clunky steering
  • Power steering leaks
  • Check engine light

These issues are mostly minor but can still be a problem or a nuisance for owners. Fixes aren’t overly costly, which is a a plus. The check engine light issue seems to stem from a sensitive sensor more than anything else. The culprit is often the gas cap on this vehicle. 

What Reddit Says About the Best Year of the Buick Lacrosse:

The Lacrosse has gained a reputation as Buick’s most reliable car, but is it indeed true in real life? Some Lacrosse owners of Reddit have shared their experiences: 

A positive ownership experience from a 2017 Lacrosse owner:

Comment
byu/GLTheGameMaster from discussion
inwhatcarshouldIbuy

On the desirability of 3800 V6 Buicks:

Comment
byu/Steelersfan20009 from discussion
inwhatcarshouldIbuy

A fairly comprehensive writeup of 3800 Buicks versus the 3.6L engine:

Comment
byu/Neat-Smile-3418 from discussion
inwhatcarshouldIbuy

On why buyers should avoid the 3.6L engine:

Comment
byu/gonefishing53 from discussion
inwhatcarshouldIbuy

Overall, the Buick Lacrosse is positively viewed by owners, especially the 3800 models. Meanwhile, the general sentiment is that the 3.6L Lacrosse models should be approached with caution.

Is A Used Buick Lacrosse Worth It? 

The Buick Lacrosse certainly isn’t perfect, but if we’re being honest, you won’t find any vehicles that really are perfect. Overall, this has proven to be a good and reliable vehicle with a lot of good years for you to choose from. While it has since been discontinued, the quality of the vehicle through the years was reliable and continues to be so for those who choose to buy one. 

Final Thoughts

When you buy from one of the most reliable years of a Buick Lacrosse, you get a reliable car that has had very few issues through the years. While you might see a few small things, the car is long-lasting and reliable in most years. Avoid the worst years and you may never see any major repairs. 

A used Buick Lacrosse may still have plenty of good years ahead.


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Buying a used or CPO luxury car is one of the smartest buys you can make - you can get a lot of car for not much money. You can pick up a three-year-old luxury car for about half of what you’d pay new. Check out this list of the best used luxury cars on the market to find the best deals. 



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