Buick · LaCrosse · 2008
2
Recalls
250
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2008 Buick LaCrosse has 2 recalls and 250 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: air bags (57 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlamp driver module (HDM) may overheat and fail, causing the headlamps and daytime running lights to not illuminate.
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HDM, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14291.
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.
Air bag light comes on is also intermitt some times stays on and someimes on only for a minute or two
On three occasions, when driving at night, both headlights suddenly went out. The next day the headlights were working normally. The dealer's service department could not find anything wrong. Later, we found out there was a "Safety Recall" (#14291),but it expired one year before our car developed the problem. We have contacted the dealership and Buick, neither one will help us. They expect us to pay for the replacement of the defective part (Headlamp Driver Module).
The contact owns a 2008 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the headlights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the headlamps had failed. The headlamps were replaced and the failure was remedied however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V519000 (Exterior Lighting). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 41,000.
My vehicle has been parked for the better of about two years due to head lamp failure and engine shutting off without warning at any particular time. Steps were made to fix the issue but the problem continues still to this day.
Door locks somtimes would lock or unlock and other times not work at all. Made it a issue when parking or entering the car. I had to replace the lock mechanism in the doors. The car has 99135 miles on it but should not have a problem especally the back doors since they are not used very often.
The contact owns a 2008 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the airbag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 30196 MILES ON IT.THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. I NOTICED THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MODEL BUICK LACROSSE.WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ISSUED ON THESE VEHICLES.
DOORS WILL NOT LOCK WITH EITHER THE FOB OR THE INTERIOR LOCK BUTTON ON EITHER DOORS. I'M READING ON LINE OF SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THIS MODEL WHERE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK!
THE DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING OUT. I DID LOOK UP ANY RECALLS, WHICH THERE WAS FOR THIS, BUT IT SHOWS THAT IT WAS FIXED. WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ISSUES FOR THE FIRST 9 MONTHS AND HAVE NOW REPLACED THE BULB SEVERAL TIMES. I AM CONCERNED THAT IT IS HAPPENING WHILE MY DAUGHTER IS DRIVING THIS AT NIGHT IN A RURAL AREA WITH A LOT OF DEER AND OTHER ANIMALS RUNNING INTO THE ROADS.
THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS AND RUNNING LIGHTS JUST GO OFF FOR NO REASON. WHEN DRIVING HOME ON NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF FOR NO REASON. THE NEST DAY, THEY WORKED. THEY CONTINUE TO WORK, BUT THE NIGHT THEY WENT OUT WAS VERY DISTURBING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, ON STATE HGWY, GETTING READY TO TURN TO THE RIGHT.
THE HDM FAILED LEAVING ME WITH ONLY HIGH BEAMS, HAVE BEE TOLD THEY ARE NOT UNDER RECALL. SHAMROCK SERVICE CENTER, SPENT 1 AND 1/2 HRS DIAGNOSING AND FOUND NO RECALL. MANY OTHER MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I AM RETIRED AND CANNOT AFFORD THIS REPAIR. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME. WHEN I TURNED ON THE LIGHTS TO GO HOME LAST WEEK, THERE WERE NO LIGHTS BUT HIGH BEAMS. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST BULBS, SO I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND I AM WAITING FOR THE PART TO COME IN. I KNOW THIS WILL BE EXPENSIVE AS I THINK ITS AROUND $100.00 PER HR. IT WAS IN A PARKING LOT WHERE I DISCOVERED IT. HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE HIGH BEAMS.
I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR USED AND THE HEADLIGHTS DIDN'T WORK WHEN I GOT IT. THE HI BEAMS AND YELLOW MARKER LIGHTS DO WORK. JUST NOT THE LO BEAMS. I BOUGHT THE CAR ON 9/28/20, IT HAD 124,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT
ONCE IN A WHILE IT ACTS UP WHERE IT STATES THAT IT'S GOT LOW OIL PRESSURE EVEN THO IT'S GOT PLENTY OF OIL,ALSO IT HAS MISFIRED DURING WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT'S LIKE THIS: I'M DRIVING. EVERYTHING IS FINE UNTIL ALL OF THE SUDDEN I NOTICE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON ALSO THE T/C LIGHT COMES ON AND IT ALSO STATES THE LOW OIL PRESSURE AND THE ACCELERATION PEDAL IT ACTS UP. FOR EXAMPLE, I'M GIVING GAS AND IT ISN'T ACCELERATING AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD BE AND IT TOTALLY FLUCTUATES. I'VE ALSO HAD THE CAR MISFIRE AND SHUT OFF DURING ONE OF THESE EPISODES AS WELL. THESE EPISODES OF WHAT I HAD JUST DESCRIBED COMES AND GOES AND ACTUALLY IT STAYED GONE FOR A GOOD WHILE NOW UNTIL JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO. THE GUY WHO SOLD ME THIS CAR TOLD ME THAT THERE'SA RECALL ON WHATEVER ISSUE I'M HAVING WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL (I PLUGGED IN FIXD TOOL WHICH TELLS ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR AND GIVES ME TWO CODES THE CODES BEING: P: 2138 AND CODES P: 1125.
I WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AT ROUGHLY 30 MILES AN HOUR AND THE FRONT AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED.
RED AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. MANY OWNERS OF THESE CARS HAVE COMPLAINED. IT IS A POOR DESIGN AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, THERE IS NO AIR BAGS THAT WORK. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE WIRING AND IN THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM WHICH COSTS NEARLY 1K FOR A NEW SEAT BLADDER WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. MANY OWNERS OF THESE MODELS ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEMS IN THESE VEHICLES. WHY HASN'T GM BEEN ORDERED TO REPAIR ALL OF THESE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE SYSTEMS? NEVER HAD AN AIR BAG PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE. LIGHT IS ON STEADY NOW AND ALL AIR BAGS ARE DISABLED DUE TO THIS ONE PROBLEM. NOT A GREAT DESIGN AND AS A SAFETY ISSUE, IT SHOULD BE A MANDATORY REPAIR BY GM. NONE OF MY OTHER BRANDS-FORD, NISSAN, OR HONDAS HAVE EVER HAD AN AIR BAG PROBLEM. THIS IS ANOTHER IGNITION KEY DESIGN TYPE LAWSUIT WAITING TO HAPPEN. WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ORDERED? OVER 70 COMPLAINTS RIGHT HERE FOR SAME ISSUES. WHEN IS SOMETHING GOING TO BE DONE BEFORE DEATHS OCCUR DUE TO NON DEPLOYMENT?
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF AND I'VE HAD CLOSE CALLS. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND SIDE STREET WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR LAST WEEK AND I NOTICED WHEN I HIT THE LOCK ON THE FOB, MY ALARM WOULD SOUND, BUT MY DOOR LOOKS WOULDN'T CLOSE. SO I TRIED IT IN MY CAR AS WELL WITH THE LOCKS ON THE DOOR AND NOTHING. THE UNLOCK WORKS PERFECT BY THE WAY (FOB & DOOR LOCKS). I MANUALLY LOCK MY DOORS AT NIGHT AND IN THE MORNING, THE LOCKS WILL WORK A FEW TIMES, AND THEN STOP AGAIN. ALSO THE DOORS DO NOT LOCK WHEN YOU TAKE THE CARE OUT OF PARK.
THE POWER DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY EVEN WHEN USING THE INTERIOR SWITCHES. MOST OF THE TIME, DOORS MUST BE LOCKED OR UNLOCKED MANUALLY ! OUR 2008 BUICK LACROSSE CXL HAS LESS THAN 51,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I'VE READ THAT PEOPLE WERE TRAPPED/ UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THEIR LACROSSE WHEN TRIP WAS DONE.
CAR KEEPS STALLING. LOSES POWER STEERING HARD TO NAVIGATE. HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN. CITY STREETS HIGHWAY, PARKING LOTS. ETC.
THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON FREQUENTLY, BUT MAINLY DURING HOT SUMMER DAYS AND HAS CAME ON SEVERAL TIMES SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE MARCH OF 2019. THE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN WE ARE STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING. WHEN DOING RESEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER CONSUMERS VEHICLES. I HAD READ IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND IN MY OPINION THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. ANOTHER ISSUE WE HAVE THAT I ALSO SEEN WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH LACROSSE OWNERS, IS THE POWER LOCKS. NONE OF MY LOCK WORK PROPERLY, ALL OF THEM HAVE TO BE MANUALLY LOCKED AND UNLOCKED. TODAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019, WE NOTICED THAT WHEN I TRIED GETTING OUT OF THE CAR THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. DOOR WAS UNLOCKED AND HAD BEEN UNLOCKED. MY BOYFRIEND TRIED OPENING THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE AND IT WOULD NOT OPEN. I TRIED TO LOCK IT AND UNLOCK IT AGAIN, I TRIED PUSHING THE DOOR REALLY HARD TO SEE IF IT WOULD POP OPEN AND NO LUCK. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A LOT MORE RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE AS I'VE HAD THIS ISSUES AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2008 Buick LaCrosse has 2 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 250 owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Buick LaCrosse.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2008 Buick LaCrosse.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2008 Buick LaCrosse are air bags (57 reports), exterior lighting (49 reports), electrical system (37 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 2 recalls on record for the 2008 Buick LaCrosse. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.