2013 Buick Lacrosse Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2013 Buick LaCrosse most often report electrical and stalling problems: the car shuts off or loses power at low speed or while stopping, and battery/charging warnings appear. Power steering loss is the second recurring theme, often described as a sudden stiff wheel with a 'service power steering' message, and several owners link it to the same low-voltage episodes. Many complaints come in between roughly 40,000 and 90,000 miles, and some describe repeat visits where the dealer could not reproduce or fully resolve the problem.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Engine stalls or loses power, battery/charging warnings

   • 40 complaints (31%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2026

   Owners describe the engine quitting at stop lights, at idle, or while slowing, sometimes with a 'service battery charging system' or battery warning on the dash; several say the car restarted after waiting, others needed a tow. Complaints mention repeated battery replacements and visits where the dealer replaced the battery or could not find a cause. Some owners also note the steering becoming very heavy during these episodes. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 90,000 miles, frequently at low speed, when stopping, or shortly after a cold start.

   Recall 13V173000Recall 13V0970002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for the service history on batteries, the charging system and the generator control module, and confirm whether recall 13V173000 was completed for this vehicle. During a test drive, note any battery or charging messages and whether the engine drops out when you coast to a stop.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car cuts off and gives warning of battery charging system failure when I slow to stop at red lights or turn in my driveway.. I've changed the belt and it's still doing it. I bought this car in 2017 and I am concerned that maybe the recall wasnt changed for eassist components. I have a 2 year old. I cant stearns my car because it's too hard when engine kills. It its very dangerous and something major is wrong.”

   NHTSA complaint #11350734, filed 2020-08, 100,000 miles

   “In 2018 the air went out in the vehicle and then the ABS light cane on. A few days later the check engine light was displayed and then the next day the battery completely died. I took it to the shop and had it fixed. They said that battery was missing a cell and they replaced the battery, fixed the air conditioning basically fixed all issues. Fast forward to a year to the date the same issue started again in that order. The car has officially cut off and I searched and there are no open recalls coming up for my VIN number.”

   NHTSA complaint #11270145, filed 2019-10, 81,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Power steering suddenly quits (stiff wheel)

   • 20 complaints (15%)
   • median 48,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2026

   Owners report the power steering cutting out with little warning: a 'service power steering' message appears and the wheel becomes very hard to turn, sometimes at highway speed and sometimes only when reversing or turning. Complaints describe the steering returning after a restart, then failing again later. Several say diagnosis led to replacement of the electronic power steering motor or the steering gear, in some cases at considerable cost. Mostly reported from roughly 10,000 to 80,000 miles, with several cases in the 40,000-70,000 mile range.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the steering assist motor or steering gear has ever been replaced, and check for stored steering codes. On a test drive, include low-speed turns and a reverse maneuver and watch for a steering warning message.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving at 75mph, there was a sudden loss of power steering. I barely managed to get off the highway. The next day I started the vehicle and the steering returned. The steering has been intermittently going out since I parked it at home. I start the car frequently to keep the battery charged and each time the steering may or may not work.”

   NHTSA complaint #11350153, filed 2020-08, 121,000 miles

   “65 year old wife driving 70mph on i75 in michigan when the power steering stopped working. Service power steering message came on . I had to help her steer car to a stop. I did not know it had electric power steering. It was 9pm at night. Looked for low fluid level. Decided to drive home. When car was re started the power steering worked. Wife does not trust car now.”

   NHTSA complaint #10854981, filed 2016-04, 48,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh or delayed shifts and hesitation

   • 10 complaints (8%)
   • median 43,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2022

   Owners describe hard downshifts when coasting to about 30 mph from cold, delayed engagement when pulling away from a light, and occasional sudden downshifts or a jump in engine speed at highway speed. Complaints mention the dealer being unable to duplicate the condition, or recommending a transmission fluid flush; a service bulletin notes that some delayed throttle response after a quick press of the pedal is considered normal. Many reports fall between roughly 20,000 and 40,000 miles, often on a cold engine or at low speed.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car from a cold start and note any clunk or lurch on the first downshift to around 30 mph. Ask about transmission fluid service history and whether any shift complaints have been documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2013 Buick Lacrosse has a malfunctioning transmission control module which it already recalled by GM but my car does not fall under the recall because of my VIN the malfunctioning transmission control module cause my car to go into limp mode in the middle of the street in traffic”

   NHTSA complaint #11365731, filed 2020-10, 110,000 miles

   “When the car had mileage in the mid-upper 30,000 in 2018, we noticed that as the speed coasted down to 30mph, there was a hard downshift. So hard, you thought the engine fell out of the car. At the time we had not realized it only did this when the engine was cold. So, when we took it to the dealer, they could not replicate the issue. In 12/2019, we left it overnite and they did replicate the issue the next morning. This is stated on our service bill. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11310507, filed 2020-02, 36,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Infotainment screen and radio go blank

   • 6 complaints (5%)
   • median 44,000 mi at 4.6 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2025

   Complaints describe the navigation/radio display going black or flickering with vertical lines, occasionally taking the rear-view camera with it, sometimes while driving. Owners report pulling over until the screen came back, and repeated dealer visits; in some cases the display was replaced without a clear cause being found. A few also mention the backup camera image being very dim. Reported across a wide mileage range, commonly between about 35,000 and 50,000 miles.

   Recall 13V0970002 related service bulletins

   What to check: With the car running, check that the radio, display and backup camera all work and stay on; ask whether the unit has been replaced or reprogrammed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Complete blackout of monitor (navigation screen) including rear view camera while while driving on city streets and highways and happened once during startup of vehicle. Sometimes before blackout vertical lines appear. Estimated time of blackout has lasted more than one minute and I have had to pull over until it appears. I have had passengers in the vehicle who have witnessed this occurrence. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11052853, filed 2017-12, 36,500 miles

   “Radio and dash components cut out and go black. Then when they come.back on a service battery message comes on the display but goes away withing a second or two. And the power steering will stop while all this is happening if turning”

   NHTSA complaint #11252093, filed 2019-08, 65,000 miles
5. 5
   Suspension

   Front-end noises and rear suspension corrosion recall

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report banging or clunking sounds from the suspension over bumps, and some describe a lowered or drifting front or rear end. Complaints also reference the rear suspension recalls and difficulty getting the repair done because parts were unavailable at the time. One owner described the car failing to stop and going over a parking block at very low mileage. Reported from as little as a few thousand miles up to about 150,000 miles, with several cases around 40,000-60,000 miles.

   Recall 20V764000Recall 21V633000Recall 21V00F0001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the rear suspension recall repairs were completed and when; check for recall parts availability. On a test drive over rough surfaces, listen for clunks or bangs from the front and rear.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On saturday, april 7,2013 my wife pulled into a parking space at a condo in marco is.fl. She was driving our 2013 Buick Lacrosse. Knowing that the Lacrosse has a low front end,she slows down to a crawl to avoid dragging the front end on the parking lot blocks. She is familiar with this parking lot as my daughter lives there and she has parked there often. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10505647, filed 2013-04, 3,020 miles

   “A four to six inch piece if metal broke off from the left front wheel (rim) of the car, without any external impact (pot hole or curb). This resulted in the rim piercing the tire and blowing its side walls. This collapse (damage) occurred from the inside section of the wheel (the side facing the engine bay) further indicating that it could not have been caused due to the car hitting a curb. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10765189, filed 2015-09, 30,852 miles

Buying note. A 2013 LaCrosse is worth a careful pre-purchase inspection: check the charging/battery and steering systems and confirm that the rear suspension recall work was done for this specific car. Service records showing how prior electrical and steering complaints were handled tell you more than the mileage alone.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.