2013 Buick Verano Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine shutting off or stalling, frequently at low speed or while slowing for a stop light, and many report the engine using oil between changes. Steering that stiffens or briefly sticks at highway speed, gear shifter problems and repeated warning lights are also common in the sampled complaints. Many of these reports come in under 60,000 miles, with several at only a few thousand miles.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalls or shuts off while driving

   • 27 complaints (25%)
   • median 20,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2024

   Owners describe the engine quitting without warning while driving, slowing for a stop light, or idling, sometimes with the dashboard going dark and steering becoming heavier. Several say the car restarts normally afterward, and dealers often could not reproduce or find a fault when the vehicle was checked. Spread across the range, with a number of reports under 30,000 miles and others past 50,000; several describe the cutout at low speed or when coming off the highway.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether any stall or no-start complaints were diagnosed and what codes were found, and have a pre-purchase scan for stored diagnostic trouble codes. A service bulletin describes an intermittent no-crank/no-start condition with the security light on, so ask if that was investigated.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was driving on route headed towards harrisburg on I 83 south, and the engine cut out, not once, but 3 times. The car totally lost all power. Each time I pulled off to the side of the road, trembling and praying that the car would restart. All instrument panels went out, no warning lights to warn of what may come next.. Called the dealership and have to wait a week to get in.”

   NHTSA complaint #10615066, filed 2014-07, 12,400 miles

   “On 10/6/2020, I was riding as the front passenger in our 2013 Buick Verano. We were traveling on the highway (70 MPH) and hit a bump at the start of a bridge. A warning light illuminated, the engine RPM suddenly increased as if the transmission downshifted, the car decelerated and my wife pulled to the shoulder. We stopped, checked the gear shift and it was still in drive, the warning light disappeared, and everything seemed normal.”

   NHTSA complaint #11363526, filed 2020-10, 89,500 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering stiffens, sticks or loses power assist

   • 14 complaints (13%)
   • median 20,131 mi at 1.5 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2023

   Owners describe the steering becoming very stiff or briefly sticking, most often after holding a steady position at highway speed, with some reports of the wheel requiring unusual effort to turn and one of the car pulling to the side. Several mention a service power steering message on the dash and that the condition reset after the car was shut off and restarted; dealers in some cases found nothing or replaced other parts. Reported from very low mileage (under a few thousand miles) up to roughly 55,000 miles, often at highway speed.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive the car at steady highway speed and note whether the wheel feels stiff or sticky when making small corrections, and ask whether the power steering module or related parts were ever replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This car has always had a rubbing or grinding sensation just after making a turn, at low speeds. It is subtle but definitely there. The dealer discounted my claim during the first service visit and said that it is normal. I don't know if this is associated with the steering issues that I have at higher speeds or not. This issue only happens just after making hard turns such as 90 degree turns from street to street. It does not occur when making curves.”

   NHTSA complaint #10575670, filed 2014-03, 65 miles

   “I was driving through a construction zone when my steering wheel locked up. It surprised me and caused me panic somewhat. The lane was very narrow and started to turn, but my steering wheel did not respond the way it should. It took a lot of effort to turn the wheels. The car got too close to the cement guardrails and collided with them on the passenger side up by the front wheel. The car has damage at the site of impact and now the stabilitrac system has a fail light on. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10668635, filed 2014-12, 13,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Excessive oil consumption and engine noise

   • 14 complaints (13%)
   • median 91,000 mi at 7.2 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2024

   Owners report the oil level dropping between changes, in some cases to where nothing shows on the dipstick well before the next service, and describe needing to add oil more and more often. Some say the engine became noisy or developed a knock, and a few reports mention a timing chain failure that required major engine work; dealers reportedly advised monitoring the oil. Mostly reported from around 70,000 miles upward, though some owners noticed it much earlier in ownership.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level and condition on a cold engine and ask whether an oil consumption test was ever done. A service bulletin covers intake manifold replacement after severe internal engine damage, and others address oil found in the cooling system, so ask for service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Excessive oil consumption problem. I own a 2013 Buick Verano with a 2.4l engine, approximately 100,000 miles. We have recently noticed when checking the oil in-between oil changes that there was no oil on the dipstick. E.g.., at 40 or 50% life left for oil change, there was no oil on the dipstick. In the past the car has never used or leaked a drop of oil. In doing some additional research, this is a common problem with other Buick's with the same engine.. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11298037, filed 2020-01, 100,000 miles

   “The car started burning oil at a rate of 1 quart every 1,000 miles at 86,000 miles and so I took it to the dealership where I purchased it new and also had it do all of the routine maintenance as well. This was at mike juneau brookfield gmc Buick and they told me to bring it in everytime it got a quart low and that there was no concern with me continuing to drive it as long as I monitored the oil. The timing chain broke while driving at 40 MPH and ruined the entire engine 4 months later at 91,000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11310058, filed 2020-02, 91,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Gear shifter failures and shift-lock problems

   • 7 complaints (7%)
   • median 53,500 mi at 6.9 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2017–2024

   Owners report being unable to shift out of park, the shifter button or release fracturing, and the car not recognizing that it is in park. Some describe hard or delayed shifting between gears; dealers in several cases replaced the shifter assembly, and in others could not duplicate the problem. Mostly between about 20,000 and 55,000 miles, with a few reports at higher mileage.

   Recall 16V5020001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Cycle the shifter through every position with the engine running and confirm the display matches the lever, and check that the shift lock release and button are intact. A recall concerns the electronic park lock allowing key removal without being in park, so ask whether it was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The shift lever is on a console between the two front seats. Pushing the lever toward the driver changes the transmission mode from automatic to manual. There is nothing to prevent accidental pushes switching the transmission to manual mode at highway speed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10955321, filed 2017-02, 24,000 miles

   “The 2013 Buick Verano in question has 52k miles. At a stop light, when the gas was pushed to accelerate, the car check engine light lit and then suddenly shifted into reverse and would not come out. After trying to change the transmission setting several times, the driver turned the vehicle off, and restarted, the transmission worked at that point. The dealership indicated they have never seen this issue before. They recommended clearing codes for intake and exhaust cam solenoids by replacing them and updating software. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11244545, filed 2019-08, 53,500 miles
5. 5
   Tires

   Tires and wheels damaged by road hazards

   • 15 complaints (14%)
   • median 8,936 mi at 1.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2026

   Owners describe the original low-profile tires losing air, bubbling or blowing out, in several cases after hitting a pothole or a raised road edge, and some report wheel damage at the same time. Several mention replacing multiple tires within the first year or first few thousand miles. Almost all reported under about 25,000 miles, several within the first few thousand miles of new.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect all four tires for sidewall bubbles, cracks and uneven wear, check the wheels for bends, and note tire age and size; a service bulletin covers whether an alternate wheel and tire size is available.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Just recently purchased a 2013 Buick Verano with less than 15,000 miles on it. I've already had to replace two tires before hitting my two week mark. Each time I was driving 30mph and under each time a blow out occurred. Researched and found out that these continental tires have been not only been recalled but the continental procontact 235/45 18 have had many issues blowing out at moments notice. But not yet recalled along with previous continental tires. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10938633, filed 2016-12, 15,500 miles

   “Oem wheel blew out after brushing raise edge of road caused by a pothole. I have had two oem tires fail within the first year of purchase of new car. Searched internet and oem tire failure is common in 2013 Buick Verano continental contipro contact tires are listed in several places failing within 5000 of new.”

   NHTSA complaint #10633676, filed 2014-09, 3,905 miles

Buying note. Check the oil level and service history closely, and test the steering at highway speed and the shifter through every position on the test drive. Confirm which open recalls apply to the specific vehicle and whether they were completed.

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.