2014 Buick Verano Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2014 Buick Verano most often report electrical problems: batteries going dead overnight, warning lights, and intermittent stalling or engine shutoff while driving. A second cluster of complaints covers side detection/blind-spot and airbag warning lights, a fragile shift-lever button, and tire or wheel damage on the 18-inch low-profile setup.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Electrical gremlins, dead battery, stalling

   • 35 complaints (35%)
   • median 63,800 mi at 4.5 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2025

   Complaints describe batteries draining overnight with no obvious cause, random illumination of dash warnings, radio and climate controls cutting out, and in some cases the engine shutting off while driving and then restarting on its own. Owners say dealers ran diagnostics and either found no stored codes or could not identify a central cause; some paid for a battery replacement without solving the problem. A service bulletin addresses 12V battery testing and another notes that aftermarket devices plugged into the diagnostic connector can cause multiple electrical symptoms. Spread across the mileage range, with many reports between roughly 44,000 and 123,000 miles; some dead-battery reports came in under 5,000 miles.

   Recall 16V5020004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for battery and charging-system test records and whether any stored codes were diagnosed. Have a pre-purchase scan for body and chassis codes, and note whether an aftermarket device is plugged into the diagnostic port.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Electrical problems- vehicle shuts down on its own. At random! When I am able to bring it back up the problem no longer exist and can't be traced. At random my services lights pops on and off!. Emergency parking breaks locks on their own and I can't drive the car properly. Gears shift on their own which caused damage to the windshield and body.! I was driving when the gears shifted. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11047528, filed 2017-11, 70,000 miles

   “I was driving on the highway on january 2 at 218 afternoon goin 70-74 miles an hour. And the car turn off I put my foot to the floor not sure if the cruise turned off car was off I lucky was able too pull over safely I turned the car back on I call the onstar operated and the ran du agonists and found nothing. Which I find unbelievable I am going to subordinate Buick on monday 1-4-2026 in taylor michigan.”

   NHTSA complaint #10817489, filed 2016-01, 33,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Side detection and airbag warning lights

   • 15 complaints (15%)
   • median 61,500 mi at 6.3 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2016–2025

   Complaints describe the blind-spot/side detection system failing and the passenger or driver airbag indicator switching between on and off or flashing, sometimes along with service messages for several systems. Owners report repeat sensor or module replacements and say dealers told them the condition is common; some note the repair was quoted outside warranty. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 95,000 miles, in both wet and dry conditions.

   Recall 23V674000Recall 23V870000Recall 25V7640001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check that both side-detection modules respond and that no airbag or side-detection warnings appear at startup. Ask whether the roof-rail airbag recalls have been completed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The air bag light flashes on and off on the passenger side, both in motion or stationary. It started doing this for no particular reason. It is a known problem with these cars, it is caused by a manufacturer error when putting together the seats. The problem is that they limit the fix to only cars under 72,000 miles. My car does not have an excessive amount of miles and I haven't done anything thing to cause this to suddenly start malfunctioning, yet it is. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11073150, filed 2018-02, 90,000 miles

   “Same issue I see multiple GM owners having. Service side detection system malfunctions after multiple repairs. Have had sensors replaced multiple times. I have had to every year at least if not every six months. Initially under warranty, but now no longer under warranty. I understand vehicles have issues, but the same issues over and over again is not okay. I have had where it shorts out my entire electrical system while driving. I literally feared for my life. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11328803, filed 2020-06, 30,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Shift lever button breaks, hard to select a gear

   • 12 complaints (12%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2025

   Owners report the plastic release button on the automatic shift lever cracking or falling off in the hand, after which the vehicle will not go into park or drive. Some describe the selector briefly failing to move out of park before later working again. According to the complaints, dealers quoted replacement of the shift knob or the entire shifter assembly, usually without warranty coverage. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 120,000 miles.

   Recall 14V092000

   What to check: Operate the shifter through every position and check the release button for cracks or looseness. Ask whether the transmission shift-cable recall was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving to my destination. The silver lever that you push in to shift the gears completely fell out in my hand and the piece that houses the spring for the lever. I could not put the car in park or cut the car off.”

   NHTSA complaint #11132197, filed 2018-09, 118,000 miles

   “The shift changer has a component inside that cracked and completely fell off . Now inducing the vehicle to have a safety defect due to not completely going into parking position and a message displaying shift to park.”

   NHTSA complaint #11080618, filed 2018-03, 77,000 miles
4. 4
   Other or unknown

   Tire and wheel damage on 18-inch wheels

   • 7 complaints (7%)
   • median 13,550 mi at 1.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2018

   Complaints describe blowouts, sidewall bubbles, and rapid air loss on the factory 18-inch tires after impacts such as potholes, curbs, or gravel shoulders, plus one report of a cracked inner rim. Owners say dealers and tire makers attributed the failures to road damage rather than a defect, and several paid for replacements themselves. Mostly reported under about 35,000 miles, in some cases within the first few thousand miles.

   What to check: Inspect all four sidewalls for bubbles or bulges and the inner rims for bends, and ask about the tire brand and age. Consider the road conditions the car was driven in.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle had 16000 mi., blew a hole 1 x2 out of the inside of the right front tire going about 45 MPH, slightly ran off of paving on to gravel, blew when got back on road. When I took it to tire store they noticed a bubble on the driver outside of the tire approximately same size. I have to replace that tire as well. These tires appear excessively prone to road issues . Fortunately I was driving not my wife (her car).”

   NHTSA complaint #10743892, filed 2015-07, 16,100 miles

   “I had a blow out on inside of passenger side front tire, when I took it to get replaced they noticed I also had a large bubble on the outside of the driver front tire.”

   NHTSA complaint #10743895, filed 2015-07, 16,100 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Engine stalling and oil loss

   • 17 complaints (17%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2025

   Complaints describe the engine cutting off without warning at speed or from a stop, sometimes restarting after a wait and sometimes not. One owner reports the engine was several quarts low on oil shortly after an oil change, with no low-oil warning, and was told the engine had lost compression. Others mention timing-chain actuator noise at low mileage. A service bulletin provides diagnostic guidance on oil consumption and on valve, lifter, and camshaft noises. Spread from about 23,000 to 123,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level and condition on a cold engine and ask for oil-change records. Listen for timing-chain noise at start-up and ask whether any oil-consumption diagnosis has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Noticed car jerking and losing power while goin uphill. Going uphill slowed down to only go about 25mph. Came to not being able to drive forward at all only in reverse. Had car tested at 2 different auto places and was given possible codes of it being the transmission module. Unfortunately up to now haven't been able to afford to repair.”

   NHTSA complaint #11328605, filed 2020-06, 143,000 miles

   “Engine cut off with no warning sign, symbol while driving down the road. Coasted off the road, had vehicle towed to mechanic. Took three quarts of oil to register on stick. Oil and filter was changed about a month and a half ago. Again, no low oil pressure, engine service light, etc. No warning just stopped running. Was on a rural road, had this happened on the interstate or highway it would have been horrible. The mechanic says the engine has lost compression and recommends a new motor. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11100455, filed 2018-06, 123,000 miles

Buying note. Have a shop scan all modules and test the charging system, since electrical and warning-light complaints are the most common here. Check the shifter button, tire sidewalls, and oil level, and confirm the roof-rail airbag and shift-cable recalls were completed for the specific VIN.

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.