Problems with 2008 Buick LaCrosse ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

I submit this complaint on behalf of my senior citizen mother who is 75 years old. my mom had a very scary experience & got locked inside of her buick car for over 1/2 hour & could not unlock any of 4 car doors from inside to escape out of her car. plus, key would not turn in ignition & car wheel locked up. it was winter season !! car was stationery. all car windows were rolled up so my mom could not get any heat nor fresh air. my mom could have froze to death inside of her car !! more scary -- we have no idea when it can happen again nor how long the next lockout will last !! clearly this is a safety issue !! especially for a senior citizen person. we are amazed that buick did not yet issue a recall for this type of incident. i found buick forums on the internet where hundreds of other people complained of same related problems !! i emailed all 7 websites to bcr. some people cannot even unlock driver car door to into get into driver's seat !! they have to enter their cars thru passenger & crawl over to passenger car seat or enter from backseat of the car !! obviously buick & gm never did anything yet about this scary & annoying problem !! on march 16 2018 i opened a new case #8-4000469674 with buick customer relations (bcr). they flagged this as a safety issue !! bcr said buick will only work with a buick car dealer on this issue if my mom brings her car to a buick car dealer. so we made an appt for this monday, april 16 8:30am at fox valley buick (fvb) in st. charles, il to get her buick car diagnosed !! bcr will work with fvb & cem (customer experience manager). clearly -- this is a very serious safety issue !! in hot heat or winter cold -- a person can literally suffocate or freeze being a trapped prisoner inside of their car !!! 2 bcr reps failed to call me back over 4 days. one bcr rep was supervisor. but i was diligent & i followed up with bcr !!

I had driven to the store, when i tried to exit the vehicle the driver's door wouldn't open from the inside or outside. the driver's door lock actuator failed in a way that prevented the door from opening. i tried using the inner and outer handles, i also tried using the door lock switch and the manual lock nob. i had to exit the vehicle by crawling over the center console to use the passenger side door. i was finally able to open the driver's door the next day by rapidly locking and unlocking the door using the manual lock nob a good 30 times. the car is a four door and none of the automatic locks work. the car also has 99500 miles. the fact that all four locks have failed is one thing, it's the fact that they can leave you unable to use your door in case of an accident that is the major safety hazard. fixing just the driver's door is costing me $525.00 at a local buick dealership. a quick google search revealed that this is a problem across all gm w-body cars from about 2006 to 2009.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. while reversing out of the driveway, the contact noticed that the instrument panel lighting was not illuminated. the contact was unsure if the headlamps were operable. the contact stated that the headlights failed approximately one year ago when the vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 15v519000 (exterior lighting) at kendall chevrolet of eugene (846 goodpasture island rd, eugene, or 97401(855) 982-8922). the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 89,900.

I have more then one issue. first important issue. while driving down a state road with a peed limit of 50 at 50 mph. my car lost power check engine light came on and the warning light says engine reduced power all acceleration was lost was able to drive at about 30 and was close to a repair shop so got ther they diagnosed a throttle seal. fixed and repaired december 30, 2016. 6/14/2017 while driving at 35 mph the same thing happened again. i have returned to the shop and discussed with gm service center they say no special notice about this issue but i see numerous complaints about the same issue in forums on line. issue 2. the lights on the dash speed, warning info, radio light dim for no reason. issue 3 door locks do not work from key fob or inside car have to work manually the passenger side air bag turns off even when some one in the seat. i have had this repaired once but continues to to this

-door locks won't work with switches, key bof, and sometimes manually. car had 49000 miles and was eight years old when problem began. problem occurs while driving and stationary. dealership estimate to repair is $900. concerned that will not be able

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v519000 (exterior lighting) and 14v355000 (electrical system). the parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. the contact had not experienced a failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. parts distribution disconnect.

My 2008 buick was recalled by buick for safety recall 14291 as instructed i made an appoint at central buick in norwood ma for 08:00 1/11/17 on arrival they took my papers and decided they couldn't do this safety recall on the headlights because the car had a "branded title". i bought this car 5 years ago and it does have a reconstructed title in mass due to a prior accident that was fixed and inspected prior to my buying the car. i don't see why buick refused to replace this relay. it's a safety issue when the headlights refuse to work due to this defective relay. i have twice replaced this relay with standard replacement parts only to have them again fail. please review and advise updated 07/13/2017*js

2008 buick lacrosse. consumer writes in regards to brake system failure, incomplete ignition module recall repairs. *smd

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the vehicle's doors were not locking correctly. the contact would have to manually lock the doors and then activate the locks with the key in order to secure the door locks. the dealer diagnosed that the failure was common and the actuator failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 49,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2008 buick lacrosse. while driving approximately 30 mph and making a left turn, the power steering and brakes seized without warning. as a result, the vehicle crashed into a concrete pole, gas meter, and tree; however, the engine continued to rev. the contact had to make several attempts to turn off the vehicle. the air bags deployed. the vehicle was destroyed and towed. the driver received facial and hand injuries and the passenger received stomach injuries. medical attention was required for the passenger. a police report was filed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the contact's insurance company believed the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system). the failure mileage was 90,696.

All four door lock latches failed at around 70,000 miles. the local buick dealership stated that all 4 sensors were bad and repair them for $1,600. buick has a parts quality issue or a design problem. poses a safety issue if in an accident.

2008 buick lacrosse - airbag light will come on near the speedometer while driving down the road. it will stay on for a couple minutes then shut off. there are 74,000 miles on the vehicle and i just bought it used from a buick dealership. i'm assuming the problem was there with previous owners as well since it happened for the first time as i was driving the car home after purchasing. this happens even if there isn't anyone in the passenger seat at all. i have read numerous complaints about this online as when that light is on the airbag will not deploy in an accident. there are many stories of modules and other things being replaced but it not fixing the problem. this is clearly a safety issue that concerns me.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v755000 (exterior lighting); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact stated that the instrument panel lighting malfunctioned. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the vin was invalid. the failure mileage was unknown. vin tool confirms parts not available.

On dec. 18th my wife and i were driving at night going to a christmas party when the low beam headlights went out without warning.i switched to the high beams as they were still functioning. we went the last mile to our destination on the high beams. i turned off the car to see if that would re;set the lights, it did not. we went to the party and came back to the car apx. 3 hours later. i started the car and the low beams came on..after about 1/2 mile they went out again..so i pulled over and shut off the car to see if they would come on upon re-start,they did not,so we continued on with high beams. after about 10 minutes the low beams came on for the rest of our trip home. the next day i researched the issue on-line and discovered a recall had been issued for this problem i contacted the local buick dealer and was told they were of the problem but had no direction on how to fix it from g.m. my wife called another area buick dealer and recieved the same reply..she was able to get a hold of g.m. and was told they were aware of the issue and would get back to us.. we never r got any recall notice from g.m. i had to print all the forms from the nhtsa web site.. seems to me that this a multi million dollar law suit waiting to happen after something really bad happens (it is only a matter of time). this problem is not just with te buick lacrosse there are other models involved.. so what can be done to get g.m. and their dealers to fix this?

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. while driving at 25 mph, the low beam headlights failed without warning. the contact stated that the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v755000 (exterior lighting). the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 56,000.

While driving on a side street @ 25mph near the parkway entrance my engine cut out without warning. i was able to coast to the side of the road. the engine cranked but would not restart. there was no check engine lite on or indication of a problem at anytime beforehand. the vehicle was towed to an independent service station where it was diagnosed and found that one of the ignition coils (cyl. 1 & 4) had melted and split and the ignition control module had burned out. (i have retained the old parts for future examination if needed). the cost of repair, parts and towing was $438. it was extremely fortunate that the breakdown occurred where it did because in a few minutes i would have been on a busy expressway and bridge. note: vehicle manufacture date was sept. 2007 by gm of canada

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the speedometer failed to work without warning and was displaying an incorrect reading while the vehicle was in operation. the contact also noticed that there was an electrical short on the instrument panel, which impacted the lighting and various gauges as well as the light on the radio. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system), but did not receive a notification. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

I bought this lovely car and thought i got a great deal-now i wonder what i was thinking!! the car drove home from the dealership beautifully, but after 5 days of owning it i was driving down a major highway at 70mph and the headlights shut off. i now have that problem any time i drive at night. the passenger air bag light goes off and on while the seat is occupied and last night i looked outside, only to discover that my headlights were on. nothing i did would make them stay off other than disconnecting the battery. the electrical on this car is obviously a nightmare and i will be looking in to trading this car as soon as possible :(

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. while driving 25 mph, the vehicle hesitated as if it were about to stall and the check engine light illuminated. the contact mentioned that smoke started to emit from the rear passenger seat where a child safety seat was installed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that there was an electrical failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the coil needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,000. the vin was not available.

The air bag indicator light on the dash keeps going on and off, indicating the air bags are off, then on. it doesn't matter if someone is in the passenger seat or not. when someone is in the passenger seat, more times than not it indicates the air bag is off

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that all four of the doors became inoperable when she attempted to use the key fob. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000. updated 09/18/15*lj updated 11/22/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. while traveling approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to merge to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer, who diagnosed that the ignition control module failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 27,000. updated 8/10/15*cn updated 10/11/2017*cn

Three of the four door lock actuators failed at 51000 miles. the local buick dealership removed the door panels and replace the left front, right front and right rear door lock actuators at the cost of $942. it is interesting that buick is unable to manufacture a vehicle in which the door locks can last beyond seven years. my fourteen year old ford taurus has never had a problem with the door locks. general motors and nhtsa need to review the issues posted regarding the 2008 buick lacrosse.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the instrument panel remained dim. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel was working fine. the next day, the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 27,000.

I turned the key in the ignition to start the car. immediately, a very large roar ( like an airplane) occurred just as the engine started. i turned off the ignition fearful of damage to the engine, not knowing what might happen. it would not restart. it was towed to the dealership to have it repaired. the ignition coil had ruptured, ignition module was knocked out. the cost for repair: $800+. two weeks later, the engine light lit up on the dash board display. i returned to the dealership for investigation. the second repair diagnosis repair required the replacement of the fuel pump, the oil pressure sender pump and the air injector pump ( no charge for this). cost: $1004.81. when i tried to drive it home, the engine light lit up again so i returned to the dealership. this time there was a need to replace a emission valve.( no charge). five days later, the engine light lit up again. diagnosis: code po411, air injector pump malfunction. will schedule repair next week ( february 14-21) this ignition coil malfunction caused electrical failures to electronic module, the fuel pump, the air injector pump, the oil pressure pump and the emission valve so far, at great cost to the consumer. more importantly, the fear is that the ignition coil rupture and resulting failure could have caused an engine fire. the sound was deafening and felt like an explosion. i have never experienced this kind of problem with any other of my automobiles. it was a frightening experience. *tr

The car's air bag light by the speedometer has been illuminating intermittently at various speeds whether there is a passenger in the passenger seat or not. the passenger seat air bag on/off light near glove compartment turns to off when the speedometer air bag light illuminates. in june, i took the car into an independent mechanic to get the problem fixed. unfortunately, the computer doesn't store a code for this problem. the mechanic tried to improve the connection to the passenger seat and "relearned" the computer; however, the problem still occurs. mechanic said it "might" be a $1,000 fix which involves part of the passenger seat cushion itself! it cost me $100 to find out this much and attempt a correction, but $1,000 is ridiculous; especially for a "maybe" fix. i see others are having this problem, too. i've already had the ignition switch key fix at the dealership. i also already had the problem with the headlights turning off as we were driving down the road; our independent mechanic fixed that and i'm still waiting for the gm reimbursement on that. hoping we can get gm to fix this air bag problem before it causes injuries.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the fuse box caught on fire and the flames extinguished independently. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the relay shortage needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the headlights failed to function several times. the dealer (parker buick gmc, 4813 arendell st, morehead city, nc 28557, 252-726-5103) indicated that they replaced the hdm three times, but the headlights and daytime running lamps continued to not function. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v519000 (exterior lighting). the dealer stated that they had no information on the recall remedy. the manufacturer was notified that the dealer failed to remedy the recall after three repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was not available. parts distribution disconnect.

Our daughter was driving vehicle with a four year old in back seat when vehicle just died with no warning. she had just turned the corner traveling 20 mph or less and had difficulty steering vehicle to curbside. she stated she could smell something burning and when my husband inspected vehicle he found melted ignition coil on cylinders 2 & 5, a blown fuse, and when taken to mechanic because it would not fire a bad ignition control module. needless to say it was a very expensive fix. *tr

2008 buick lacrosse. consumer writes in regards to customer reimbursement request form for ignition recall. *smd the consumer stated the headlights would go out while driving. *jb

The engine died without warning and would not restart. it happened shortly after i pulled out of a parking area. the mechanic said it was a cracked ignition coil that 'fried' the ignition module and corresponding wires. he also said in thirty years he has never seen anything like it. it was a very expensive repair for a vehicle with so few miles on it. had it happened on a highway, it would have been very dangerous and the passengers in my vehicle would have been hurt or died. *tr

The engine died without warning and would not restart. fortunately, i was on a quiet street and so i could stop curbside. lights etc. worked but power steering, power brakes, engine were all dead. the cause was a cracked ignition coil that shorted and "fried" the ignition module. this was an original-equipment part, probably a delphi gn10123 (from my internet research; i could be wrong). had this happened on a high-speed road, the results could have been disastrous. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from the fuse box. the fuses were melted and burned. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the fuse box housing and fuses needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was unknown.

While driving at highway speed approx. 55mph the orange passenger side air bag light illuminates and says the air bag is disabled. it will fluctuate between being disabled and not being disabled. the red warning light in the instrument panel illuminates also. this only seems to happen when someone is sitting in the passenger side front seat. the individuals that are sitting in the front seat are all over 125lbs.when it has happened. it continues to occur. the passengers all have their seat belts on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

While driving home from store my wife and i smelled something burning three blocks from home. we got home and i checked under the hood and the relay/fuse block on the passenger side was hot and slightly smoldering. i waited a while and the popped off the fuse block cover and saw the hdm module (according to the diagram in the manual) had melted and fused to the block. the melting and burning had also affected the surrounding relays and fuses. i immediately disconnected the battery and scraped away the burnt, fused portion of the hdm relay and visually checked the fuses which were singed or partially melted and replaced the bad ones. i do not have anything to check the relays with. my wife is on oxygen 24-7 and had a tank in the passenger front with her at the time of the incident which, if a fire had spread, could have become a catastrophic incident. after cleaning out the burnt portion of the fuse box of charred remains from the hdm module, i re-connected the battery cables and was able to start the vehicle without incident. the headlights would not work and some gauges appear to be erratic in their readings ( fuel tank and mileage). i then got online and found many 2006 thru 2011 buick's have reported this very same problem but no recall ( to my knowledge) has been issued for this highly dangerous and possibly catastrophic issue inherent in gm and specifically buick products. i purchased this car new and i have never received a notice or recall of any kind. i am in the process of having diagnostics and repairs done by an authorized gm dealer and will know more (hopefully) in the near future. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the rear passenger automatic door lock failed to activate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the door lock needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Door locks will not operate with fob remote passenger rear door will not lock/ unlock at all , other doors may or may not lock/unlock when put in drive or park. fob will sound horn flash lights. *js

While driving north on alternate 69 highway at 65 mph at 5:00 p.m., my vehicle abruptly loss power even though i tried to accelerate. the engine shut off suddenly and without warning. vehicle slowed to a complete stop. i was driving in the middle lane and was unable to get in the shoulder lane because i had no pickup (unable to give gas to accelerate) so my husband and i were caught in five 5:00 traffic with cars whipping around us on both sides and many exceeding 65 mph. i put on my emergency lights and immediately called on-star. i was unable to restart the engine. thank god for on-star because from that point on, i was in terror witnessing cars coming upon us not slowing until they realized i was at a stand still with lights flashing. the cars would swerve to keep from hitting us. it took the highway patrol and police 15 minutes to get to us but during that time, i relived visions of us being killed on the highway. i can't describe the horror, looking out my rear view mirror, witnessing our demise time after time. those 15 minutes seemed like an eternity. when the highway patrol arrived they closed lanes and assisted in pushing car out of the highly traffic lanes. it took my husband and i both to turn the steering while in neutral. the car was towed to conklin fangman kc dealership and i had to replace ignition coil and module that cost me $933.16. they said these parts were not on the recall list, which i have found out since then gm has put dealerships on notice of this problem. it has something to do with supplying enough manufactured parts to take care of recall. if i could afford to purchase another car i would because i don't feel safe any longer in this car. emotionally i am still suffering from the trauma. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. the dealer stated that the part would not be available until approximately three weeks. the manufacturer was not notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Engine light comes on and car goes real slow, then it wont move. doors wont lock/unlock with remote and they wont automatically lock/unlock in park or when you start driving. air bag light for passenger side comes on and off, when someone is sitting there. back tires wore off on insides had to replace them. i don't feel safe anymore. dealer said i should be notified of recalls so it can get my buick repaired. *tr

For the third time, this vehicle has died at a standstill for no apparent reason. it will be performing well until parked. after a span of time, it will not restart. when the key is inserted into the ignition, the motor will not catch or turn over, the key will freeze or lock in the ignition in the "on" position, nothing in the vehicle can be operated - gear shift, radio/player, door locks, trunk lid, etc., etc. etc. the car is completely seized up. inspection will disclose that battery, including brand new battery, is dead ( no voltage whatsoever). only way to restart vehicle is to recharge battery. this has happened three times over span of 9 to 10 months. when battery is recharged, vehicle will operate for months until it is dead again. something is draining the battery, but there no logical explanation; nothing such as radio, lights, etc., is being left on. some auto repair people believe there is a short in the car's wiring harness; others believe the defective ignition system is at fault. *js

2008 buick lacrosse. keys got stuck in ignition after the recall was performed on the vehicle. *ta the consumer stated prior to receiving the recall notices, the vehicle stalled and the vehicle had to be towed to a repair shop. *jb

Air bag warning light on. diagnostic code b0092. the local dealership indicated that the passenger presence module needs to be replaced for $1,229.00 plus tax. according to my research on the internet, there are many other instances of this same issue. buick needs to start standing behind their products, especially when safety is involved. *tr

While driving approximately 25-30 mph the engine died, steering failed; i was able to come to a safe stop. the vehicle would not start. it had to be towed. later found out the ignition coil was cracked (part # 10472401) , ignition control module replaced (part # 19245558) & 15a fuse were replaced. i had been experiencing a gasoline smell in the vehicle for months. i had it into a gm dealer 3 times for the issue without resolution. i was told by the repair station that they were amazed the check engine light had not come on before the failure. apparently the vehicle was only firing on 4 cylinders. *tr

The passenger power door lock fails to un-lock or lock when accessed with the key fob. the malfunction recurred sporadically. when putting vehicle into drive (or when vehicle is turned off) the door doesn't lock or unlock on the passenger side. other door locks are starting to have same problem. the mileage of vehicle was 27,000 and door lock problems began march 17, 2014. have read other reports on internet websites stating this is a common problem on 2005 to 2012 buick lacrosse vehicles and possibly other gm vehicles. this is a potential safety hazard if doors fail to unlock in the event of a wreck, etc. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick lacrosse. the contact stated that the air bag, abs, and brake warning lights illuminated. the contact mentioned the vehicle failed to turn on unless the keys were jiggle in the ignition. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who confirmed the failure. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 43,000.

I have spent the entire summer being stuck at different times of the day and night. i can get in my car and it will not start. the starting disabled/theft deterrent feature pops up on the eic. i have taken the vehicle to the dealership for replacement, key-fob, keys, door handles, and transponder module and it still is causing a problem. what is wrong with this car!? *tr