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2012 Buick Lacrosse

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Buick Lacrosse do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 129.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

138 reports with mileage · 67 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports4 fire reports5 injury reports

What owners actually said

205 reports
Mileage unknown · Nov 13, 2014
Electrical System

2012 BUICK LACROSSE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO WIRING CONDUIT ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE WIRING CONDUIT FAILED TO MEET THE FIREWALL AT APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES. WHICH LEFT THE TAPED WIRES LOOSE. AS HE LOOKED THROUGH THE COWL SCREEN, THE WIRES WERE TAPED TO WHERE THE WIRES ENTERED THE BODY. THE TAPES WIRES APPEAR…

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2012 BUICK LACROSSE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO WIRING CONDUIT ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE WIRING CONDUIT FAILED TO MEET THE FIREWALL AT APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES. WHICH LEFT THE TAPED WIRES LOOSE. AS HE LOOKED THROUGH THE COWL SCREEN, THE WIRES WERE TAPED TO WHERE THE WIRES ENTERED THE BODY. THE TAPES WIRES APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN TAPED 8-12 INCHES, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE., IF THE WIRES FAILED OR RUBBED TOGETHER.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10652256

39,000 miles · Oct 17, 2014
Electrical SystemPower Train

AT AROUND 70 MPH THE DOORS UNLOCK AND LOCK AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVER REV. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10648462

42,430 miles · Oct 3, 2014
Electrical SystemEngineSteering

VEHICLE WAS EXCESSIVELY ROUGH IN TRANSITION BETWEEN HYBRID AND ENGINE POWER AND WOULD JERK AS IF SOMEONE HAD PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK WHILE MOVING. VEHICLE LOST ELECTRICAL POWER TO AC, RADIO AND OTHER ACCESSORIES. VEHICLE SHUTOFF AND HAD TO BE STOPPED AND PLACED INTO PARK BEFORE IT WOULD RESTART. VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERI…

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VEHICLE WAS EXCESSIVELY ROUGH IN TRANSITION BETWEEN HYBRID AND ENGINE POWER AND WOULD JERK AS IF SOMEONE HAD PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK WHILE MOVING. VEHICLE LOST ELECTRICAL POWER TO AC, RADIO AND OTHER ACCESSORIES. VEHICLE SHUTOFF AND HAD TO BE STOPPED AND PLACED INTO PARK BEFORE IT WOULD RESTART. VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING AND THE STEERING WOULD STAY LOCKED IN POSITION UNTIL THE VEHICLE ROLLED ABOUT 10-15 FEET OR UNTIL THE VEHICLE TRANSITIONED TO ENGINE POWER. THESE CONDITION REPEATED MULTIPLE TIMES IN A TWO DAY SPAN, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER REPLACED A SOLENOID AND AN ENGINE MOUNT STATING THEY HAD EXCESSIVE WEAR. THE VEHICLE NOW STAYS RUNNING, BUT I CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE ROUGH TRANSITION BETWEEN MODES. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE OTHER PARTS AND THAT THE VEHICLE SHUTDOWN AND STEERING LOSS WILL OCCUR AGAIN. IF IT DOES, THE DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, INJURY, OR LOSS OF LIFE COULD EASILY OCCUR GIVEN THE LACK OF DRIVABILITY AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE CONDITION OCCURS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10641285

Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 2014
Electrical SystemEquipment Adaptive/mobilitySteering

2012 BUICK LACROSSE WITH LESS THAN 45K, THE CAR HAS NOT STARTED FOR 3 DAYS AND CAR WILL FINALLY START AFTER THE KEY IS LEFT IN THE IGNITION FOR ABOUT A MINUTE THEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND SCREEN COME ON (APPEARING AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS JUST CHARGED) THE CAR HAS HAD LIMITED STEERING CONTROL THE "POWER STEERING SERVICE SOON" LIGH…

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2012 BUICK LACROSSE WITH LESS THAN 45K, THE CAR HAS NOT STARTED FOR 3 DAYS AND CAR WILL FINALLY START AFTER THE KEY IS LEFT IN THE IGNITION FOR ABOUT A MINUTE THEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND SCREEN COME ON (APPEARING AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS JUST CHARGED) THE CAR HAS HAD LIMITED STEERING CONTROL THE "POWER STEERING SERVICE SOON" LIGHT APPEARS A LONG WITH ANOTHER WARNING LIGHT THAT SAYS '' ROLL DRIVERS WINDOW UP, THEN DOWN" THE WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL DOWN NEITHER DO THE LOCKS WORK IN THE CAR.I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE WHILE ALL THIS WAS TAKING PLACE. I HAVE CONTACTED GM FOR 2 DAYS NOW,A GM REP NAMED "RUPERT" TOOK THE INITIAL CALL AND SAID " DON'T WORRY, IT'S ALL COVERED GM WILL TAKE CARE OF IT" ( THESE CALLS ARE RECORDED.) I MADE IT TO A FRIENDS HOUSE ENOUGH TO GET GM TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALER, [XXX] SAID THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM. 22 MILES AWAY. 8:30 AM WAS WHEN THE CALL WAS INITIATED AND A CALL FROM GM ROADSIDE ASSIST WAS MADE TO ME AT 9:30AM WITH A 2H ETA. THE FIRST TOW TRUCK BROKE DOWN AND I HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE BACK ONCE THE FIRST TOW TRUCK DID NOT SHOW UP 30 MIN PAST THE GIVEN ETA. FINALLY THE SECOND TOW TRUCK ARRIVES AT 1310 AND TAKES MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. I CALL THE DEALERSHIP TO DISCUSS THE RENTAL CAR PROMISED BY GM, THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT GM ONLY COVERS A RENTAL FOR 3 DAYS, BUT IT WILL BE AT THE MINIMUM 7 DAYS BEFORE MY CAR IS EVEN LOOKED AT, SO I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR 4 DAYS UNTIL MY CAR IS EVEN LOOKED AT, THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE TIME TO FIX THE PROBLEM IF IT CAN BE FIXED RIGHT AWAY. AFTER SPEAKING TO 6 TIER 2 REPS SPECIALIST AND MANAGERS I HAVE NO ANSWERS WITH A BROKEN CAR, A RENTAL THAT IS HALF THE SIZE AS MY LACROSSE AND I STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL. LUCKY I DID NOT DIE DRIVING! THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10632504

13,653 miles · Sep 10, 2014
Structure

THE HOOD BEGAN TO OPEN WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES AND GENERAL MOTORS SENT OUT AN ENGINEER TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. I THINK G, M, SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED YOUR AGENCY AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP THAT MANY TIMES. MY MOTHER IS 77 , MY FATHER IS 83 ( US ARMY RE-TIRED E-9 ) AND I AM LOOKING…

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THE HOOD BEGAN TO OPEN WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 7 TIMES AND GENERAL MOTORS SENT OUT AN ENGINEER TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. I THINK G, M, SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED YOUR AGENCY AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP THAT MANY TIMES. MY MOTHER IS 77 , MY FATHER IS 83 ( US ARMY RE-TIRED E-9 ) AND I AM LOOKING FOR HELP FROM YOUR AGENCY ON THEIR BEHALF. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10632256

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 2014
Unknown Or Other

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN MURPHY ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE 2012 BUICK LACROSSE MALFUNCTION. *SMD

NHTSA ODI #10630800

2,000 miles · Aug 6, 2014
EnginePower Train

THE CAR WAS 5 MONTHS OLD. WE WERE GOING DOWNHILL IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WV. THE CAR SEEMED TO LOSE POWER OF PROPULSION AND ACCELERATION, SO WE COASTED TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR ACCELERATE AT ALL, ALTHOUGH THE TACHOMETER WOULD MOVE WHEN WE ACCELERATED. THIS WAS A FRIGHTENING EXP…

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THE CAR WAS 5 MONTHS OLD. WE WERE GOING DOWNHILL IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WV. THE CAR SEEMED TO LOSE POWER OF PROPULSION AND ACCELERATION, SO WE COASTED TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR ACCELERATE AT ALL, ALTHOUGH THE TACHOMETER WOULD MOVE WHEN WE ACCELERATED. THIS WAS A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. WE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN HIT BY A TRUCK. THE SERVICE PEOPLE FOUND NO DEFECTS. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE NOT LOST POWER, BUT THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION LURCHES WHEN WE STOP ACCELERATING AND SLOW TO 32 MPH. THIS GIVES US A RIDE THAT IS NOT SMOOTH, AND AT TIMES IS UNCOMFORTABLE. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUES ONLINE, AND WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY WHILE DRIVING OUR CAR, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEEDS AND ON HIGHWAYS. THE GM DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT DENIES THERE IS A DEFECT THAT CAN BE FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10619459

13,030 miles · Aug 5, 2014
Electrical System

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BUICK LACROSSE. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE AIR CONDITIONER FAN CONTROL MECHANISM, ALL FOUR DOORS IN THE VEHICLE WOULD UNLOCK INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVEN TIMES. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APP…

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TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BUICK LACROSSE. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE AIR CONDITIONER FAN CONTROL MECHANISM, ALL FOUR DOORS IN THE VEHICLE WOULD UNLOCK INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVEN TIMES. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,030. JCC UPDATED 09/05/14*LJ UPDATED 12/3/2014 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10619019

Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2014
Structure

2012 BUICK LACROSSE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE DOORS ISSUE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE LOWER CORNER OF THE DOOR WAS SQUARE, FORMING A POINT. IF THE DOOR WAS NOT FULLY OPENED, AS THE CASE MAY BE IN A NARROW PARKING SPACE, A PERSON ENTERING THE VEHICLE CAN BE INJURED BY THE POINTED SURFACE. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10618551

12,000 miles · Jul 12, 2014
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STALLING AFTER SLOWING AND THEN ACCELERATING. THE FIRST 3 TIMES WERE NOT AS FRIGHTENING AS THE ONE THAT OCCURRED ON 7-7-2014.RETURNING FROM A TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS,AS I EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND BEGAN TO RAMP OFF, THE CAR STALLED TO THE POINT OF NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING. IT L…

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FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STALLING AFTER SLOWING AND THEN ACCELERATING. THE FIRST 3 TIMES WERE NOT AS FRIGHTENING AS THE ONE THAT OCCURRED ON 7-7-2014.RETURNING FROM A TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS,AS I EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND BEGAN TO RAMP OFF, THE CAR STALLED TO THE POINT OF NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING. IT LURCHED TO REGAIN SPEED AND FINALLY RECOVERED. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER ON 7-10-2014 AND THEY DID DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND FOUND NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO DO WHEN THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. I AM AFRAID OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED. THE DEALER SAID TO BRING IT BACK IF THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. MY QUESTION--WHAT IF THE NEXT TIME IT CAUSES A CRASH? CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME GET RESOLUTION AS MY WARRANTY EXPIRES IN FEB. 2015. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10610061

Official recalls

5

21V00F000 · Suspension:rear

Dec 22, 2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse, 2012-2013 Buick Regal, and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received an improper amount of electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately fracture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 27, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212346640. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recalls 20V-764 and 21V-633.

20V764000 · Suspension:rear

Dec 21, 2020

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Buick Regal, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2010-2013 Buick Lacrosse vehicles sold or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. These vehicles may have rear toe links that received excessive electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. Over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. Corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately to fracture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners were mailed an interim notification on January 27, 2021, and April 15, 2021. A third notification was mailed on August 19, 201. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202308930.

14V447000 · Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust

Jul 23, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.

13V173000 · Electrical System

May 6, 2013

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, and model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles equipped with eAssist. These vehicles may have a condition in which the Generator Control Module (GCM) may not function properly. This could cause a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the vehicle is continued to be driven, the engine may stall and/or the vehicle may not start. In addition, there may be a burning or melting odor, smoke, and possibly a fire in the trunk.

Remedy: GM will notify owners and dealers will test the GCM and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13136.

11V404000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc)

Aug 3, 2011

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 BUICK LACROSSE PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 9, 2011, THROUGH JULY 2, 2011, FOR FAILING TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 126, "ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEMS (ESC)." THE STABILITRAK SYSTEM HAS AN INCORRECT CALIBRATION THAT MAY CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO NOT PROPERLY DETECT IF A SENSOR WERE TO MALFUNCTION, AND THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATING THAT THE SYSTEM IS NOT OPERATING WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE, AS REQUIRED IN THE SAFETY STANDARD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE IMPROPER DIAGNOSING MAY CAUSE THE ESC TO FALSELY ACTIVATE, RESULTING IN SUDDEN CHANGES IN VEHICLE HANDLING AND DECELERATION, PARTICULARLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS, WHICH MAY CAUSE THE DRIVER DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING THE VEHICLE'S DESIRED PATH OF TRAVEL AND DESIRED VEHICLE SPEED, AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: GM DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

AQ14001 · Sands Chevrolet/hybrid System Fire/stall

Opened May 2, 2014 · Closed May 22, 2016

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System

NHTSA opened AQ14-001 to determine whether Sands Chevrolet of Surprise, Arizona complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations. The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and, in turn, that a dealer not sell and deliver a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed (49 U.S.C. ?? 30112(a), 30120(i)).NHTSA issued an information request (IR) letter to Sands Chevrolet on May 5, 2014.Sands Chevrolet responded to this request on May 22, 2014.To ensure NHTSA?s information request encompassed all possible reference codes for General Motors recall 13V-173, NHTSA issued another IR letter to Sands Chevrolet on June 8, 2015.Again, a response letter was received on June 9, 2015.NHTSA?s investigation indicated that Sands Chevrolet did sell and deliver recalled vehicles that did not have the recall remedy completed at the time the vehicles were delivered to the customers.NHTSA therefore concluded that Sands Chevrolet was liable for civil penalties for violations of the Safety Act, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. ? 30165.Under a Settlement Agreement dated March 24, 2016, Sands Chevrolet represented that it improved its processes to verify that it checks every vehicle for recalls prior to delivery to the purchaser and that it has not sold and delivered any unremedied new motor vehicles since June 9, 2015.Sands Chevrolet also represented that it now also checks for open recalls on every customer vehicle brought in for service, and that it checks for open recalls on every used trade-in vehicle, regardless of make or model, and takes steps to have all used trade-in vehicles repaired prior to retail sale. Sands Chevrolet admitted to violating the law and must pay civil penalties in the amount of $40,000.This Audit Query is closed.

RQ13003 · Generator Control Module Fires

Opened Jul 5, 2013 · Closed Jul 22, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System:traction Battery

On July 5, 2013 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ13-003 to investigate whether the service procedures utilized in recall bulletins 13136 and 13142 for safety recall 13V-173 were sufficient to identify the safety defect in the subject vehicles.These safety recalls were issue on May 3, 2013 to address the improper function of the Generator Control Module (GCM) in certain model year (MY) 2012-13 Buick LaCrosse and Regal and MY 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco equipped with eAssist.This condition may result in a loss of battery charge, engine stall and/or inability for the vehicle to start.In severe cases it may also lead to odor, smoke and possibly a fire in the trunk.During discussions with General Motors (GM), ODI was informed that the subject vehicles could be separated into 4 distinct build populations, or groups. Group A contained vehicles built from the start of production through 3/19/2012.Group B involved vehicles built from 3/20/2012 to 8/20/2012, group C from 8/21/2012 to 12/31/12, and group D from 1/1/2013 onwards.Bulletin 13136 instructed dealers to inspect and, if necessary, replace the GCM for vehicles in groups A or C.Bulletin 13142 instructed dealers to replace the GCM of any vehicle in group B.Group D vehicles were not recalled.All eAssist vehicles have a Powerpack which contains a BAS (belt alternator-starter) Power Inverter Module (BPIM)/Accessory Power Module (APM) and a 115-V Lithium-Ion battery.The Powerpack is known by GM's Part Description System as the GCM and Battery Module. The BPIM/APM contains 3 multi-layered printed circuit boards (PCBs) comprised of conductive layers separated by isolating layers.Vehicles built within the time periods of groups A and B had PCBs using single isolation layers.Vehicles build in group C had dual isolation layers on 1 of the 3 PCBs, and group D had all 3 PCBs built with dual insulation.Adding dual insulation to a PCB makes it more robust to material and manufacturing variations, and ultimately less susceptible to an electrical short circuit and subsequent failure.Through initial analysis of the GCM failures, GM identified that vehicles within group B contained PCBs that were contaminated during production due to increased production volumes that resulted in inadequate quality control.GM also noted that GCM failures occurred early in the life of the vehicle (typically <1000 miles).Therefore a service procedure was developed to replicate early life failures by subjecting the GCM to high current loads which would cause the identified failure mechanism (copper migration) to occur quickly and reveal any underlying PCB defect.Although groups A and C were built with PCBs containing single layer PCBs, they were built using better quality control, and as the data supports, experienced significantly lower failures.GM advised that for these reasons the two different service procedures were used in the Recall 13V-173 population.In response to ODI's Information Request (IR) GM submitted 234 unique reports related to the alleged problem. It was noted that 197 (84%) of the received reports fell into the group B population.The 2 fire incidents noted were events in which flames were evident and/or damage was experienced outside of the GCM. Both of these incidents involved group B vehicles. One hundred four warranty claims were also submitted in response to the IR, with 96 claims (92%) from group B.It was also noted that none of the claims from groups A or C occurred after the service procedure was conducted, and that the majority of the A or C incidents occurred during the service procedure.Given the data, ODI believes the ser