There are 10 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2005 Buick LaCrossein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHIFTED ABNORMALLY. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000. *TT CONSUMER STATED TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING. UPDATED 11/20/18*JB
I SMELL SOMETHING LIKE BURNING WIRES. THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT IS ON. AUTOMATIC SHIFTING JERKS. I AM AFRAID OF BEING STRANDED SOMEWHERE. I AM 70 YEARS OLD AND NEED MY CAR TO BE RELIABLE.
"TAKATA RECALL" WE BOUGHT A USED 2005 BUICK LACROSSE FOR OUR SON IN APRIL 2016; AT FIRST IT RAN PERFECT AND THEN WE NOTICED A THUMP WHEN CHANGING GEARS (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). TWO WEEKS AGO MY SON WAS GOING TO THE STORE AND "DRIVE" STOPPED WORKING. NOW IT IS SITTING IN THE YARD AND WILL ONLY GO INTO 1ST AND 2ND GEAR AND REVERSE. IT WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE.
WHILE SITTING AT RED LIGHT WOULD NOT MOVE ON GREEN, HAD CHECKED COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. THEN DURING MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY LOST ALL POWER, ALMOST GOT HIT. THEN STARTING SURGING. TO DEALER AGAIN, COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. KEPT ACTING UP, IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN. THIS IS THE 2ND REBUILD ON THIS VERY MUCH USED TRANSMISSION MODEL IN GM VEHICLES.
MY 2005 BUICK LACROSSE HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION SINCE I BOUGHT IT USED IN 2006, IF YOU STEP ON THE GAS BETWEEN 50 AND 60MPH THE ENGINE DIES, NO WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND YOU HAVE TO IDLE OUT OF TRAFFIC UNTIL THE SYSTEM COMES BACK ON, I TOOK IT TO BUICK AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, TO THIS DAY YOU HAVE TO WATCH YOUR SPEED WHEN PASSING SO THAT YOU DO NOT LOSE POWER. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK LACROSSE. WHENEVER THE CONTACT PLACES THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, HE HEARS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE AND IT FEELS AS IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN GEAR. AFTER A WHILE, THE ENGINE WILL REV AND FINALLY SHIFT INTO THE PROPER GEAR. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 15 MPH, IT FEELS AS IF THE GEARS ARE CHANGING AND THE CLUNKING NOISE IS HEARD AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS WORKING PROPERLY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
2005 BUICK LACROSSE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 81,000 MILES- TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP BEFORE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED WITH THE HARD SHIFTING PROBLEM BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT THEY STATED IT WASN'T THE TRANSMISSION- TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT AT MY COST $2,500. PER GOOGLE SEARCH THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR HAVE HAD. *TR
AT TIMES, CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO INCREASE SPEED, USUALLY WHEN ACCELERATING INTO HIGH SPEED, THE CAR DOES NOTHING FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN IT BEGINS TO BUCK, STILL WITH NO SPEED ACCELERATION. IT HAS LASTED FROM A FEW SECONDS TO 10 MINUTES. IT ONLY HAPPENS PERIODICALLY, AND NO TROUBLE LIGHTS APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD. *JB
CAR LOOSES POWER WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE. HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS. ONCE WHILE ON I-95 IN GEORGIA, A SEMI-TRUCK ALMOST REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY SAY IT COULD BE THE WIRELESS ACCELERATOR THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT UNLESS THEY CAN PERSONALLY DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB
CONSUMER COMPLAINT CONCERNING 2005 LACROSSE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. *TS *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026