There are 4 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2008 Buick Lucernein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The transmission started not shifting as I was driving down the road and the relay fuse box caught on fire and I think it’s where the back seat lays on top of the fuse box which rubs the fuses. Which is dangerous bc it catches on fire and could blow the car up while driving
AS I BEGAN TO ENTER A MAJOR HIGHWAY MY TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE FORWARD. I ALMOST WAS STRUCK MY AN EIGHTEEN WHEELER(TRACTOR-TRAILER). THE FORWARD DRIVE BAND COMPLETELY BROKE IN THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK LUCERNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH FUSE ASSEMBLY, INSULATOR HARNESS AND INSULATOR COIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 9/29/14*CN UPDATED 2/25/2015 *JS
THIS IS A REPORT OF A DESIGN FLAW THAT MIGHT RESULT IN A SAFETY ISSUE. I RECENTLY TOOK DELIVERY OF A 2008 BUICK LUCERNE CXL. I PURCHASED THE OPTIONAL SIX-PASSENGER VERSION WHICH MEANS THAT THE GEARSHIFT LEVER IS MOUNTED ON THE STEERING COLUMN INSTEAD OF ON A FLOOR CONSOLE, LIKE MOST OTHER CARS. WHEN THE GEARSHIFT LEVER IS IN THE "DRIVE" POSITION, THE VIEW OF THE RADIO DISPLAY IS OBSCURED, CAUSING ME TO MOVE MY HEAD TO LOOK AROUND THE GEARSHIFT LEVER TO VIEW THE DISPLAY. AS A RESULT, MY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD IS MUCH MORE DISTRACTED THAN IF I HAD AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE RADIO DISPLAY. THIS COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. *TR
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 26, 2026