The 2012 LaCrosse on the GM Epsilon II platform is generally reliable, but the 3.6L V6 with the 6T70/75 transmission has some notable weak points, particularly transmission cooling and AFM-related engine failures on higher-mileage examples.
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Leaks and Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Transmission fluid pooling under vehicle near radiator, Pink/red fluid mixed in coolant reservoir, Transmission overheating or erratic shifting, Milky transmission fluid (coolant cross-contamination)
Fix: Replace transmission oil cooler lines and often the internal cooler in the radiator. If coolant contaminated the trans, flush and sometimes full rebuild required. 3-4 hours for lines only, 8-15 hours if transmission rebuild needed.
Estimated cost: $600-1,200 for lines/cooler, $2,500-4,500 if transmission damaged
Active Fuel Management (AFM) Lifter and Piston Ring Failure (3.6L V6)
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 100,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Excessive oil consumption (quart every 500-1,000 miles), Ticking or tapping from valve train at startup, Misfires on cylinders 1, 4, 6, or 7 (AFM cylinders), Check engine light with P0300-P0308 misfire codes
Fix: AFM lifters collapse or piston rings carbon up and fail. Requires cylinder head removal, lifter replacement, and often piston ring service or full engine rebuild. 18-25 hours labor for proper repair with rings.
Estimated cost: $3,500-6,500
Transmission Mount Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 80,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking when shifting from Park to Drive/Reverse, Vibration during acceleration, Engine/transmission feels like it's moving excessively, Visible cracks or separation in rubber mount
Fix: Upper transmission mount tears due to torque loads and age. Replace mount, sometimes also replace torque strut mounts. 1.5-2.5 hours labor.
Estimated cost: $250-450
Rear Suspension Trailing Arm Bushing Deterioration
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking over bumps from rear suspension, Wandering or loose feeling in rear end, Uneven rear tire wear, Visible cracks or voids in rubber bushings
Fix: Rear trailing arm bushings crack and separate. Requires pressing out old bushings and installing new ones, sometimes replacing entire control arms if bushings won't press. 2-3 hours per side, alignment required.
Estimated cost: $500-900
Electronic Stability Control Module Failure
Rare · medium severity
Symptoms: StabiliTrak warning light illuminated, Traction control disabled message, ABS light may also illuminate, Loss of stability control and traction control functions
Fix: ESC module fails internally, usually not repairable. Replace module and reprogram. Covered by NHTSA recall 14V-301 for some VINs, check eligibility. 1.5-2 hours labor if not recall.
Estimated cost: $800-1,400 or $0 if recall applies
Water Pump Failure (3.6L V6)
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Coolant leak from front timing cover area, Squealing or grinding noise from engine front, Overheating, Coolant smell from engine bay
Fix: Water pump is internal, driven by timing chain. Requires front cover removal, timing chain work. Do timing chains, guides, and tensioners while in there. 6-9 hours labor.
Estimated cost: $1,200-2,200
Owner tips
On 3.6L V6 models, use quality synthetic oil and change every 5,000 miles maximum to minimize AFM lifter and piston ring issues
Check transmission cooler lines during every oil change — catch leaks before fluid cross-contaminates
Inspect transmission fluid color regularly; any pink tint means coolant intrusion, requires immediate attention
Consider AFM disable module or tune if keeping long-term to prevent expensive lifter/ring failures
Decent buy if transmission cooler lines and engine health check out, but budget for AFM-related engine work on higher-mileage 3.6L examples — have a pre-purchase compression test done.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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: 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.
SUSPENSION:REAR · 20V764000
2020-12-21
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: 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.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST · 14V447000
2014-07-23
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: 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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · 13V173000
2013-05-06
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: 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.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) · 11V404000
2011-08-03
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: 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.
Vehicle Info — 2012 Buick LaCrosse
Performance
Horsepower
280hp
Torque
259lb-ft
Fuel economy (EPA)
City
17mpg
Highway
27mpg
Combined
21mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
Capability & size
Seating
5seats
EPA class
Midsize Cars
Wiper blades
Second generation (2010-2016). Sedan body style has no rear wiper.
Size-standard part numbers — verify your connector type before buying. Rear blades are model-specific; check the package's vehicle list.
Fuel economy figures are EPA data via fueleconomy.gov (median across matching trims). Performance figures are compiled estimates for the 2012 Buick LaCrosse 3.6L V6 and can vary by trim.
🔧 Built by master technician Chris Hackleman · Master Technician · 20+ years.