The 2009 Buick LaCrosse has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 5 recurring issue clusters, led by “Low-beam headlight failure amid recall parts shortage.” Buick uses the GM Oil Life System: an algorithm tracks engine revolutions and temperature, then lights the change-oil message — typically every 7,500 miles in mixed driving, capped at 12 months, using dexos-approved oil. Current Encore GX and Envista run 1.2/1.3L turbo three-cylinders where oil quality matters more than volume drivers expect (the sump is small and turbo-heated). Front-drive models pair to a CVT with a published fluid interval — it is not a lifetime part.
No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2009 Buick LaCrosse.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
46 NHTSA complaints · 2013-07 → 2023-12
“BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN THE DARK”
“LOSS OF LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS”
“WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 9:33PM I NOTICED MY AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS HAD SWITCHED OFF, AFTER NOTICING OTHER DRIVERS FLASHING THEIR HEADLIGHTS TO WARN ME, I HAD TO USE MY HIGH BEAMS TO DRIVE”
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE
10 NHTSA complaints · 2011-11 → 2019-09
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK LACROSSE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE THROTTLE BEGAN TO FAIL. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED BEFORE OR AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED”
“WHILE ENTERING A PARKING LOT AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT VERY HIGH RPMS AND JUMPED THE CURB HITTING A TREE, EXTREME PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE.. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IN 2 DAYS THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED”
“THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. TWICE I WAS GOING ABOUT 55 OR 60 MILES PER HOUR AND SUDDENLY I HAD REDUCED POWER. THIS HAPPENED IN JULY AND THEN SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. MY ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND CODES SHOW THAT P1125, ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR FAULT,”
AIR BAGS
27 NHTSA complaints · 2011-12 → 2024-06
“CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE AIR BAGS. CONSUMER STATES IT WOULD SHOW AIR BAGS OFF ABOUT ONCE A WEEK OR SO FOR A SHORT TIME AND KEEPS GETTING WORSE MORE OFTEN”
“FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHEN OCCUPIED - THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT NOT ON INDICATOR LIGHT WILL GO ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY UNDER ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING STATIONARY”
“AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE IS OFF 50% OF TIME WHEN CARRYING A PASSENGER ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS FAIL TO OPERATE ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND ON OCCASIONS WHEN THEY WORK YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DOORS”
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
13 NHTSA complaints · 2014-08 → 2018-12
“I ROLLED UP TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. UPON WAITING FOR THE LEFT TURN ARROW TO COME ON THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN .... NONE OF THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR WOULD WORK AND IT WOULD NOT RESTART”
“IN JANUARY OF 2015 THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK SYSTEM BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. THE REMOTE FIRST FAILED TO CONTROL THE RIGHT REAR DOOR. THEN THE MALFUNCTION SPREAD TO THE LEFT FRONT DOOR LOCK. THE SITUATION BECAME WORSE UNTIL THE ENTIRE LOCKING SYSTEM COULD ONLY BE CONTROLLED MANUALLY”
“AT 80XXX MILES THE DRIVERS FRONT DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR BECAME INOPERATIVE. AT 90XXX MILES THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR BECAME INOPERATIVE. AT 96XXX MILES THE PASSENGER REAR DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR BECAME INOPERATIVE. EACH RUNS $250-300 TO REPAIR”
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
4 NHTSA complaints · 2014-07 → 2015-11
“THE OWNER HAD BEEN SMELLING A BAD ODOR WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT HER DESTINATION IN A MALL PARKING LOT. THE ODOR DID NOT FADE WHEN THE VEHICLE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND SUBSEQUENTLY OPENED THE HOOD. BLACK SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE FUSE BLOCK”
“I WAS DRIVING ON PARKWAY IN NASSAU COUNTY AT 11:30 AM ON 7/2/15 ON A SUNNY DAY AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED GOING UP AND DOWN SLOWLY, I HAD NOT PUT THEM ON. WHILE DRIVING I TRIED TO STOP THE WIPERS TO NO AVAIL. THE COMPUTER ON DASHBOARD STATED 'OPEN HOOD'”
“THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER:14V755000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REMEDY WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. WHEN THE CONTACT OPENED UP THE PANEL WHERE THE MODULE WAS REPLACED, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE FUSE PANEL WAS BURNING”
Issues on other model years
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.
We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.
Critical for safety and preventing major damage
Change when the Oil Life System calls it — typically around 7,500 miles, never beyond 12 months. dexos1 0W-20 on modern engines. Small-displacement turbos (Encore GX, Envista): don't stretch the indicator.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$120–$160
Shop
~$85–$115
DIY
~$25–$55
Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.
Rotate every 7,500 miles with the oil change — GM pairs the two in its schedule.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.
Inspect pads, rotors, and lines at every service. Older Centurys: check rear drum adjustment and parking-brake cables, which seize with age.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.
FWD Encore GX and Envista use a CVT: GM schedules fluid replacement around 45,000 miles under severe service — which includes most city commuting. AWD Encore GX uses a 9-speed automatic instead (see transmission fluid).
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$360–$500
Shop
~$255–$355
DIY
~$80–$180
CVT fluid is manufacturer-specific and pricey — do NOT substitute conventional ATF.
Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently
Conventional automatics (Century's 4T65-E, Regal's Aisin, AWD Encore GX's 9-speed): GM lists 45,000 miles severe / longer normal. Older Buicks respond well to a simple drain-and-fill — avoid pressure flushes on high-mile units.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$330–$500
Shop
~$235–$355
DIY
~$60–$180
Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.
Small-turbo three-cylinders (Encore GX, Envista): roughly every 60,000 miles — check the manual. Older 3.1/3.8 V6s: iridium plugs last to 100,000 miles.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$390
Shop
~$200–$275
DIY
~$25–$100
Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.
GM schedules replacement around 45,000 miles; inspect at every oil change in dusty regions.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.
Inspect from 60,000 miles; replace on cracking or glazing rather than mileage alone.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$195–$235
Shop
~$135–$165
DIY
~$20–$50
DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.
Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort
Replace roughly every 22,500 miles per GM's schedule — behind the glovebox on modern Buicks.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.
Dex-Cool is rated 5 years / 150,000 miles. On older 3.1/3.8 V6s, intake-gasket seepage was the classic failure — check coolant level and condition at every oil change on a Century.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$330
Shop
~$200–$235
DIY
~$25–$60
Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.
Test annually after year 3. Stop-start-equipped Encore GX/Envista use AGM batteries — replace like-for-like, not with a cheaper flooded battery.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$225–$390
Shop
~$160–$280
DIY
~$130–$250
Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.
Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)
41 crashes 1990–2024
How the 41 occupant deaths break down
32
driver deaths
9
passenger deaths
41
occupant deaths
Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 2009 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number
FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.
Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.
Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.
IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.
Owner-reported problem signals
Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.
3
complaints mentioning a crash
4
complaints mentioning a fire
Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.
How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.
This maintenance schedule for the 2009 Buick LaCrosse reflects Buick's published service intervals and the GM Oil Life System system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.