2011 BUICK LUCERNE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
3/5
Safety Rating
60
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
8
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE
The 2011 BUICK LUCERNE has received a total of 60 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 3 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES. 8 technical service bulletins have been issued by General Motors, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (20 complaints), Service Brakes (4 complaints), and Vehicle Speed Control (4 complaints).
Recalls for the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE, potentially affecting up to 3,155,511 vehicles.
Recall 14V355000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
| 3,141,731 vehicles affected
Defect: This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac...
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners...
View full details →Recall 10V553000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
| 13,780 vehicles affected
Defect: GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 DTS AND BUICK LUCERNE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V8 ENGINES. THE STARTER OR ALTERNATOR CABLE IS IN CONTACT WITH THE POWER STEERING RETURN LINE. IF EITHER THE STARTER OR ALTERNATOR CABLE IS CONTACTING THE POWER STEERING RETURN LINE, THE CABLE COULD WEAR THROUGH THE LINE, CAUSING A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK.
Consequence: A POWER STEERING LEAK COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH, AND/OR THE LEAK ONTO HOT ENGINE PARTS COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL SECURE AND IF NECESSARY REROUTE THE LINES TO PREVENT CONTACT. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 19, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080 AND AT THE...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE
60 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryfuel Pump | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingengine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust System | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipmentotherownersserviceother Manual | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Trainautomatic Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentshoses Linespiping And Fittings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebodydoorhandleinterior | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tiressidewall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while using the front driver's side interior door handle to exit the vehicle, there was an abnormal cracking sound coming from the door. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the front driver's side door handle was replaced approximately 4-5 times. The vehicle was recently repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
Passenger rear tire blew out the side wall all around the tire. The dealer that installed the tire has it for warranty. It was an large noise and I was able to pull to the side of the road immediately without loosing control. Yes the problem was reported to the dealer that put the new Falken tires on my car in September of 2025. The tires only had about 2,000 miles. My tire has tire pressure monitors on it, they did not alert me to a low tire pressure. I do have a few pictures of the tire showing the whole side wall blew out all around the tire. I am concerned for the safety of my family and anyone else that has this tire. I still have 4 of these tires on my car and I am worried that if another one blew out, it could end up in a serious crash.
Several malfunction indicator lights in dash appeared suddenly. Car would not start after shutting off. Finally started and drove to repair shop. Diagnosed as faulty ride height sensor. Shop searched for part at several dealers and online and found the part was discontinued in 2021. I contacted Buick and was offered $1500 off on a new GM car. I have not received any suggestions on how to repair the car or remove malfunction indicator lights which I specifically asked for. The repair shop is waiting for me to find the part and I have not been able to find one. Dealers have no answer and neither does Buick. The repair shop says it will start if sensor is unplugged but suspension will not work and dash will still have malfunction indicator lights. It is my opinion to operate under these conditions, it would definitely be hazardous.
Several malfunction indicator lights in dash appeared suddenly. Car would not start after shutting off. Finally started and drove to repair shop. Diagnosed as faulty ride height sensor. Shop searched for part at several dealers and online and found the part was discontinued in 2021. I contacted Buick and was offered $1500 off on a new GM car. I have not received any suggestions on how to repair the car or remove malfunction indicator lights which I specifically asked for. The repair shop is waiting for me to find the part and I have not been able to find one. Dealers have no answer and neither does Buick. The repair shop says it will start if sensor is unplugged but suspension will not work and dash will still have malfunction indicator lights. It is my opinion to operate under these conditions, it would definitely be hazardous.
Several malfunction indicator lights in dash appeared suddenly. Car would not start after shutting off. Finally started and drove to repair shop. Diagnosed as faulty ride height sensor. Shop searched for part at several dealers and online and found the part was discontinued in 2021. I contacted Buick and was offered $1500 off on a new GM car. I have not received any suggestions on how to repair the car or remove malfunction indicator lights which I specifically asked for. The repair shop is waiting for me to find the part and I have not been able to find one. Dealers have no answer and neither does Buick. The repair shop says it will start if sensor is unplugged but suspension will not work and dash will still have malfunction indicator lights. It is my opinion to operate under these conditions, it would definitely be hazardous.
Safety Rating for the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE
The 2011 BUICK LUCERNE received an overall safety rating of 3 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★☆☆☆ (2/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE
General Motors, LLC has issued 8 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
070089037P — EQUIPMENT
This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information for GM courtesy transportation and roadside assistance programs.
18226-01 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Special Coverage Adjustment - certain vehicles the vehicle?s rear-seat bracketcould contact the vehicle?s Rear Electrical Center (REC), which can, over time, damage electrical components within the RECenclosure. If damage occurs, the components can melt or overheat, which the customer may detect by a melting odor in thevehicle. Damage could also...
100845001F — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
This bulletin provides information for electrical ground repairs using new replacement fasteners with "conductive finish".
PIT5353B — EQUIPMENT
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about what XM offerings are available for vehicles. A dealer or customer can access the website listed below for vehicle specific XM offerings and availability.
15-NA-051 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to Install a low profile fuel pump relay to correct a customer concern on a no-start or stalling due to the rear seat bottom coming into contact with the rear electrical center (REC) cover.
03-00-89-006M — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
This informational bulletin provides information on New Vehicle Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) - Delivering Quality Vehicles and Generating Higher CSi Scores
15NA051 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
No Start Condition - Seat Bracket Contacting Rear Electrical Center (REC)
PIC3926E — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the radio may have one of these issues will not turn on and will only display the clock and all buttons on the radio are inoperative but the volume and tune knobs will function. Technician will need to...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2011 BUICK LUCERNE
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BUICK LUCERNE
- 2006 BUICK LUCERNE — 456 complaints
- 2007 BUICK LUCERNE — 227 complaints
- 2008 BUICK LUCERNE — 320 complaints
- 2009 BUICK LUCERNE — 182 complaints
- 2010 BUICK LUCERNE — 77 complaints
- 2011 BUICK LUCERNE (current)
- 2012 BUICK LUCERNE — 0 complaints
Other BUICK Models
- BUICK LESABRE — 4,864 total complaints
- BUICK REGAL — 4,444 total complaints
- BUICK ENCLAVE — 3,194 total complaints
- BUICK LACROSSE — 2,882 total complaints
- BUICK CENTURY — 2,393 total complaints
- BUICK PARK AVENUE — 1,880 total complaints
- BUICK RENDEZVOUS — 1,795 total complaints
- BUICK ENCORE — 846 total complaints