Model year 2016 · Midsize Cars

2016 Buick LaCrosse: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2016 Buick LaCrosse at 20–28 mpg combined across 4 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 48 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

20–28

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Buick dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2016 Buick LaCrosse recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2016 Buick LaCrosse, newest first.

Air bags: Frontal: Sensor/control module-inactive and 2 more components

NHTSA 17V437000 Reported Jul 10, 2017

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 17287)
Components: Air bags: Frontal: Sensor/control module-inactive; Air bags: Frontal; Seat belts: Pretensioner
Units affected: 40,683 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Seat belts: Pretensioner and 2 more components

NHTSA 16V651000 Reported Sep 8, 2016

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 16007)
Components: Seat belts: Pretensioner; Air bags: Frontal: Sensor/control module-inactive; Air bags: Frontal
Units affected: 3,640,162 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2016 Buick LaCrosse fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2016 Buick LaCrosse EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
LaCrosse	3.6L 6-cyl ffv	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Gasoline or E85 / E85	18/28/21 mpg	$3,200	422
LaCrosse	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	18/28/21 mpg	$3,200	410
LaCrosse AWD	3.6L 6-cyl ffv	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Gasoline or E85 / E85	17/26/20 mpg	$3,350	441
LaCrosse eAssist	2.4L 4-cyl hybrid	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	24/35/28 mpg	$2,400	312

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2016 Buick LaCrosse crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Buick LaCrosse NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2016 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	11.8%	Optional
2016 Buick Lacrosse 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	11.8%	Optional
2016 Buick Lacrosse eAssist 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	11.8%	Optional
2016 Buick Lacrosse eAssist 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	11.8%	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2016 Buick LaCrosse owner complaints

Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Buick LaCrosse, most recently on Aug 24, 2026. 5 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 3 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2016 Buick LaCrosse complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Steering	11
Air bags	6
Power train	6
Vehicle speed control	6
Service brakes	4
Unknown or other	4
Electrical system	3
Engine	3
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control	2
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking	2

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Buick LaCrosse model years

Buick LaCrosse by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2019 LaCrosse	23–29 mpg	2	7	5/5
2018 LaCrosse	23–29 mpg	3	12	5/5
2017 LaCrosse	23–25 mpg	2	36	5/5
2015 LaCrosse	20–28 mpg	3	44	5/5

All Buick LaCrosse years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2016 Buick models

2016 Buick Cascada 2016 Buick Enclave 2016 Buick Encore 2016 Buick Envision 2016 Buick Regal 2016 Buick Verano

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Buick.