Model year 2018 · Midsize Cars

2018 Buick LaCrosse: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2018 Buick LaCrosse at 23–29 mpg combined across 3 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 12 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

23–29

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.

2018 Buick LaCrosse recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2018 Buick LaCrosse, newest first.

Power train: Automatic transmission

NHTSA 20V668000 Reported Oct 29, 2020

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N202313440)
Units affected: 194,105 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Service brakes, hydraulic: Foundation components: Disc: Caliper

NHTSA 18V576000 Reported Aug 30, 2018

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 18279)
Units affected: 210,628 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. 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 18279.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Fuel system, gasoline: Delivery: Fuel pump

NHTSA 18V358000 Reported May 31, 2018

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 18188 18268)
Units affected: 895 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. 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 18188.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

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

2018 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.

2018 Buick LaCrosse EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
LaCrosse	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 9-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	21/30/24 mpg	$2,800	367
LaCrosse AWD	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 9-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	20/29/23 mpg	$2,900	386
LaCrosse eAssist	2.5L 4-cyl hybrid	Automatic 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	25/35/29 mpg	$2,300	306

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.

2018 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.

2018 Buick LaCrosse NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2018 Buick LaCrosse 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	9.9%	Optional
2018 Buick LaCrosse 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	9.9%	Optional
2018 Buick LaCrosse Hybrid 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	9.9%	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.

2018 Buick LaCrosse owner complaints

Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Buick LaCrosse, most recently on Nov 11, 2025. 0 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2018 Buick LaCrosse complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Electrical system	5
Engine	4
Power train	3
Fuel/propulsion system	2
Fuel system, gasoline	1
Service brakes, hydraulic	1
Unknown or other	1
Vehicle speed control	1
Vehicle speed control: Accelerator pedal	1

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
2017 LaCrosse	23–25 mpg	2	36	5/5
2016 LaCrosse	20–28 mpg	2	48	5/5
2015 LaCrosse	20–28 mpg	3	44	5/5

All Buick LaCrosse years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2018 Buick models

2018 Buick Cascada 2018 Buick Enclave 2018 Buick Encore 2018 Buick Envision 2018 Buick Regal

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.