10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
75,963 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #7

Jun 052021

Lucerne

  • miles
-The electrical system failed, causing the fuel pump to not work properly due to design flaw in the backseat putting pressure on the fuse box which is located under the backseat. The spot where contact is made to the fuse box, is where the fuel pump relay is. Pressure from the seat bracket (with or without a passenger in the seat) causes the pump replay to not make proper contact with the terminal, therefore causing the power to arc and get so hot that the relay starts smoking, melting the relay, fuse box and surrounding fuses and leaving black scorch marks on the inside of the lid to fuse box and making the car smell like burnt plastic. In addition to now having to purchase multiple replacement relays it has also caused additional electrical issues which resulted in having to replace multiple fuses as well as purchase another battery due to theses issues putting added strain on my battery which caused it to drain and not hold a charge any more. Yes the car and parts are available for inspection. -My safety and the safety of others is at risk due to major risk of catching on fire which could happen while driving and therefore cause an accident, could cause one of my passengers, including my child or myself to be severely hurt/burnt. -Yes the issue has been reproduced by many other owners of the same year/make/model as per the hundreds of previous complaints found about the same issue. -No there were no warning lights, signals or messages before the failure. No warning at all.

- Albany, OR, USA

problem #6

Sep 222019

Lucerne

  • 104,242 miles
Within the last month, my car has burned though 3 fuel pump relays. One connection is bubbling up in a certain spot. The fuse box is hot to the touch, and a glove was needed to pull the fuel relay out and the bubbling is now apparent on the fuse box itself. I had just finished a 260 mile round trip with my sister and when we stopped for food, the car would crank but not start.

- South Bend, IN, USA

problem #5

Nov 292018

Lucerne

  • 88,500 miles
"takata recall"relay to fuel pump in fuse box under drivers side rear seat. Keeps melting (relay and fuse box) leaving an electrical fire smell in car. This is the 2nd box and fuel pump to be replaceed in less than 2 years.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #4

Dec 022018

Lucerne

  • 131,000 miles
My battery is located under the back seat and caught flames yesterday with my small children in the back. I dont understand why U would put a battery under a passenger seat where people sit on top of with fabric

- Salt Lake City, UT, USA

problem #3

Sep 052018

Lucerne

  • 138,000 miles
Crank no start. Back seat housing was pushing against fuse box in backseat chushion causing fuel relay to not work. Relay was damaged as a result. Fuel pump was also damage

- Lincolnton, NC, USA

problem #2

Nov 022015

Lucerne

  • 50,000 miles
This concerns my 2008 Buick Lucerne, it has the cashmere interior color. Something I have just found out. GM does not make an important replacement interior part anymore. Pn: 20954443 is not available from any dealer in the U.S. this is a seat trim part for the outside of the passenger seat. It cracks from normal use because it is forced to flex when a person sits in the passenger seat, over time this flexing cracks the part. The cracked part then has sharp edges which catches clothing, and could cause leg cuts. As a side note, the shale colored part is pn: 15273992, and the titanium pn: Is 15273994 (this part I was able to still find, and I will have to paint it cashmere to match my car). These parts fit all the "not heated seats" Lucerne models from 2006 to 2011, thousands of cars I suspect. The driver's side trim part (mirror opposite) is still available from a few sources. It also falls and cracks for the same reason. Has GM pulled this part from inventory for a redesign? it has been just four years since that last Buick Lucerne was sold, the 2011 model; it should be possible to find replacement parts.

- Moreno Valley, CA, USA

problem #1

Jan 042010

Lucerne 6-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
Sometime between 1998 and 2008 the Buick line, and almost all other lines, enlarged the size of the columns supporting the roof, modified the front side windows to add a small triangle of material at the front of the windows, and raised the height of the side mirrors and raised the height of the "dash" above the instrument cluster. I am in excess of 6 ft tall and this had little impact on my field of vision. My wife is less than 5 ft and age is taking a toll on both of us and this has a severe impact on her field of vision, even with the use of booster pillows. The current models have the same design flaw, except for the Honda civic and the Ford Fusion. I have personally "tested" this condition by locating myself at an intersection where several crashes, some fatal, and "scrooching" down as best I could to simulate a 5 ft person with the seat at its max height, and there is a critical loss of visibility, particularly to the right. There were three crashes, all involved seniors, that were in a collision because they proceeding, after stopping, to cross the intersection in front of oncoming traffic. I heartily support your proposal to develop some type of recommendations, or "rating", for vehicles that are the most appropriate for seniors. Thank you.

- Jefferson City, MO, USA