Buick
Buick is a storied American car brand that started at the dawn of the Automobile Age and continues to this day – sales, in fact, have been rapidly growing in recent years. A long-time component of General Motors, Buick both benefits and suffers from GM’s mixed reputation among its brands when it comes to vehicle quality and reliability. Below we provide a look at Buick the company and its recent history of safety defects and recalls. If you own or lease a Buick in California that has been plagued with a defect that substantially affects its use, safety, or value, you may be entitled to a legal remedy such as a replacement vehicle, buyback, or compensation. Contact Nita Lemon Law Firm to enforce your rights with the help of a dedicated California lemon law attorney.
Buick Past and Present
Buick is an American carmaker that has long been a division of General Motors. The company was founded in 1899 and is one of the oldest brands of automobiles in the country. In fact, it was Buick that established GM in 1908 when it was founded by Buick’s general manager. Today, Buick has the distinction of being the oldest carmaker in the United States.
Among GM brands, Buick is considered a premium brand one step under the luxury Cadillac. Current models in production include the Electra E4 and E5, the Enclave, Encore Plus, Envision and Envision S, Envista, GL8, LaCrosse, Regal, Velite 6 and Verano. All of these models are creatures of the 21st century with the exception of the Buick Regal which went into production in 1999. Several models are sold only in China, where Buick reigns as one of the top-selling automotive brands. Well over 50 other Buick models are now out of production, including the once well-known Buick Century, LeSabre, Park Avenue, and Skylark.
U.S. sales of Buicks have been growing annually in recent years, with 167,000 vehicles sold in 2023 and 61,822 units sold in the first quarter of 2025, a 39.22% increase over the fourth quarter of 2024.
Buick’s History of Safety Defects and Recalls
A search of recent safety defects and recalls concerning various Buick models stretches back to 2017 and continues to the present day. Here’s a look at some notable safety issues certain late-model Buicks have suffered from:
February 2017, Power Steering – Thousands of 2017 Buick LaCrosse models were recalled due to improper sealing of the electrical connectors for the vehicle’s Electronic Power Steering system. This lack of a proper seal could lead to water intrusion, corrosion of connectors, and loss of power steering while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
September 2018, Fuel Pump – GM recalled 2016-2017 Envision and 2018 LaCrosse models due to an improper fuel pump weld. This faulty fuel pump defect could cause a fuel leak and fire risk.
October 2020, Missing Bolts – Missing bolts on the start/stop accumulator endcap of several models could create a possible transmission oil leak leading to a loss in propulsion while driving and a subsequent crash as well as a risk of fire if the leaking oil were to contact an ignition source. Affected vehicles include the 2019-2020 Enclave, 2019 Encore, 2020 Encore GX, and 2018-2019 LaCrosse.
December 2020 and expanded in September 2021, Suspension – The rear suspension toe links hold the back wheels straight, but excessive coating on the 2010-2013 LaCrosse and 2012-2013 Regal could cause the rear suspension toe links to break, causing loss of control.
July 2021, Collapsing Jacks – A defect in the Encore GX 2020-2022 emergency jack assembly could cause it to fracture and collapse while in use. According to the manufacturer, this failure will only happen if the jack is not positioned as directed in the owner’s manual, but given the challenges of an emergency roadside tire change, it should be expected that the jack may not be properly positioned. Improper positioning does not excuse the presence of a serious safety defect, which GM acknowledged by issuing the recall.
July 2022, Brake Assist – A defect in brake boosters of the 2018-2020 Buick Regal could increase the required stopping distance and raise the risk of a crash. Over 23,000 vehicles were recalled due to a software error in the electronic brake control module. Brake assist helps stop the car faster during emergency braking. Failure of the brake boosters to engage during what is already an emergency braking situation is highly likely to result in a collision, making this problem a serious safety defect.
December 2022, Daytime Running Lights – A defect in the 2021-2023 Envision is causing the daytime running lights to fail to deactivate once the headlights are turned on. The resulting glare created by too much light could reduce visibility for the driver and blind other motorists, leading to a crash. This defect causes the vehicles to be out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS 108 covering lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
November 2023, Instrument Panels – A software issue in the Virtual Cockpit Unit module of 2024 Encore GX and Envista models is causing the instrument panel to go blank intermittently. Without knowledge of speed, warning lights, and other critical safety information, a crash is more likely to ensue during this sudden loss of functionality.
Airbag Defects
Beyond the Takata airbag recall which affected approximately 67 million units placed in just about every make and model on the planet. GM and Buick have been plagued with airbag issues leading to multiple recalls. Some of these vehicles spent years on the road before a recall was issued:
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A defect in the Sensing Diagnostic Module of the 2019 Encore has the potential to keep the airbag from deploying in an impact
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In 2014, over one million GM SUVs including 2008-2013 Enclaves were recalled due to a defect in the side airbag wiring harness which could prevent seat belt pretensioners and airbags from deploying in a crash.
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The 2021 Buick Envision was recalled due to a fault in communication between the vehicle’s communications gateway module and its sensing diagnostic module. Because of this defect, a faulty airbag malfunction indicator would fail to go off and warn the driver that the airbag might not deploy if needed.
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A massive 2014 recall covered 3.14 million vehicles including 2005-09 LaCrosse and 2006-11 Lucerne for a key rotation issue that could keep airbags from deploying.
Aside from defects that could keep airbags from deploying, GM has recalled thousands of Buicks over and over for manufacturing defects that could cause the airbag inflator to rupture and explode during impact, sending sharp metal fragments flying through the cabin or outside the vehicle. Affected vehicles in successive recalls in 2022, 2023, and 2024 have included the 2014 Verano and 2014-17 Buick Enclave.
Contact Nita Lemon Law Firm Today
If you own or lease a Buick in California that is under warranty but experiencing defects the manufacturer cannot fix after a reasonable number of repair attempts, contact Nita Lemon Law Firm in Los Angeles for a free consultation so we can learn about your issue and let you know how we can help.
