biggest complaint about your LaCrosse

[BULLD0G700]

Here is my complaint on my 2011 Lacrosse with 88,000miles. I found out today my timing chain is not only off but the gears are worn on the engine. Price to repair $2100.00 will keep you abreast of this fun trip as it unfolds

 

[PurpleHaze]

New complaint. However, it is my own fault. The gas mileage with E85.

I can only average about 14mpg when using E85, however I do have an performance K&N air filter and modified air duct. The engine now moves the car like a late model 3.6 V6 Camaro, but the gas mileage is worst than my Cadillac Escalade with the 6.0 V8 engine. My Cadillac averages about 16mpg on premium gas on the same routes to work as I use with the Buick.

In all honestly, E85 mileage was poor even before I messed with the air filter and air duct. I was averaging only 17 mpg on E85 before the changes. The engine averages about 22 mpg on regular gas and stock air components. The only advantage for using E85 in our engines is that it makes the engine run smoother, cleaner and stronger; but it is like driving an older V8 powered sedan fuel economy wise.

I like the extra power, but not having to fill up my tank every week with E85 even if it only cost me $32 dollars. E85 is about $2.00 a gallon in my area. Well, actually I only fill up the tank about 3/4 in a week normally so I spend about $22-23 a week. If I wait until empty then I can go a week and a couple days before needing to fill up.

 

[DonP]

New complaint. However, it is my own fault. The gas mileage with E85.
...

No surprise E85 has substantially lower energy content (i.e., BTU per gallon) than gas, so the MPG will be correspondingly lower. Around 25% to 30% lower MPG seems to be typical. Your results sound typical.

 

[PurpleHaze]

No surprise E85 has substantially lower energy content (i.e., BTU per gallon) than gas, so the MPG will be correspondingly lower. Around 25% to 30% lower MPG seems to be typical. Your results sound typical.

Well, I was mistaken about the gas mileage with E85 averaging only 14 mpg. I actually averaged about 17 mpg with some heavy lead foot driving today. The reason I was averaging only 14 mpg before was because my tire pressure was 29 psi cold in all the tires. I adjusted my tire pressure to 34 psi in the front tires cold and 36 in rear tires cold yesterday and they warmed up to about 35 psi front and 37 psi rear during my commute today. So, yes E85 does drop gas mileage but not as much as I thought. If I drove the speed limit the whole commute, then I would have averaged about 18-20 mpg in mixed city/highway driving during my commute with E85. But I was in a hurry today and did some heavy acceleration most of the way home.

I guess that my tire pressure was low even when I ran regular gas, so I probably could average about 25-26 mpg on regular with proper air pressure in the tires instead of 22 mpg like I got earlier.

So E85 is bad for fuel economy but not 14 mpg bad. More like 20 mpg bad compared to 25 mpg. Better than most V8 powered sedans still. So E85 is not a complaint anymore since I was rolling on nearly flat tires.

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[Weo]

Purchased a used 2010 Lacrosse in great condition over a month ago. I love the car, but so far my complaints are:
1. The pillars for the windshield limit visibility. I can't see cars coming towards me on a curvy suburban road without moving my head about 6 inches to the right or left. It also limits my ability to see stopped cars at 2 lane intersections.
2. The engine feels underpowered (3.0). I will see if regular maintenance (change in oils and filters) makes a difference over the winter. Right now, if I try to slowly accelerate from, say 30 mph to 35mph, I have to press the throttle down pretty far before I experience any acceleration... often eventually triggering a downshift for such a small, slow, increase in speed. Additionally, when engaging the passing gear on the highway for evasive maneuvers (common in Chicago traffic), acceleration is lack luster.

 

[Blu05]

I own a 2005 model, its the same as the grand prix/impala but my two complaints are the layout of the exterior/interior lights knobs and the headlamp assemblies. I always by mistake reach to turn off my lights as i pull in to park. Only to realize i turned off my interior lights lol. But another big one is the headlamp assemblies...they are the biggest pita to get out if i ever wanted a new set seeing that restoring mine did no good the lenses are far too gone other than that its a nice step up from my 99' buick century. I'm still learning about this car too!

 

[Rick Mosher]

The integration between Intellilink and Apple CarPlay.

Apple CarPlay was one of the main reasons I purchased my 2016 LaCrosse and it hasn't worked completely correctly since day one. Sometimes it's detected, sometimes not. Even when it's detected Intellilink lags way behind CarPlay when playing music. If you skip several songs in CarPlay, it takes Intellilink's display 2 or 3 minutes to catch up. I keep hoping for an update from either Intellilink or Apple that will fix this but it hasn't happened yet. There also doesn't seem to be anyone competent to contact about it. Local dealers are clueless when it comes to the display technology. They always tell you that Intellilink is managed by OnStar, but OnStar doesn't seem to have any info about it either. Pretty frustrating.

 

[PurpleHaze]

The integration between Intellilink and Apple CarPlay.

Apple CarPlay was one of the main reasons I purchased my 2016 LaCrosse and it hasn't worked completely correctly since day one. Sometimes it's detected, sometimes not. Even when it's detected Intellilink lags way behind CarPlay when playing music. If you skip several songs in CarPlay, it takes Intellilink's display 2 or 3 minutes to catch up. I keep hoping for an update from either Intellilink or Apple that will fix this but it hasn't happened yet. There also doesn't seem to be anyone competent to contact about it. Local dealers are clueless when it comes to the display technology. They always tell you that Intellilink is managed by OnStar, but OnStar doesn't seem to have any info about it either. Pretty frustrating.

I am not sure about the Buick version of CarPlay, but with a Sony Android Auto radio I noticed that my performance increased when I used a newer model Android LG G5 phone instead of my old LG G3 Android phone. However, I only have an aftermarket CarPlay/Android Auto Sony radio in my Cadillac. The G3 phone was very slow to connect and disconnected a lot when playing music especially if you skip songs. The quicker G5 phone does the job perfectly with no lag or freezes.

I do not know what model Apple phone you have, but it is not the latest model, then that may be your issue right there.

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[gmgold]

We're just coming up on a year from delivery on 2017 LaCrosse Premium FWD. I agree with some of your points.
The engine start stop when coming to a stop is horrible. If there is one reason to get rid of the car early, that is it. Dealer has looked at it a few times, mostly to keep me happy. Nothing can be done. Unfortunately, this is our around-town car. On the highway, it is well behaved, even at our high speed limits.
Lane "assist" is now found on a few models now. First thing I turn off. If I have to turn the wheel sharply, I don't need a fight just because the car thinks I'm doing something wrong. Like avoiding a suicidal deer or coyote.
It's a shame this mid-sized car is the biggest sedan that Buick offers. Then again, out here a Tahoe/Yukon is considered somewhat small compared to a Suburban/Yukon XL.

 

[leviramsey]

Biggest annoyance for my 2018 LaCrosse eAssist (coming from an '07 Saturn Aura) is that the 12v outlets can't be switched to always-on instead of depending on RAP. I'm planning to migrate my Sirius XM Onyx Plus over (because the factory XM receiver is missing the "Xtra" channels and also doesn't have the pause/rewind/channel-mix features of the Onyx Plus) and always-on allows me to leave the radio on to buffer while I'm at work so I can skip songs.

 

[Richard Morton]

My complaint is the brake fade, why in the past years put Brembo brakes on a smaller vehicle engine wise when the larger and heavier LaCrosse needs more stopping power. I get the fact that young people like the spirited and fun to drive Regal, I had a 1997, but some of us older ones like luxury and PERFORMANCE. So I have decided to upgrade the brake system.
So any help and advice would be appreciated.

 

[GMLover]

My complaint is the brake fade, why in the past years put Brembo brakes on a smaller vehicle engine wise when the larger and heavier LaCrosse needs more stopping power. I get the fact that young people like the spirited and fun to drive Regal, I had a 1997, but some of us older ones like luxury and PERFORMANCE. So I have decided to upgrade the brake system.
So any help and advice would be appreciated.

Exactly what "help and advice" are you seeking? What year is your LaCrosse you are complaining about? How many miles? Are the brakes on a new LaCrosse inadequate and need an upgrade? When did your "brake fade" occur? I look forward to your response.

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[PurpleHaze]

My complaint is the brake fade, why in the past years put Brembo brakes on a smaller vehicle engine wise when the larger and heavier LaCrosse needs more stopping power. I get the fact that young people like the spirited and fun to drive Regal, I had a 1997, but some of us older ones like luxury and PERFORMANCE. So I have decided to upgrade the brake system.
So any help and advice would be appreciated.

Well, brake fade is not an issue for my 2014 Lacrosse FWD with the premium II package. The car stops on a dime with no fading and is quiet as well. The auto magazine reviews states the 2014 Lacrosse premium models stops from 60 to 0 mph is a range from a class leading 113 feet to 120 feet, which are good stopping distances. I believe the AWD model had the longer 120 feet braking distance while the FWD did the 113 feet.

The base model Lacrosse does get the smaller brakes, so I do not know how well they perform.

 

[stoopid]

Exactly what "help and advice" are you seeking? What year is your LaCrosse you are complaining about? How many miles? Are the brakes on a new LaCrosse inadequate and need an upgrade? When did your "brake fade" occur? I look forward to your response.

Still waiting.

 

[EDSELRANGER]

Hello to all. First post here. I bought a 2015 Lacrosse that came off of a lease this past summer. I believe it has all the bells and whistles (besides AWD). It's a nice car for the most part and I'm glad I bought it.

I do have one big complaint though. Adaptive Cruise Control. If I would have known before hand what an abomination that system is, I never would have bought the car. I won't take the time to list all of the things about this system that annoy me. I'll just say that the worst feature I've discovered so far is the way the car accelerates once the front sensor decides that the way ahead is clear. Ridiculous! If I allowed the ACC to function the way that is depicted in the official Buick video, I'd be getting about 4 MPG.

At any rate, the sole reason I decided to join this forum was to ask this simple question: Is there any way to switch off the ACC and operate the car in good old fashioned Normal Cruise Control? I've Googled this question to death with no good results. I actually did get one encouraging lead... an answer on the official Buick site. It says you can toggle between ACC and normal cruise by depressing and holding the 'Cancel' button etc. https://my.buick.com/learnAbout/adaptive-cruise-control. I tried it. It does not work. Probably a different model or year car they are describing.

So, any help out there? I'd be happy to snip a few wires if necessary... anything. I hate Adaptive Cruise Control!

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[shrinkwrap]

The back-up camera in my 2017 LaCrosse is awful. So bright in low light that it is blinding (it's already had the software update that mitigated the issue only barely), and the guidelines are completely off, so that I always end up parking at a 20 degree angle and have to re-park 3 times. I've never had any issues with my 2013 Lexus, which parks spot on. Also, the accessory power port under the console frequently turns off when the ridiculous Autostop feature kicks in. Wish we had the option to turn that monstrosity off. Highway ride is plush (my wife's choice - it's mainly for her). This car is certainly not meant for spirited driving, but it's comfortable enough.

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[PurpleHaze]

Hello to all. First post here. I bought a 2015 Lacrosse that came off of a lease this past summer. I believe it has all the bells and whistles (besides AWD). It's a nice car for the most part and I'm glad I bought it.

I do have one big complaint though. Adaptive Cruise Control. If I would have known before hand what an abomination that system is, I never would have bought the car. I won't take the time to list all of the things about this system that annoy me. I'll just say that the worst feature I've discovered so far is the way the car accelerates once the front sensor decides that the way ahead is clear. Ridiculous! If I allowed the ACC to function the way that is depicted in the official Buick video, I'd be getting about 4 MPG.

At any rate, the sole reason I decided to join this forum was to ask this simple question: Is there any way to switch off the ACC and operate the car in good old fashioned Normal Cruise Control? I've Googled this question to death with no good results. I actually did get one encouraging lead... an answer on the official Buick site. It says you can toggle between ACC and normal cruise by depressing and holding the 'Cancel' button etc. https://my.buick.com/learnAbout/adaptive-cruise-control. I tried it. It does not work. Probably a different model or year car they are describing.

So, any help out there? I'd be happy to snip a few wires if necessary... anything. I hate Adaptive Cruise Control!

Thanks for any suggestions.

LOL. Besides AWD, adaptive braking/cruise control are only two options I do not have on my Lacrosse. At first I was feeling a bit let down that I did not have those two features. However, after looking up adaptive braking and reading posts like yours now I am relieved I did not receive the adaptive braking features with my Lacrosse.

I hope that you find a way to shut it off if it does not work as intended. Good luck.

 

[PurpleHaze]

The back-up camera in my 2017 LaCrosse is awful. So bright in low light that it is blinding (it's already had the software update that mitigated the issue only barely), and the guidelines are completely off, so that I always end up parking at a 20 degree angle and have to re-park 3 times. I've never had any issues with my 2013 Lexus, which parks spot on. Also, the accessory power port under the console frequently turns off when the ridiculous Autostop feature kicks in. Wish we had the option to turn that monstrosity off. Highway ride is plush (my wife's choice - it's mainly for her). This car is certainly not meant for spirited driving, but it's comfortable enough.

My 2014 Lacrosse also have a crappy rear view camera. Too bright in the daylight and very grainy at night. GM reverse cameras suck. My older 2006 Nissan Murano and 2004 Infiniti FX45 had better cameras with brightness/contrast controls.

 

[EDSELRANGER]

LOL. Besides AWD, adaptive braking/cruise control are only two options I do not have on my Lacrosse. At first I was feeling a bit let down that I did not have those two features. However, after looking up adaptive braking and reading posts like yours now I am relieved I did not receive the adaptive braking features with my Lacrosse.

I hope that you find a way to shut it off if it does not work as intended. Good luck.

Thanks for the reply. As I said in my first post, the car came off of a lease. I just picked the best one I could find (nice color...Garnet red like the pic below, leather and lots of options) for the money. I never would have dreamed that having some of those options would be a negative. The 'auto-brake' function you mentioned was the first negative I discovered.

My wife and I were happily cruising through town, enjoying a relaxing evening fall drive. The driver in front of us slowed abruptly to turn into Dairy Queen. I saw it... no big deal. He (she?) was far enough ahead of us, and far enough into the turn that there was never any chance of a collision. Suddenly the brakes slammed on all by them selves accompanied by what I can only describe as a 'synthetic screeching' noise. The screeching noise my wife let out was not synthetic. At her insistence, I went straight to the owner's manual to find out how to disable that option.

The 'braking' behavior of the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) is just as abrupt and annoying as the auto-brake option (minus the screeching noise). Unlike the auto-braking though, when the obstacle has cleared out of the way, the ACC mashes the pedal-to-the-metal in a desperate effort to regain the set speed. This annoys me to say the least. (I can only wonder how this erratic stop/go action is received by the many blue-haired ladies that I often see hunched behind LaCrosse steering wheels.)

The most ironic feature of the ACC is this. The only time it is really acceptable/pleasant/useful (for me) to have it engaged is out on the wide open highway with no other traffic. If you're lucky enough to find a wide open highway and there is no other traffic around... the ACC won't work. With nothing out there for the forward sensor to detect, it won't allow you to engage it!



If ACC is any indication of the future of automobile technology, I'm gonna start shopping Hemmings for a nice old '49 Roadmaster.

 

[gtpraz]

Poor visablity due to A support in front, small trunk storage compared to 2002 LaSabre I previously owned. Mine has no touch screen and to upgrade is $1500+ and then change VIN. Also wish it had a forward 12V outlet.
Plus, When my personal GPS ends each direction, the car says “call ended”.