2016 Buick LaCrosse eAssist: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
41 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 41 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 4.1
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Cars shudders 20-30 MPH. Started last year, I needed to get my wife for cancer treatments. Basically, shifted the car manually.
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that occasionally while his wife was driving in rainy or snowy conditions, the check power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after it had stopped raining or snowing, the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that a dealer was not contac…
The contact owns a 2016 Buick LaCrosse. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at undisclosed speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the driver’s side air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage …
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,250
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Steering11 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Power Train6 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Vehicle Speed Control6 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Air Bags4 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Service Brakes4 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Engine3 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Buick LaCrosse eAssist years
Buick LaCrosse eAssist years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Buick LaCrosse eAssist?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (11 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Buick LaCrosse eAssist a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 90/100, computed from 41 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Buick LaCrosse eAssist's most common problem?
11 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Buick LaCrosse eAssist sit in the Steering group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement: about 5.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,020–$2,500 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Buick LaCrosse eAssist cost to run per year?
About $4,397 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $21,988 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other fullsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Buick LaCrosse eAssist really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 41 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 41 NHTSA complaints on record (4.1/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (4.5/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality