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Vehicle safety record

2012 Buick Verano Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 106 complaints about the 2012 Buick Verano with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (50) and the airbags (27). Those complaints describe 8 crashes, 1 fire and 4 injuries. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in June 2014 for the air bags. For comparison, the 2013 has 107.

NHTSA data checked

DMore problems than a typical Verano year, for its age

#92 most complained-about 2012 vehicle

Complaints
106
Recalls
3
Crashes
8
Fires
1
Injuries
4
Deaths
0

Most common 2012 Buick Verano problems

Share of all 106 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2012 Buick Verano recalls 3

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Air bags

14V30000031,520 vehicles affected

The problem
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
The risk
If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
The fix
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. Note: This is an expansion of recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023.

Air bags

13V0230004,167 vehicles affected

The problem
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
The risk
If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
The fix
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

Air bags

12V5220002,949 vehicles affected

The problem
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
The risk
If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal airbag, that airbag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
The fix
General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

What owners say

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106 complaints about the 2012 Buick Verano

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 5.

Visibility & wipers

Rear window shattered while driving. No rock or other damage. I just heard a loud bang and it exploded

Filed Incident Visibility / wiperNHTSA 11735765
Electrical system

NAV display and radio stopped working black screen blank

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11592534
Engine & cooling

On 2 separate occasions, I have gone through 4 quarts of oil in 2000 miles. No leaks as verified by mechanic. Just excessive burn. The check oil light does not come on to warn you and says I still have 50% oil life but almost bone dry.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11590837
Airbags

The passenger airbag indicator goes on and off with person in passenger seat. We first noticed this Summer 2023. It has gotten worse. Now a passenger can shift weight slightly one way or another and cause the indicator status to change which disables the airbag. Dealer also confirmed (4/16/24) DTC code B0081(internal malfunction with passenger presence module). I have recently learned there was a warranty extension for this failure (which had expired) which I was unaware of. I now have a vehicle which I feel is...

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unsafe to travel with a passenger! If GM is aware of the problem and the dealer (imperial Chevrolet) has charged me $160 diagnostic fee for a known problem and tells me it will cost approx. $1,800 to repair/replace the sensor and module.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11583410
Engine & cooling

Oil Consumption- Burning through 2 qts of oil every 2000 miles. No warning lights coming on. Last oil change my car had no oil in it.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11518026
Transmission & drivetrainEngine & cooling

Car has had excessive oil consumption since start. Easily consuming 1-2 quarts of oil on monthly basis. Had timing chains replaced at 75000 miles. Car suddenly stopped without warning 1/16/23 and completely shut off while driving. Now, at 170000 miles the engine is blown, due to chains loosening, and valves getting bent and scattered.

Filed Incident Power train · EngineNHTSA 11504036
Airbags

This airbag is supposed to last the lifetime of the vehicle and it has not. On top of it not lasting I am being charged to fix the airbag issue replacement and it is at fault of General Motors for not offering a lifetime lasting airbag.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11501242
AirbagsCrash

The contact owned a 2012 Buick Verano. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, another vehicle was traveling in the opposite direction and struck the front driver side of the contact's vehicle causing damage to the front end of both vehicles. The air bags did not deploy in the contact's vehicle but in the other vehicle, the air bags did deploy. No major injuries and no one seeking medical attention. The police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed total lost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11487144
Engine & cooling

My car started burning an excessive amount of oil this caused my car to die with no engine warning while driving. My mechanic found it to be completely out of oil. The car only has 67000 miles on it and now I have to constantly put oil in the car. It does not leak it just burns oil. I just drove 400 miles and when I got to my destination my car was completely out of oil again. My motor is not going to last if this keeps happening.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11485476
Engine & coolingFuel system

The contact owns a 2012 Buick Verano . The contact stated there was an abnormal odor of fuel entering through the vents. In addition, while driving, there was an abnormal very loud knocking noise. The contact noticed that there was oil or fuel leaking from the injection system. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Filed Incident Engine and engine cooling · Fuel system, gasolineNHTSA 11478617
Airbags

I was in a traffic jam and had a blowout. My airbags didn't go off no accident was able to pull over. Got it towed to get a new tire. Now I took my car in to get the aribag light off and it's $2000 for seatbelt sensor and another sensor from a blowout that's redicilous. The airbags didn't go off. Now I don't have any air bags because of a tire blowout. No damage to the car either. Please help and thank you for your time!

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11469802
Engine & cooling

Technical Service Bulletin #13-06-01-003H (TSB 003H) in regards to GM's 2.4L engines & excessive oil consumption. (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2016/MC-10116880-9999.pdf) This release not only concedes a persistent issue found in at least six GM models, but more importantly fails to acknowledge the serious and fatal risks as a result of the Oil Consumption Defect. As a direct result of GM's known defect, I was left in a dangerous situation. I crossed a divided residential street, engine stalled and the...

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vehicle turned off, stranded in the middle. It is not unreasonable to imagine other similar situations occurring, leaving people directly susceptible to serious injury or death. Here, the dipstick was completely dry. It took two quarts before any oil appeared on the dipstick. The oil light did not illuminate and I was approximately 1500 miles from my next scheduled oil service. The diagnosis: pistons excessively worn from lack of oil, engine failure. My situation is not unique. https://www.carcomplaints.com/Buick/Verano/2012/engine/engine.shtml Sanchez et al v. General Motors LLC, found in favor of the plaintiffs. The issue: the Oil Consumption Defect, found in 2010-13 Equinox & Terrain, both vehicles listed on TSB 003H with the 2012 Verano. https://www.classaction.org/media/sanchez-et-al-v-general-motors-llc.pdf The primary cause: faulty piston rings and defective crankcase ventilation system, leading to excessive oil consumption. The oil monitoring systems are defective. "Reliance on the [system] instead encourages owners to drive with a false sense of security." "Problems include, but are not limited to: unanticipated engine shutdowns, engine stalls." "[This] is a substantial safety concern because [failure]... cannot be reasonably anticipated or predicted." To allow GM to ignore this documented and persistent issue, without further investigation, would be a failure carry out the NHTSA's core duty: to save lives and prevent injuries. Thank you.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11468706
Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2012 Buick Verano. The contact stated that her vehicle was constantly loosing oil however, there was no warning light illuminated on the vehicle to indicate that the oil level was low. The contact stated that when the oil level was low, the vehicle made a loud rumbling sound. The contact would then top off the engine oil. The contact stated that without the knocking sound she would not know that the vehicle required additional oil. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to locate an oil leak. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 176,768.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11458242
Engine & cooling

My car has started to burn oil quickly in the past and I was bringing my car to get oil changes more frequently than the sticker was saying at the dealership. Recently my car showed no oil on the dipstick after my car stopped running. 2 quarts of oil was added and the oil only showed at the tip of the dipstick. My engine was tapping a few weeks prior to my car no longer running. I brought the car to the dealership and they informed me that there was not a recall on my vehicle, but upon checking there was a recall...

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in 2016 for this exact matter. My car is still not running and has been down since October 22, 2021. The dealership is stating that they cannot fix my car because there is not an open recall, but this recall was in 2016 and I was never made aware of the recall nor was I said any correspondences about this recall.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11440121
Engine & cooling

Replaced many components and still has cylinder misfire . Replaced coils . Spark plugs. Vvt solenoids . Pigtails for vvt and still jerks, stalls, and radio doesn't work.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11430491
Engine & cooling

Car engine started making noise in front right side. Had oil changed 2000 miles prior and there was no oil when checked. Mechanic said the motors are known to have the timing belt go out and the pistons. There are recalls for this issue, however my VIN number doesn't come up!! Have had the car 2 months!!!! Pretty pissed off!

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11418281
Engine & cooling

Car using excessive oil, but not leaking. Non oil light ever has come on. Car also showed p0011 which ties in with issue.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11398555
Airbags

SAYS SERVICE AIG BAG THIS IS NOT SAFE..

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11390876
Electrical system

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 buick verano. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would intermittently shut-off without warning. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who linked the failure to an unknown electrical defect. The contact then called david chevrolet buick (10225 niagara falls blvd, niagara falls, ny 14304) where she was provided an estimate to have the vehicle diagnosed. The contact declined to have the vehicle diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vin was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.*Dt

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11388832
AirbagsBrakesCrash

While pulling into my home driveway, when I applied brakes . And the car started to accelerate causing me to hit my other vehicle and then the car proceeded into the side of my house . I just 2 days prior had my car inspected at firestone, I also just had new brakes and rotors replaced less than 5 months prior, also the airbag light came on earlier that day, I was coming home from firestone and noticed the car was accelerating and deceleration while driving which was less than 10 mile from my home .

Filed Incident Air bags · Service brakesNHTSA 11374577
Airbags

The passenger side air bag light goes off when engine is running. Does this while driving or parked. This makes air bag light in the information center of dash come on or turn off.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11360523
Engine & cooling

Purchased the car used with 65k miles and everything seemed good. At around 72k the car had a loud pinging noise. I checked the oil and the dip stick was dry. I changed the oil and filter to be safe. The car has been using a quart of oil every 2000 miles. At 80k the check engine light came on. In pa that means you do not pass inspection so we had to have the engine serviced. The bill was only $212 dollars for two valve position solenoids. I did a complete oil and filter change then also. At 1712 miles...

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later the engine light came on again, the engine oil was 1,5 quarts low again. I guess I am in the same boat as most of the others with high oil consumption, shafted by gm again. I do not understand how a company can sell something so badf and get away with it. It seems all of the gm vehicles with the 22.4 Liter 4 cylinder engine have these issues. The shame is the car itself so far has been pretty good except for the oil issue. When will gm start to stand behind their product?

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11352768
AirbagsEngine & cooling

The system air bag notices keeps coming in the car, when you put your seat beat on it goes away. Also the oil button doesn't come on , the car constantly shakes and the check engine like keeps coming on after even being repaired. I needed a fuel pump and that's been fixed but the problem is happening again

Filed Incident Air bags · EngineNHTSA 11327599
Engine & cooling

Excessive oil consumption. Low oil light did not come on causing car to produce "engine power reduced" warning on dashboard. Less than half a quart of oil in engine caused timing belt to break along with head gasket to collapse. Issue with car happened at work sitting in stationary parking spot

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11323029
Airbags

Service airbag light comes on occasionally when passenger gets in car. Goes off once passenger buckles seatbelt and vehicle is in drive, most of the time. A couple times it has stayed on for part of a day even without a passenger and after several times of turning the car off and restarting.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11318765

Buick Verano: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
201659211AirbagsB
201559021Electrical systemB
2014101631Electrical systemD
2013107341Engine & coolingC
2012106381Engine & coolingD
All Verano years

2012 Buick Verano vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2012 Buick Verano

Does the 2012 Buick Verano have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Buick Verano: air bags (June 2014); air bags (January 2013); air bags (October 2012). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Buick Verano?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (50), airbags (27), electrical system (16).

How many complaints has the 2012 Buick Verano had?

106 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on April 13, 2012 and the latest on May 5, 2026. Of these, 8 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 4 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2012 Buick Verano a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 38 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Buick Verano year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Buick Verano years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2012 Buick Verano has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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