NHTSA — Power Train Problems

3.6

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
34,979 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Buick Verano drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2012 Buick Verano Owner Comments

problem #7

Jan 272023

Verano

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Duke Center, PA, USA

problem #6

Sep 302019

Verano

  • 66,000 miles
Vehicle stalled at red light on city street. Vehicle ended up needed 4 quarts of oil which caused a broken timing chain and complete engine replacement. Engine was the 2.4L ecotec, which has bulletins for oil consumption issues. The low oil light did not come on in the vehicle.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #5

Jul 112019

Verano

  • 70,000 miles
Car jerks when sitting at stop signs, red light, in congested stop and go traffic. It also hesitates when you initially press the gas and are going under 20 miles per hour. The check engine light doesn't come on and when you take it to the dealership they run diagnostic and can not detect the issue

- Lake Hopatcong, NJ, USA

problem #4

Aug 082018

Verano

  • 61,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2012 Buick Verano. Immediately upon purchase I noticed the fresh air intake always had hot air blowing through vents. Dealer and GM customer service said nothing is wrong. Other Verano owners would stop me in parking lots and ask me if I had the same issue as they had. It was a defect. After 40,000 miles the timing chain needed replaced; camshaft position solenoid valve replaced; new gasket kit; output shaft seal leaking. At 60,000 miles, the car lost all power while driving 55 miles an hour on highway (other owners- Buick forums - had the same dangerous experience). By lost power, I mean the car suddenly had no power steering, brakes. Gas pedal was not operational. The engine shut off. Piston ring failure was the diagnosis from Buick service. Almost 4000 to fix they stated. None of these issues should have happened with a car with only 60,000 miles. The Verano is no longer being manufactured. GM should admit that they sold a defective product that did not perform as advertised. After addition investigation, I've discovered that GM was well aware of this problem since 2014. GM never notified Verano owners of this issue. What's more; the Buick dealership told me there was never a service bulletin issued by GM for this problem. Service bulletin 13-06-01-003H in fact was issued. For all Verano owners, please take note. You may still have recourse. Please view links: Excessive oil consumption - 2010-2013 Buick Chevrolet GMC GM is fixing some smoky engines under warranty

- Old Bridge, NJ, USA

problem #3

Nov 142015

Verano

  • 45,250 miles
Today I was driving my 2012 Buick Verano and without any advanced notice (ie.. lights illuminated on dashboard) my vehicle lost power and just started to creep to a full stop. The dashboard was black nothing to tell me what the problem was. Thank god they have created a large pull off on the highway or I would have been really hurt. I tried several time to restart my vehicle the restarting process was not the problem it was putting the car in gear every time I tried to put the vehicle in gear it would shut off and the engine light is now on.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

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problem #2

Dec 312012

Verano 4-cyl

  • 2,500 miles
It has always down shifted hard at about 28 to 30 mph, we asked the dealer and he said it was normal, I have never had a car do this, and what I am afraid of, is it will go bad after the warranty goes out and I am stuck, I have read other reviews on this and other people have had the same problem?? please help me find out about this, it only has about 6500 miles on it now, and we bought it Dec 28 2012, it was driven by the finance manager at fuson Buick in terre haute Indiana, and they sold it to us as a new car with 4 years warranty, thanks and hope that you can help us. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Montezuma , IN, USA

problem #1

Jun 202012

Verano

  • 100 miles
A constant "percolating" or rattling sound is heard while driving slowly and especially on uneven surfaces. The noise gets worse and more consistent as the car is driven. Since nobody can tell me what it is, I must assume it could be a safety concern. The noise became worse after a strut was replaced at 100 miles. The noise got louder after an attempt to fix it by installing a new coil (F-spring?). I was told that this is a characteristic of the car so they will not make attempts to repair it when I request specific actions. I have heard similar noises in at least 7 other same model cars. Three separate people have driven the car and confirm the noises. If there is a structural weakness it would be a safety concern.

- West Palm Beach, FL, USA

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