Is the Chrysler 300 more reliable than the Buick Lacrosse?

No, the Buick Lacrosse has a slight edge. Both stand well, and both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. The Lacrosse costs less per year to repair and has a slightly lower chance of a major repair. The 300 has more serious safety complaints, mainly around air bags.

Which has more recalls, the 300 or the Lacrosse?

The 300 has more, with 13 recalls across six model years from 2018 to 2023. The Lacrosse has 5 across its two model years, 2018 and 2019. The 300 covers three times as many model years, so compare per year, and check any specific car's VIN for open recalls.

Which costs less to repair?

The Lacrosse, at $569 a year against $631 for the 300. That is roughly $310 over five years. A 300 repair is also a bit more likely to be major, at 13% against 12%. A replacement 300 headlight assembly can cost over $2000, according to owners.

What is the most common Chrysler 300 problem?

Electrical trouble leads, with 80 complaints. The Uconnect touchscreen freezes or goes dark, often after a failed update showing error code 20. Owners then lose the backup camera, radio, navigation, and climate controls. Some say dealers waited weeks for parts.

What goes wrong with the Buick Lacrosse most often?

Engine complaints lead, with 5. The main one is hesitation under acceleration, where the pedal gets no response when merging. Electrical reports follow, including the car shutting off suddenly. The dealer in one case said Buick had no fix. The sample is small, with 18 complaints in all.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Buick LaCrosse vs Chrysler 300: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Buick LaCrosse

Good

Chrysler 300

Good

On reliability, the Buick Lacrosse edges out the Chrysler 300 thanks to lower repair costs. The gap is slight. The 300 has far more crash-linked air bag complaints, while the Lacrosse draws more complaints per car sold from a much smaller pool of model years.

How Do the Buick LaCrosse and Chrysler 300 Generations Compare?

Late-cycle cars make up the whole Chrysler range here. It belongs to the second generation (LD), which ran from 2011 through 2023, and its 2015 facelift came well before the 2018 to 2023 years. All six model years are versions of the same car, so year-to-year differences matter more than design changes. The Buick sits in its third generation, which ran 2017 to 2019. A 2019 facelift made 2019 the updated version of the 2018 car, so a shopper looking at these years is choosing between the pre-facelift and facelift versions of one generation.

Verdict

The Buick LaCrosse is more reliable than the Chrysler 300, scoring 76/100 vs 72/100.

A slight edge goes to the Buick Lacrosse. Both sedans stand well on reliability, and both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. The Lacrosse costs a little less to keep running and has a slightly lower chance of a major repair. The Chrysler 300 carries a heavier safety record, with air bag complaints that include failures to deploy in serious crashes. The Lacrosse draws more complaints per car sold, but its sample is small and covers only two model years, so the gap stays narrow.

Key Differences

1Buick LaCrosse costs $62 less per year to repair
2Buick LaCrosse has 8 fewer total recalls
3Chrysler 300 has 5.6 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

5Buick LaCrosse

—

1Chrysler 300

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Buick LaCrosse vs Chrysler 300: Which Is More Reliable?

Buick LaCrosse vs Chrysler 300 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Buick LaCrosse	Chrysler 300
Reliability Score	76/100	72/100
Years Tracked	2	6
Total Recalls	5	13
Complaints per 10k Sold	7.9	2.3
Annual Repair Cost	$569/yr	$631/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	12%	13%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2019 NHTSA	2023 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	2	0

What Are the Common Problems With the Buick LaCrosse and Chrysler 300?

Electrical trouble and air bags define the Chrysler's record. A Uconnect touchscreen freezes or goes dark after a failed update, taking the backup camera and climate controls with it. Air bag complaints are the serious ones, with 9 crash-linked reports, including bags that did not deploy in a rear-end hit and a rollover. The Buick's problems center on power delivery. Owners describe no response from the pedal when merging, sudden stalling, and surging at a light. Its listed problem areas show no crash-linked counts, though owners report near rear-end collisions.

Buick LaCrosse vs Chrysler 300 common problem areas comparison
Component	Buick LaCrosse	Chrysler 300
ENGINE	2.2Low	—None
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.3Low	0.7Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.3Low	0.4Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.9Very Low	0.2Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.9Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	—None	0.5Very Low
STRUCTURE	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
STEERING	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Buick LaCrosse or Chrysler 300?

Keeping the Buick on the road costs less: $569 a year against $631 for the Chrysler. Over five years that is about $310 saved. The gap is small, and both cars average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. A repair is slightly more likely to be major on the 300, at 13% against 12%. Owners also report a 300 headlight assembly can be a dealer-only part costing over $2000, which is not reflected in the average.

How Does Buick LaCrosse vs Chrysler 300 Reliability Compare by Year?

Buick LaCrosse vs Chrysler 300 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Buick LaCrosse	Chrysler 300	Edge
2019	76/1002R / 6C	71/1002R / 59C	Buick LaCrosse
2018	75/1003R / 12C	66/1004R / 151C	Buick LaCrosse

Best years to cross-shop: The 2019 Buick LaCrosse scored 76/100 and the 2019 Chrysler 300 scored 71/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Buick LaCrosse vs the Chrysler 300?

Pick the Lacrosse if you want the lower running cost and a cleaner crash record in owner complaints. Only 2018 and 2019 are in the data, so you are choosing between two years. Before you buy, test drive it through highway merges and stop-and-go traffic. Hesitation, reduced power warnings, and stalling are the reports to check for, and dealers have sometimes found no fault after the codes cleared. Pick the 300 if you want a full-size sedan and can accept a screen that may act up. Aim for 2020, one of the strongest years, and avoid 2018 and 2019, the weakest. The 2023 is also listed among the strongest, but it is the newest year and has had the least time to collect complaints. On any 300, confirm that the touchscreen updates cleanly, check the headlights, and look for water stains near the sunroof. Ask about open recalls on either car.

Buick LaCrosse vs Chrysler 300: Common Questions

Is the Chrysler 300 more reliable than the Buick Lacrosse?: No, the Buick Lacrosse has a slight edge. Both stand well, and both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. The Lacrosse costs less per year to repair and has a slightly lower chance of a major repair. The 300 has more serious safety complaints, mainly around air bags.
Which has more recalls, the 300 or the Lacrosse?: The 300 has more, with 13 recalls across six model years from 2018 to 2023. The Lacrosse has 5 across its two model years, 2018 and 2019. The 300 covers three times as many model years, so compare per year, and check any specific car's VIN for open recalls.
Which costs less to repair?: The Lacrosse, at $569 a year against $631 for the 300. That is roughly $310 over five years. A 300 repair is also a bit more likely to be major, at 13% against 12%. A replacement 300 headlight assembly can cost over $2000, according to owners.
What is the most common Chrysler 300 problem?: Electrical trouble leads, with 80 complaints. The Uconnect touchscreen freezes or goes dark, often after a failed update showing error code 20. Owners then lose the backup camera, radio, navigation, and climate controls. Some say dealers waited weeks for parts.
What goes wrong with the Buick Lacrosse most often?: Engine complaints lead, with 5. The main one is hesitation under acceleration, where the pedal gets no response when merging. Electrical reports follow, including the car shutting off suddenly. The dealer in one case said Buick had no fix. The sample is small, with 18 complaints in all.

More Buick LaCrosse comparisons

Buick LaCrosse vs Nissan Maxima reliability Buick LaCrosse vs Kia K5 reliability Buick LaCrosse vs Dodge Charger reliability Buick LaCrosse vs Honda Accord reliability Buick LaCrosse reliability by year Buick LaCrosse years to avoid

More Chrysler 300 comparisons

Chrysler 300 vs Dodge Charger reliability Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima reliability Chrysler 300 vs Hyundai Sonata reliability Chrysler 300 vs Kia K5 reliability Chrysler 300 reliability by year Chrysler 300 years to avoid

Decided between Buick LaCrosse and Chrysler 300? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the Buick LaCrosse and Chrysler 300

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

See incorrect data? Report an issue