Is the Dodge Charger more reliable than the Buick Lacrosse?

No, the Lacrosse has a slight edge. Its estimated annual repair cost is $569 against $652 for the Charger, and its chance of a major repair is 12% against 15%. The Charger visits the shop less often, at 0.2 visits a year against 0.3, so the gap is small.

Which has more recalls, the Charger or the Lacrosse?

The Charger has far more. Federal recall records show 25 recalls across 9 model years for the Charger and 5 across 2 model years for the Lacrosse. The Charger has been sold across many more years, which gives it more time to collect recalls.

Which costs less to repair, the Charger or the Lacrosse?

The Lacrosse costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $569 a year, about $83 less than the Charger's $652. Over five years that is roughly $415. The Lacrosse also has a lower chance that any given repair is major.

What is the biggest problem with the Dodge Charger?

Air bags draw the most complaints, 98 in all, and 19 are crash-linked. Two crashes involved air bags that stayed stowed. The next biggest area is the electrical system, where the Uconnect touchscreen delaminates, registers phantom touches and can freeze the backup camera.

What goes wrong with the Buick Lacrosse?

Owner complaints describe power delivery problems. The car may not respond when you press the pedal to merge, may shut off suddenly, or may surge forward at a light. Reduced power and check engine warnings often appear. Dealers sometimes find no fault code, so the problem can go unresolved.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Buick LaCrosse vs Dodge Charger: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Buick LaCrosse

Good

Dodge Charger

Good

The Buick Lacrosse edges out the Dodge Charger on reliability, though only slightly. The Lacrosse has lower yearly repair costs and fewer major repairs. The Charger carries many more recalls and crash-linked air bag complaints, but it draws fewer complaints per car sold.

How Do the Buick LaCrosse and Dodge Charger Generations Compare?

Most used Charger shopping lands late in the seventh generation, which ran from 2011 through 2023 and received facelifts for 2015 and 2020. Cars from 2018 through 2023 belong to that stretch. The eighth generation began with the 2024 model year, so 2024 through 2026 cars are a different design with little history behind them. The Lacrosse sits at the end of its third generation, which began in 2017 and ran through 2019, with a facelift in 2019. Both Lacrosse years in the data, 2018 and 2019, belong to that final stretch.

Verdict

The Buick LaCrosse is more reliable than the Dodge Charger, scoring 76/100 vs 74/100.

A slight edge goes to the Buick Lacrosse, not a clear win. Independent repair-cost data puts it below the Charger on yearly cost, and a repair on it is less likely to be major. The Charger has the longer recall history and a crash-linked air bag problem. Against that, the Lacrosse draws more owner complaints per car sold and needs the shop slightly more often. The gap is narrow, and both cars still stand well on reliability.

Key Differences

1Buick LaCrosse costs $83 less per year to repair
2Buick LaCrosse has 20 fewer total recalls
3Dodge Charger has 5.7 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

4Buick LaCrosse

—

2Dodge Charger

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair Risk

Buick LaCrosse vs Dodge Charger: Which Is More Reliable?

Buick LaCrosse vs Dodge Charger at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Buick LaCrosse	Dodge Charger
Reliability Score	76/100	74/100
Years Tracked	2	9
Total Recalls	5	25
Complaints per 10k Sold	7.9	2.2
Annual Repair Cost	$569/yr	$652/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.2/yr
Major Repair Risk	12%	15%
Year Wins	2	0

What Are the Common Problems With the Buick LaCrosse and Dodge Charger?

Air bags and the Uconnect touchscreen dominate the Charger's complaints. In two crashes, some air bags did not deploy, and 19 air bag complaints are crash-linked. Screens delaminate, register phantom touches and freeze the backup camera. Door panels peel away, and some cars lose power steering assist. The Lacrosse has far fewer reports, but they center on power delivery: the pedal does nothing when merging, the car shuts off, or it surges at a light. No crash-linked counts appear for the Lacrosse. Dealers sometimes find no fault code on either car.

Buick LaCrosse vs Dodge Charger common problem areas comparison
Component	Buick LaCrosse	Dodge Charger
ENGINE	2.2Low	0.1Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.3Low	0.5Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.3Low	0.2Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.9Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.9Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	—None	0.6Very Low
STRUCTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
STEERING	—None	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	—None	0.1Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—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 Dodge Charger?

Lower yearly cost and fewer major repairs favor the Lacrosse. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $569 a year against $652 for the Charger, which adds up to roughly $415 saved over five years. Its chance that a repair is major is 12%, against 15%. The Charger does better on frequency, with 0.2 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.3. The Lacrosse is cheaper per year and per repair, while the Charger goes to the shop less often.

How Does Buick LaCrosse vs Dodge Charger Reliability Compare by Year?

Buick LaCrosse vs Dodge Charger year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Buick LaCrosse	Dodge Charger	Edge
2019	76/1002R / 6C	71/1005R / 118C	Buick LaCrosse
2018	75/1003R / 12C	69/1006R / 121C	Buick LaCrosse

Best years to cross-shop: The 2019 Buick LaCrosse scored 76/100 and the 2019 Dodge Charger 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 Dodge Charger?

Pick the Lacrosse if you want lower running costs and fewer major repairs, and you can accept a short model-year range of 2018 and 2019. Test drive it with a highway merge in mind. The worst reports describe hesitation when you press the pedal, sudden shutoffs and reduced power warnings, and dealers sometimes cannot reproduce them. Ask for service records showing any such warnings were diagnosed, not just cleared. Pick the Charger if you need a larger car and a wider choice of years. Target 2021, one of its strongest years. Skip 2018 and 2019, its weakest. Treat 2026 with caution, since a brand-new year has had little time to collect complaints. Whatever year you choose, check the touchscreen for ghost touches and freezing, because owners report dealer quotes above $2,000 for a replacement. Look at every door panel for lifting near the window. Confirm that no air bag warning light is on.

Buick LaCrosse vs Dodge Charger: Common Questions

Is the Dodge Charger more reliable than the Buick Lacrosse?: No, the Lacrosse has a slight edge. Its estimated annual repair cost is $569 against $652 for the Charger, and its chance of a major repair is 12% against 15%. The Charger visits the shop less often, at 0.2 visits a year against 0.3, so the gap is small.
Which has more recalls, the Charger or the Lacrosse?: The Charger has far more. Federal recall records show 25 recalls across 9 model years for the Charger and 5 across 2 model years for the Lacrosse. The Charger has been sold across many more years, which gives it more time to collect recalls.
Which costs less to repair, the Charger or the Lacrosse?: The Lacrosse costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $569 a year, about $83 less than the Charger's $652. Over five years that is roughly $415. The Lacrosse also has a lower chance that any given repair is major.
What is the biggest problem with the Dodge Charger?: Air bags draw the most complaints, 98 in all, and 19 are crash-linked. Two crashes involved air bags that stayed stowed. The next biggest area is the electrical system, where the Uconnect touchscreen delaminates, registers phantom touches and can freeze the backup camera.
What goes wrong with the Buick Lacrosse?: Owner complaints describe power delivery problems. The car may not respond when you press the pedal to merge, may shut off suddenly, or may surge forward at a light. Reduced power and check engine warnings often appear. Dealers sometimes find no fault code, so the problem can go unresolved.

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How we score the Buick LaCrosse and Dodge Charger

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.

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