2012 Buick Verano problems & reliability
106 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Buick Verano, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Buick Verano vehicles were involved in 19 fatal crashes with 10 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 48 | 45% |
| Air Bags | 27 | 25% |
| Electrical System | 16 | 15% |
| Steering | 9 | 8% |
| Power Train | 7 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 4% |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 60,266 miles (middle 50% between 34,946 and 79,238 miles), based on 70 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Rear window shattered while driving. No rock or other damage. I just heard a loud bang and it exploded”
Visibility/wiper · filed May 5, 2026
“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.”
Engine · filed May 26, 2024
“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…”
Air Bags · filed Apr 16, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Air Bag Non-deployment
Recall Query RQ13002 · opened May 31, 2013 · closed Jul 9, 2014 · led to recall 14V300000
Technical service bulletins
1,485 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Buick Verano. The 10 most recent:
This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic trouble code P0191 and may also set P0172. The diagnostic tip has the technician inspect the high pressure fuel pump…
PIP6113 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2026
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
PIT5214G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2025
New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
13598 · Other · issued Sep 9, 2025
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902T · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 14, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may…
PIC5650M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2025
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902S · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 9, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2012 Buick Verano has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2012 Buick Verano?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 60,266 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.