I have a 2012 Lacrosse with 6 speed auto transmission and its driveability is simply poor due to the excessive delay in transmission up shifting. With part throttle acceleration to keep up with traffic flow the transmission will not up shift into second gear until the engine reaches 5000 RPM. 2nd to 3rd and so forth is also very late causing the vehicle to feel like you are driving an old VW Bus. The Buick dealers have run tests on the transmission and say nothing is wrong, this shift pattern is how it is programmed. Working with Buick customer Service is a waste of time as they say there is nothing they can do to correct it. How Buick Powertrain engineers came up with this shift pattern is a mystery. A simple re-programming of the transmission shift patter would solve the problem and make an otherwise nice car much more driveable, yet they refuse to even consider it. It is apparent that Buick Powertrain Engineers are simply BRAIN DEAD. No more Buicks for me ever again.

 

Sometimes we get better results from different Buick Dealerships. Have you considered a different dealership?

 

Thursday I'll visit a third dealership with this concern. The first two test drove the car and checked for failure codes and said that there are no failure codes recorded therefore it must be shifting normally. Seems that Buick techs are trained to rely only on failure codes to diagnose problems and not common sense. In all other endeavors fault analysis requires common sense, judgment, experience and reasoning. Failure sensors coupled to powertrain management computers are suppose to be a tool to help guide a trouble shooter to the problem not the end to end all as it seems fault analysis has become in the auto repair business. What a sorry state of affairs. No wonder there are so many dissatisfied car owners with GM helping to lead the pack with their closed mind to legitimate complaints. Ill keep you informed on my next attempt to correct this problem.

 

Buicks were known for their quality ride and performance and that is why they are still manufactured.
Different dealerships provide different levels of service . Keep trying and you will hit one that has a service dept that does provide that traditional "Buick Customer Service".
Persistence pays !!

 

I’ve now visited another Buick dealer, third time, to resolve the transmission delayed shifting issue with my 2012 Buick Lacrosse. After test driving another Buick Lacrosse with V6 engine it is clear that the issue of not shifting from first gear to second gear until the engine reaches 5000 RPM with moderate throttle to keep up with traffic flow is how the Lacrosse transmission is programmed. The dealer rep. noted the extremely delayed shifting pattern but said and rightly so that there is nothing they can do to correct it. I’ve written several letters to Buick about this issue but have only received a phone call from GM Customer Service offering their condolences. I request that they forward this complaint to the Buick powertrain engineers for a fix but was told that they will not correct it. I have owned over twelve new cars over the years and currently own a Honda Odyssey and Chevy Impala as well as the 2012 Lacrosse. All of the other cars shift gears normally and at moderate engine RPM except for the Buick Lacrosse. This excessively high engine RPM before shifting gears makes the Lacrosse one of the poorest driveable cars I have ever owned. There is no technical or other reason to program the Lacrosse transmission shifting points so high making an otherwise nice car drive more like a race car than a smooth luxury family sedan. Buick’s decision NOT TO CORRECT THIS FLAW is evident that they care little about keeping customers and would rather lose present and potential customers than admit they make a mistake.

 

This is a very unfortunate situation and I wouldn't be surprised if this sort of thing continues Buick may be on the path to the Pontiac future. As the expression goes , "Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves"

 

Sounds like something simple that a superchips Xcal programer can change. They are following the same suit as Mazda with the Mazda 6 and it's shift shock issue. You had to find the right dealer with the care and the time to update their computer system so they don't downgrade you from factory. Once you found that dealer a simple reflash corrected the issue with how the trans shifted. Just out of curiosity, did you check the trans fluid levels yet?

 

thanks for all the information guys