Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Buick Lucerne owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Latches locks linkages -- starting at 52000 miles, my Buick Lucerne 2006's rear passenger door would not open under any circumstances. The door will not open from the inside, from the outside, and although the key fob visibly actuates the latch, it does not assist in opening the door. Now at 53000, the driver's side rear door will not open. I now have no access to half of the inside of the automobile. After investigating numerous complaints on the internet, I discovered that apparently this is due to a latch assembly failure in each door. The buickforums.com provided advice: chisel open the back doors, then pull the door panel off. At that point, apparently the visible linkages are not the issue. Instead, it is the internal mechanism of the lock housing. Problem not resolved.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that the theft locks activated on the vehicle, which prevented the rear doors from unlocking while the vehicle was in park. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 61,000. ....updated 04/23/15 the vehicle was repaired at a cost of $900 both rear locks were replaced. Updated 04/24/15...updated 06/09/15 updated 06/16/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that the rear passenger door would not open from the interior or exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed, but not repaired. The contact continued to experience the failure intermittently. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. Updated 02/26/16 the consumer replaced the latches at his expense. Corrosion and weak springs were the cause of the failure. Updated 03/16/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that the rear driver and passenger side doors failed to unlock or open. The contact stated that this was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the locks needed to be oiled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was not available.
The rear door locks on the 2006 Buick Lucerne have a fundamental design flaw. If the rear seat passenger pulls the door handle to open the door while the door is locked, and holds it in place when the power lock mechanism attempts to unlock the door, the mechanism binds internally making the door impossible to open. This has occurred 5 times on our Lucerne over the past 4 years. The only way to open the door is remove the inner door panel. Reach into the lock through the access holes and free up the mechanism. Until the door is repaired the backseat passenger sitting next to the frozen door cannot get out. I can't believe that the engineering team at GM has not discovered a fix for this condition. This is very disappointing and dangerous.
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was placed in drive, the doors locked automatically. It was driven to the dealer who determined the door locks performed as designed. The consumer stated if he is involved in an accident, he or the passengers May not be able to exit. The passengers will not be able to exit until the switch is operated or pulls up the manual lock post , then they can unlock the door by pulling the door handle. The consumer believes that takes too much time and effort if in an emergency situation. Updated 12/05/06.
Reported this to dealer on 7/2/13 and was diagnosed as inside door lock assy at 58.97$, and 410$ plus tax to repair. Went home banged on in side of door and was able to open until this week when problem recurred and no amount of banging would open door. Went on google and noted this to be prevalent with many owners. This can be fatal in an accident where the passenger cannot exit the vehicle. Do we have to wait for a fatality before the GM acknowledges either a faulty design or faulty part,and repair without customer cost. Please advise.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle, the rear driver's side door locked independently and could not be unlocked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was stated that the latching mechanism needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000. Updated 12/23/13 the consumer stated the doors could not be opened from the inside or outside.
The back doors on my Buick Lucerne 2006 have not unlocked for over a month. Strangely, one day I leaned on one door from the inside and it unlocked for a few hours and then relocked. I see many other complaints for the same issue online. The dealers were not helpful or sympathetic and charged me one hundred dollars to diagnose this in five minutes, with a two grand estimate. It is unsafe for back seaters who cannot get in or out safely. This should be on a recall from GM right away.
I closed the rear driver's side door. I then locked the car. Later after unlocking the vehicle the door would not open; from the outside or inside. It appears to be locking and unlocking. After checking forums I see that there are many Buick Lucerne owners that have also experienced this issue. This is a major safety issue! I can't believe there isn't a recall on this car. I'm scared to put my children in the back seat by chance we are in a accident and they are injured.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Lucerne years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2006 Buick Lucerne?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2006 Buick Lucerne, 7% of the model year's 330 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Buick Lucerne door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2006 Buick Lucerne, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Buick Lucerne door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.