2012 Buick Verano

No photo available — body style shown for reference.

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Engine

Engine leads by volume: 50 of 106 complaints (47%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (4) than those mentioning any other identified area.

Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology

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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 3 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.
Category201220132014vs. 2012 Compact Cars
Annual fuel cost ($)2,6002,6002,600
Combined MPG242424
City / Highway MPG21 / 3120–21 / 29–3120–21 / 29–31
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)370363–373363–373
Complaints filed106107101Not compared
Recalls issued336Not compared
Crash-involved complaints843Not compared
Fire-involved complaints111Not compared
Injuries reported437Not compared
Deaths reported000Not compared
Configurations compared133

Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.

Common questions

How many recalls does the 2012 Buick Verano have?

3 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.

What is the most common complaint about the 2012 Buick Verano?

Engine: 50 of 106 NHTSA complaints (47%) mention it.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Buick Verano get?

EPA rates it 24 MPG combined.

How much does it cost to fuel a 2012 Buick Verano?

EPA estimates $2,600 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

EPA-Rated Configurations (1)

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
ConfigurationTransmissionCylindersDisplacementDrivetrainFuel TypeVehicle ClassCityHighwayCombinedAnnual Fuel CostCO₂
Configuration 1Automatic (S6)42.4LFront-Wheel DriveGasoline or E85Compact Cars21 mpg31 mpg24 mpg$2,600370 g/mi

Complaints by Category

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
CategoryComplaintsCrash-InvolvedFire-InvolvedInjuriesDeaths
Engine500000
Transmission & Drivetrain70000
Fuel System40000
Electrical160100
Brakes81000
Steering90100
Suspension, Wheels & Tires40000
Airbags & Restraints277040
Driver Assistance & Speed Control71000
Body, Seats & Latches20000
Visibility & Lighting60000
Other50000

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

Recalls (3)

  • AIR BAGS · Campaign 14V300000 · Jun 6, 2014

    Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

    Consequence: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. Note: This is an expansion of recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023.

  • AIR BAGS · Campaign 13V023000 · Jan 25, 2013

    Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

    Consequence: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

  • AIR BAGS · Campaign 12V522000 · Nov 5, 2012

    Defect: General Motors is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

    Consequence: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal airbag, that airbag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

    Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel airbag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.