Towing Buick LaCrosse

[frederich]

I was looking to get a 2012 Buick LaCrosse to tow since the 2011 stated that they can be flat towed. I just stopped at the dealer to look at one. I asked the salesman if it was flat towable. He said yes since the 2011 was. I asked to see the 2012 owner's manual to double check. When he opened the manual package, a slip of paper was there stating that the manual pages dealing with towing had to be replaced with the new one that stated that the LaCrosse WAS NOT flat towable.

Does anyone know which GM cars are flat towable? Do I need to have my dealer talk to a district manager or something? I'm assuming that the 2011 is not flat towable. Is this true?

[retiredblade]

Wow! That's a shocker! I am looking a LaCrosse and Regal (2011) because they are 4 wheels down towable. Now, I'm gun-shy!

[frederich]

I called the owner of a local Buick dealer and explained what I had learned from the Chevy Cruze topic as well as from the paper in the owner's manual stating that the 2012 Buick is not flat towable. I got a voice mail from him later in the day stating that he found out from GM that the transmission used on the 6 cylinder is flat towable but the one used for the 4 cylinder is not yet certified. He also indicated that he could provide a letter from GM stating this. I was not able to get back to him today to talk about it. When I do (maybe tomorrow), I will post my findings.

[retiredblade]

I called the owner of a local Buick dealer and explained what I had learned from the Chevy Cruze topic as well as from the paper in the owner's manual stating that the 2012 Buick is not flat towable. I got a voice mail from him later in the day stating that he found out from GM that the transmission used on the 6 cylinder is flat towable but the one used for the 4 cylinder is not yet certified. He also indicated that he could provide a letter from GM stating this. I was not able to get back to him today to talk about it. When I do (maybe tomorrow), I will post my findings.

It seems that the dealers are adding added confusion to this towing situation! I got a call from the salesman I deal with at my Buick/Chevrolet dealer yesterday,and he said the 2012 Buick Regal are Not towable. So where do we find out the truth? GM puts out manuals saying it is towable fours wheels down then sends us letters they are not. I wished I had never bought a GM product, I don't need all this.

[frederich]

I called the Buick dealership owner back today to confirm what he said on the voice-mail. It appears that the LaCrosse uses two different transmissions. The one used for the six cylinder is, and has been, certified to be towed flat. The four cylinder however is not (at least yet). The Cruze uses a different transmission than the one that the six cylinder LaCrosse uses. He thought that the Malibu six uses the same as the LaCrosse six. He did say again that GM would offer a letter stating that the drivetrain would be covered under warranty when flat towed.

Based on this, I am still planning on getting the 2012 LaCrosse. The next question is when. It probably will not be before the end of the year.

[retiredblade]

I called the Buick dealership owner back today to confirm what he said on the voice-mail. It appears that the LaCrosse uses two different transmissions. The one used for the six cylinder is, and has been, certified to be towed flat. The four cylinder however is not (at least yet). The Cruze uses a different transmission than the one that the six cylinder LaCrosse uses. He thought that the Malibu six uses the same as the LaCrosse six. He did say again that GM would offer a letter stating that the drivetrain would be covered under warranty when flat towed.

Based on this, I am still planning on getting the 2012 LaCrosse. The next question is when. It probably will not be before the end of the year.

I'm going to request a letter like that when I get that V6 Regal, which they told me is towable 4 wheels down, GM, if they ever had any, is, IMHO, starting to lose their credibility

[retiredblade]

I got my 2011 Buick Regal, it is a 2.4L with the 6t45 transmission which is towable 4 wheels down, Buick Regal 2.0L is NOT towable. It has the same trans as the Chevy Cruze, a 6t40 transmission that is not towable 4 wheels down. Now, the 2012 Buick Regal, don't know about LaCrosse, is NOT towable -- apparently they changed the transmissions. My 2011 Regal was built in Germany at the Opel factory in Russelshame, the 2012 Regals are being built in Canada. All this is confusing ... I think I'm going back to bed!

[frederich]

I decided to go ahead and get the 2012 V6 LaCrosse and picked it up last Saturday after a lot of research to make sure it was flat towable.

There is a GM document #PIP4973A titled "Dingy Towing Quick Reference for 6SP Front Wheel Drive Automatic Transmission for 2011 and 2012 - (Nov 21, 2011)" which provides information on which vehicles with which transmissions are and are not dingy towable. This document supersedes document #PIP4973. Your dealer should be able to get this document.

It basically states that the 2011 and 2012 Buick LaCrosse and Enclave, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Malibu, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia and Terrain are all dingy towable providing they have the 6T70/75 (RPOs MH2, MH4, MH6, MY9) transmission. 2011 and 2012 Chevrolet Equinox and Malibu, GMC Terrain, and 2012 Chevrolet Sonic are also dingy towable providing they have the 6T30/6T40/6T45 (RPOs MHC, MH7, MH8, MH9) transmission.

The 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, Chevrolet Cruze, and 2012 Buick Verano, and Chevrolet Orlando (Canada only) are NOT dingy towable with the 6T30/6T40/6T45 (RPOs MHC, MHH, MH7, MH8, MH9) transmissions.

Notice that you cannot just go by the transmission. Sometimes a given transmissions is dingy towable and sometime not depending on which car it is used in.

[univmd]

Thank you for the update but yikes! What prevents GM from changing their minds again, after #PIP4973A, and saying that all 2012 LaCrosses are not towable? We decided to stay safe and go with a brand new 2011 Honda CR-V.