Buyer Research

2017 Buick Verano — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $9,500–$14,500. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 6 Buick Verano years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

The last year Buick sold the Verano in America, and the public record on it is nine complaints — far too few to draw conclusions from, so treat what follows as a list of things to check rather than a reliability rating. What is in there is worth reading anyway, because three of the nine describe the same frightening minute: the dash electronics dying at speed, the steering going very heavy, and in one case the engine stalling on the way into a parking space. There is also one open-and-shut recall about the key coming out when the car is not in Park. A low-mileage final-year Verano is a pleasant, quiet car; just do the electrical checks properly rather than assuming a short file means a clean one.

What we checked

Checked against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 9 owner complaints for the 2017 Buick Verano, and 1 recall campaign.

That is too small a record to read a pattern from, so we are not going to pretend otherwise — with numbers this low one owner moves the percentage by a lot. What has been filed is grouped under electrics and electronics (4), steering (3), the body and structure (2). Treat those as things to look at, not as the vehicle's known weaknesses. A thin file usually means few of these were sold or few owners filed. It is not evidence the vehicle is trouble-free, and the issues below are our own research rather than a reading of this record.

One recall campaign covers this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2017 Buick Verano

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Dash electronics dropping out at speed, taking the steering assist with themHigh — wallet impact

Four electrical complaints, and three of them describe a loss of power rather than a flickering light: one owner at 40 mph had every dash electronic go dark, found the steering almost impossible to turn, made it into a parking space and had the engine stall, then got only a click when restarting and found the alternator belt off. Another says the system shut off and she lost control of the car. A third had the radio and power steering cycling on and off with a SERVICE STABILITY TRACK message that two mechanics could not pin down. With a sample this small we cannot tell you how common it is — but we can tell you what to look at. Have the charging system and belt inspected and the battery load-tested, and drive the car long enough to get bored.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$1,100 for an alternator, tensioner and belt; $600–$1,800 for a body control module

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (4).

Steering going heavy, and one report of the steering gear linkage failingMedium

Three steering complaints on this year, and two of them are the electrical event above seen from the driver's seat — when the car's voltage drops, the electric power steering is the first thing you feel. The third is terser and more serious: steering gear linkage failure, filed alongside a crash. That is one filing and we are not calling it a pattern, but steering is where a small record still deserves attention. On the test drive, do full-lock turns both ways at walking pace and listen for knocking or cracking from the front end, then check that the effort stays even as you turn.

Repair cost (estimate): $900–$2,000 for a steering gear or electric power steering assembly

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (3).

The key can come out of the ignition with the car not in Park (recall 16V502000)Medium

This car's only recall campaign, and it is a rollaway risk: the electronic park lock lever can let the key be withdrawn while the transmission is still in gear, so the car can start moving while people are getting out. The dealer inspects the key cylinder lock housing and replaces it if needed, free of charge. One owner on this year writes that she was never notified and the work was never done, which is the normal state of affairs on a car that has changed hands a few times. Check the VIN on NHTSA's lookup, and test it yourself with the handbrake firmly applied.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 1 NHTSA recall campaign on this model year.

Doors that will not latch and a driver's window that stops workingLow

Two filings under structure, one of them from a buyer who found after purchase that all four doors would not open and close and stay secured properly, and that the driver's window would not go down. Door latch actuators and window regulators are ordinary parts and ordinary money, but they are also exactly the sort of thing a seller stops noticing. Open and close every door from inside and out, listen for the latch clicking home, and run all four windows up and down twice while you are sitting in the car.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$700 per door for a latch actuator or window regulator

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the body and structure (2).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Dash gauges or the radio dropping out during a test drive
✗Steering effort that changes suddenly while manoeuvring
✗A SERVICE STABILITY TRACK message on the display
✗The key coming out of the ignition with the selector in Drive
✗A door that needs a shove to latch, or a window that hesitates

Good Signs

✓Recall 16V502000 confirmed closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓A recent alternator, belt and battery test printed by the shop that did it
✓Even, predictable steering effort through full-lock turns in both directions
✓All four doors latching first time and all four windows running smoothly