Head-to-head reliability
Buick Enclave vs FORD F 150
How the Buick Enclave and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Buick Enclave vs FORD F 150: The Enclave has 443 complaints over 10 years (44/yr) versus the F-150's 11,311 (1,131/yr). Enclave owners report air bag failures and brake issues, while F-150 owners face transmission problems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Buick Enclave or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Buick Enclave
The Buick Enclave, a three-row SUV, shows a moderate complaint rate of about 44 per year over the last decade. Owners frequently report air bag non-deployment in crashes, engine stalling, and brake issues, alongside electrical glitches. These patterns suggest a vehicle that may have intermittent safety-critical failures, making thorough inspection essential.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150, a full-size pickup, has a much higher complaint volume, averaging over 1,100 per year, reflecting its popularity and widespread use. The dominant issues are transmission harshness and failures, electrical system malfunctions, and exterior lighting problems. Owners describe hard shifts, sudden power loss, and camera malfunctions, indicating potential drivability and safety concerns.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Buick Enclave | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 443 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 14 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 23 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 44.3 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 20 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Buick Enclave
- 01AIR BAGS153
- 02ENGINE59
- 03SERVICE BRAKES57
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM56
- 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER51
Owners report air bags failing to deploy in frontal collisions, even when the vehicle is totaled. This is a critical safety concern because the restraint system may not protect occupants as designed.
The engine can catastrophically fail while driving, causing sudden loss of power and shutdown on the freeway. Others report check engine lights, shaking, and vibrations shortly after purchase, indicating potential reliability issues.
Brake problems include squealing that persists daily and, more seriously, the brake pedal sinking to the floor, which can lead to brake failure. This is a direct safety hazard.
Electrical issues range from infotainment system lockups that disable phone and navigation to intermittent power losses affecting brakes. These can be distracting and potentially dangerous if they occur while driving.
“On [XXX], 2024, a pickup truck ran a red light at 55+ miles per hour and struck the front left quarter panel of our 2023 Buick Enclave as we were pulling into an intersection. Our car was totaled with the entire front end of the car being severely damaged. Th…”
“The contact owned a 2025 Buick Enclave. While the contact’s daughter was driving through an intersection on a green light at an undisclosed speed, a truck crashed into the front driver’s side of the vehicle. Upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. The con…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The 10-speed automatic transmission is a major source of complaints, with hard and delayed shifts, jerking, clunking, and even sudden loss of power and shutdown. This can be alarming and may lead to accidents.
Electrical problems include warning messages for front camera malfunction and pre-collision assist not available, which appear every time the truck is started. These failures can disable safety features.
Headlight issues are common, with recalls and complaints about poor visibility or failure, which can compromise nighttime driving safety.
Engine-related complaints, though fewer, include stalling and power loss, which can be dangerous in traffic.
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Buick Enclave — 14 recalls
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
The risk: Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-…
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. Th…
The risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increa…
The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267,…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software that may affect frontal airbag deployment.
The risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will update the air bag calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
The risk: Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-…
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Buyer analysis
Buick Enclave or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Buick Enclave has far fewer complaints per year (44 vs 1,131), indicating a lower rate of reported issues. However, the Enclave's air bag and brake failures are severe safety concerns. The F-150's transmission problems are widespread but may be more predictable and manageable.
Key differences
- The Enclave has a much lower complaint rate (44/yr) than the F-150 (1,131/yr), but its air bag non-deployment is a critical safety issue.
- The F-150's transmission problems are the most common, with hard shifts and power loss, while the Enclave's engine issues are less frequent but can cause sudden shutdown.
- Brake failures in the Enclave, including pedal sinking, are more dangerous than the F-150's electrical glitches.
- The F-150 has a higher number of recalls (145 vs 14), indicating more widespread issues over time.
- Check for any history of air bag deployment or non-deployment; inspect the air bag warning light and have a mechanic verify the system.
- Test the brakes for unusual noises or pedal feel; ask for service records related to brake repairs.
- Test drive at various speeds to feel for transmission harshness or delays, especially between 4th-6th gears.
- Check for any warning lights related to camera or pre-collision assist; ensure they are not illuminated on startup.
Before you buy
- Obtain a vehicle history report to check for recalls and previous complaints.
- Have a trusted mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection, focusing on air bags, brakes, and transmission.
- Test drive both vehicles under similar conditions, including highway and city driving.
- Ask for service records and verify that any recalls have been addressed.
- Check the NHTSA website for the latest recall information on the specific model year.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Buick Enclave | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 24 |
| 2025 | 36 | 329 |
| 2024 | 7 | 617 |
| 2023 | 19 | 1507 |
| 2022 | 13 | 3432 |
| 2021 | 25 | 5234 |
| 2020 | 56 | 33 |
| 2019 | 42 | 36 |
| 2018 | 64 | 56 |
| 2017 | 179 | 43 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Buick Enclave or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Buick Enclave vs FORD F 150
- Buick Enclave total complaints
- 443
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Buick Enclave total recalls
- 14
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Buick Enclave avg complaints/year
- 44.3
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Buick Enclave
- Buick Enclave top complaint area
- AIR BAGS
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN