Buick Enclave Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Buick Enclave options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
BUICK ENCLAVE (2017–2026) has 436 NHTSA complaints and 14 recalls. Air bags account for 153 complaints, and the 2017 model year has 178 complaints. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Make
- Buick
- Model
- Enclave
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 436
- Safety recall campaigns
- 14
- Crash-related complaints
- 23
- Fire-related complaints
- 1
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2017 (178 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2024 (7 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- AIR BAGS
- Reliability signal
- Average
By model year
Buick Enclave: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
AverageBased on NHTSA complaint data, the Buick Enclave from 2017 to 2026 has 436 complaints and 14 recalls, with air bags accounting for 153 complaints. The 2017 model year leads with 178 complaints, while 2026 has only 2. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Air bags account for 153 complaints, the highest of any component.
- The 2017 model year has 178 complaints, more than all other years combined.
- Service brakes have 57 complaints, indicating a common issue.
- Air bag system may have deployment or warning light issues.
- Service brakes may exhibit premature wear or loss of braking power.
- Engine problems reported in 59 complaints could affect reliability.
The 2017 model year has 178 complaints, driven largely by air bags (153) and engine issues (59), making it the highest-risk year.
Model years 2022–2026 show fewer than 12 complaints each, suggesting improved reliability, though data is limited for newer years.
- Verify air bag recall completion and inspect warning light operation.
- Check all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
- Request service records for brake and engine repairs.
- Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase.
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Jul 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
14 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
TIRES
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:FRONTAL IMPACT
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TIRES
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 436 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
436 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
I am reporting a sudden, complete failure of the vehicle braking system. I was operating a black 2026 Buick Enclave (an Enterprise rental car which my husband, [XXX], rented from the Tucson International Airport fleet, Vehicle Fleet #XXX) with my two children in the backseat. We were traveling at the posted speed limit of 45 mph in the fast lane on [XXX], heading toward Costco. Without warning, the braking system completely malfunctioned. Half a dozen red warning lights illuminated and alarmed on the dashboard, including the primary "BRAKE" indicator. When I pressed the brake pedal, it completely stopped working and went dead. The electronic parking brake failed to engage as well. Fortunately, the vehicle immediately ahead of me cleared a green light at the intersection, allowing me to coast through before the light turned red. I safely steered across the slow lane onto the shoulder and pressed "Park," but the vehicle continued to roll. The vehicle only came to a complete stop when I turned the engine ignition completely off. This vehicle has an Iowa license plate (PYR149) and failed at around 28,128 miles. This matches the exact profile of the ongoing master brake cylinder cartridge seal failures documented in active federal litigation against General Motors (such as XXX v. General Motors LLC). This defect poses an immediate public safety risk across GM's 2025-2026 shared-platform vehicles (Enclave, Traverse, Acadia, Colorado, Canyon) and needs to be formally investigated for a 2026 fleet safety recall. I have contacted GM Corporate (Case Number XXX) and William Withington at Enterprise Corporate regarding this incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driving home from work on interstate, 2 month old 2026 Buick enclave jolted and shut off completely while going 65mph. Barely pulled over safely to the left side (Oklahoma drivers). Restarted car, check engine light illuminated with messages of reduced engine power (limp mode up to 35mph) while stuck on highway, traction control and esc disabled. Was able to get off highway and limp to nearest GM dealer. They performed diagnostics 3 days later and replaced the fuel rail pressure sensor. It did not fix it. More codes according to dealer and they are involving engineers. Moving next week on military orders and car is still being worked on with no estimate of time to complete. Insanely concerning safety hazard for a brand new car to shut off on the highway. Could have died or killed others in accident. Unable to invoke lemon law yet but not comfortable driving the car again especially across the country on limited time.
Right-side LED headlight assembly failed at under 3 years and ~55,000 miles. Dealer states the sealed LED unit is non-serviceable and must be replaced as a complete assembly, quoted at ~$1,450. LED headlights are rated for tens of thousands of hours and are marketed to last the life of the vehicle; this failed at a small fraction of rated life. Other 2023 Enclave owners report the same right-side failure at similar low age/mileage, suggesting a recurring defect.
Sunroof leak due to fault drain tube causing the review mirror to glitch, leaking through the headliner and wire harness into the inside of the vehicle. Vehicle is still at the dealership. They have requested and put in the new equipment which upon inspection by dealer service this replacement was also defective and a new part has been ordered.
Headlight on right side failure - no light. AI shows a recall for this problem, but my vin was not listed. Notice also states 2022, 2023, and 2024 vehicles. It should be as car was only 2 years 10 months old with about 42000 miles. GM has the part now. Dealer inspected the car. Light had less then 750 hours on it; references say average light should last 20,000 hours. An obvious defect. Only noticed failure due to a neighbor seeing it. We drive mostly in the day due to age. Car is used only to go to work. Car has auto headlights, and they do not operate during daylight when we drive.
Driver's seat belt cable going to floor on outside of seat broke, it is available for inspection. Seat belt is inoperative. I spoke with a dealer, but I am over on miles to be covered by warranty. The vehicle has not been inspected, and there were not any warning lamps or warning' I noticed when I tried to buckle up for ride home Friday evening 10/10/2025
Read 14 more owner reports
Anyone behind me could’ve hit the part and caused a wreck. We have told the dealer.
Brakes squeak very loudly. This has been an issue since I purchased this new vehicle.
The SmartFloor rear passenger (driver side and passenger side) bucket seat seatbelt retractors do not release to allow a passenger to buckle the seat belt. Both driver side and passenger side retractors fail in the same manner. Passengers are not able to buckle themselves in. Will report to Freedom Motors who use SmartFloor vehicle seats in their products.
In Driver info center messages displayed are ESC “this is anti lock cracking system not working”. Steering assist reduced “this is lane departure steering assist not working” Parking brake. “not working” Also cruise control is not working Buick service tells me this has happened often enough in other vehicles that there is a repair bulletin on it. Also the initial cost to repair is $3000 + if this bulletin repair fixes the problem if not there would be more costs. This vehicle is within the 36 month bumper to bumper warranty period but has recently exceeded the 36000 mile warranty threshold. I have already paid for the initial part so it could be ordered.
The contact owns a 2023 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked or while driving, the infotainment system failed to display as needed. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the technician was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that a software update was performed and an undisclosed part in the infotainment system was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure several times but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 13,500.
The car stalled and is stuck in park. It has electronic shift and if the engine doesn't run it has to be put into neutral manually. The Buick dealerships don't know how to do this and keep referring me to an obsolete video. One service representative suggested the manual lever is under the air filter housing but they cannot provide any information on this design, The car is stuck in a garage and cannot be towed. It is stuck in place.
The infotainment system locks up. Its like all features are on mute. I can't use phone, radio, contact onstarr or use navigation system I have a heart condition, when this freezes I have no way to reach help. The dealership has tried multiple fixes, they say they are just seller, GM is the manufacturer. GM no longer takes my calls. They have blocked all my numbers. There is no warning, it just stops working GM suggests I turn off vehicle, get out wait 20 minutes and the system should reset, I have tried to disconnect my phone from bluetooth and they seek each other out and reconnect. I live very rural, 20+ miles to anywhere. I have no way to get help
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. The front end of the car, both quarter panels, bumper and engine compartment were crushed. - NO airbags deployed. - Both my wife and I were injured. She has a fractured vertebrae and right knee and leg hurt. I have a broken left clavicle, five broken ribs and a hematoma on my left leg. No airbag warning or alerts on dashboard. - I reported the accident to General Motors but no one yet assigned - GM case #: [XXX]. - No complete police report has been provided yet. Police provided link to Crash doc website with insurance info. ...(report uploaded) - vehicle totaled; repair estimate provided by USAA, but looks incomplete and inaccurate...a lot of repair needed not listed (report uploaded) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
at early evening my lights do not come on when the rest of the cars lights are on and mine don`t come on till later i see canada is haveing a re call on this problem .i stop at buick they said that nothing could be done. thank you [XXX] email [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The headlights on our 2023 Buick Enclave do not provide nearly enough light at night. If you shine the lights up against a wall at night they seem bright but they do not seem to light up the area directly in front of the car. When driving on a road without streetlights at night I barely feel like my headlights are on. It’s so bad that I am concerned that if a person or an animal stepped out in front of my car I wouldn’t be able to see it in time to avoid it. I brought the car into the dealer today and they actually found that both headlights need to be raised 11-12 inches (they were completely shocked). This is very odd for a new car with only 5k miles. Unfortunately, raising the headlight did not add more light in front of the car at night. I think the issue is caused by the headlights not only being very small but also because they are very low on the car. Also, the headlights are below the grill and the running lights are on the hood. I believe this could be a design flaw that is also a safety hazard. A mechanic at the dealer also agreed with me that in general the lights are very dim. If you drive this model car at night on a road with no street lights I bet you will come to the same conclusion. Attached is the invoice from today that shows the headlights had to be raised. I told the dealer that they should pull another enclave off their lot and see if the issue is only present in my car or if the headlights on other enclaves need to be raised.
The contact owns a 2023 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased brand new in May. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the message "Oil Needed" was displayed. The contact stated that she drove to her destination and then drove back to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact believed that the vehicle had experienced abnormal oil consumption. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,663.
Vehicle lost power and stalled on interstate hwy 07/29/2023. GM dealer Heartland Chevy in Liberty MO. Repaired replacing fuel tank and sensor due to failed sensor in tank. 08/08/2023 Vehicle again for 2nd time rough idling and staling out several times on hwy. Currently at dealer who diagnosed with fuel sensor issue and still at dealer. Vehicle has approx. 20,000 miles 2023 Buick Enclave.
The vehicles low beams fail to properly illuminate the road, and create a significant blind spot in your vision. We bought a brand new 2023 Buick Enclave and noticed on the first night drive that the vehicles lighting has a very large blind spot where it fails to properly illuminate the road. When switching too high beams the blind spot is diminished but not eliminated. We immediately took the vehicle back to the dealer where they adjusted the lights. However, all that they accomplished was to move the blind spot more central to the vehicle. When traveling up or down hills the lighting problem changes. When traveling up a hill the blind spot is moved closer to the vehicle creating a larger hazard. Traveling down hill the lighting blind spot is moved a bit further out. This is truly a very big safety concern especially when around pedestrians at night as it is nearly impossible to seem them until the very last second. The lighting problem and safety is worse when traveling at higher speeds as you have no time react when things suddenly appear from a blind spot in the vehicles head lights. I have attached several pictures. Please get in contact with me if you have further questions. All attached photos have been taken with an iPhone 13 and have no visual enhancements.
As my husband was backing out of the garage to the East and turning the back end to the North so we could head forward out of our drive which is on a curve, the car accelerated and the brakes would not work. We went backwards down a very steep drive that goes to our machine shed and towards the bottom we were stopped by a tree. We could have suffered head trauma from the abrupt stop. If we had been backing out of the drive or a parking place, since we couldn’t stop, there could have been others involved and severe injuries. I called the sheriff’s office and they filed a report. Our insurance agent came out and took pictures. I called General Motors Buick and they opened a case. The car was towed to the body shop the dealership we bought it from uses. We noticed no warning lights or messages on the dash. After everyone left, I got on my computer and there were 2 diagnostic warning emails. One for the antilock brakes and the other for the StabiliTrac control systems,.
Showing 20 of 436 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Buick Enclave
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Buick Enclave, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Buick Enclave has 436 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Buick Enclave has 14 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 23 of the Buick Enclave's 436 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Buick Enclave vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Buick Enclave vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Buick Enclave has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
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Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Buick Enclave.
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Buick Enclave reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Buick Enclave reliable?
Average. The Buick Enclave has 436 NHTSA owner complaints and 14 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is AIR BAGS. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Buick Enclave years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2017 (178 complaints), 2018 (64 complaints), 2020 (54 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Buick Enclave problems?
Top reported issues: AIR BAGS (153 complaints); ENGINE (59 complaints); SERVICE BRAKES (57 complaints).
Does the Buick Enclave have recalls?
Yes — 14 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Buick Enclave. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.