Buick Enclave Reliability Problems

Enclave owners have made 563 complaints over 13 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it dead last in overall reliability, with significant transmission and engine concerns.

4 Common Buick Enclave Problems

A list of some of the most common issues Enclave owners have to deal with.

  3. Buick Over-Promised Its MPGs

    General Motors admits their estimated gas mileage for certain 2016 SUVs was a bit too optimistic. To make up for the snafu, the automaker will pay up or offer warranty extensions to 135,000 owners.

    Continue reading article "Buick Over-Promised Its MPGs" Close up of a yellow gas pump with the word 'FuelSave' on it.

  4. Inaccurate Gas Gauge

    GM vehicles have a problem with defective gas gauges that leave owners wondering just how much fuel is left in their tank. The gauge goes a little whacko once the tank is less than half full, with owners saying it sticks in place or bounces…

    Continue reading article "Inaccurate Gas Gauge" Cluster on instruments in a Buick, including a gas gauge that shows the tank is empty.

What Enclave Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

Full Lists on CarComplaints.com

Enclave Generations

The Enclave has 2 generations, each with their own issues. Using the same PainRank™ system we've determined that you're better off avoiding the 1st generation (2008–2017).

Enclave Key Numbers

  1. 563 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 1,758 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 17 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Enclave Class-Action Lawsuits

The Enclave has been named as a class vehicle in the following lawsuits.

  • Dismissed

    Casey, et al., v. General Motors, LLC.

    3:20-CV-00299

    1. Dismissed

      In dismissing the GM class action lawsuit, the judge ruled the plaintiff fails to allege facts which support that GM was aware of any fuse block defects predating the sale of the vehicles listed in the lawsuit.

    2. Case Filed

      A General Motors fuse block class action lawsuit alleges certain GM vehicles have problems with the tension of the terminals that can cause stalled engines and other electrical malfunctions.

Recent Enclave News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Back in May, GM admitted that they overstated the fuel economy on some 2016 SUVs and offered a compensation program as a sorry 'bout that.

    Owners received somewhere between $450 to $1500, based on a few factors, for their troubles. But that wasn't enough for some.

    A new lawsuit wants GM to pony up more cash for the decreased resale value of the 2016 Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave, and GMC Acadia.…

    keep reading article "Has Enclave Lost Value Because of MPG?"

  5. It's been a couple weeks since GM's last recall and I can imagine that CEO Mary Barra is starting to twitch.

    Must. Recall. More. Cars. It's addictive -- at least I can only assume it is, given that GM has recalled over 15 million vehicles in 2014 alone. Well twitch no more, Mary! Just days after an internal report highlighted a pattern of incompetence, GM issued a new recall for 89,000 cars, trucks and SUVs -- restoring order to the defective automotive world we all live in these days.…

    keep reading article "Some Enclave Airbags Might Not Inflate"

  6. Last week, GM announced a recall of another 2.4 million vehicles.

    For those keeping score, that brings the total number of recalled cars and trucks in 2014 to over 13.7 million. For perspective, GM has now recalled more vehicles in the last 5 months than they've sold in the last 5 years combined. I'm not great at business, but that doesn't seem like a sustainable model.…

    keep reading article "Enclave Front Seat Belt Cables Break Over Time"

  7. Ahh, the gas gauge -- dependable travel companion and broadcaster of low fuel warnings. A device so simple that not even General Motors could mess it up ... or so we thought.

    GM is recalling over 50,000 SUVs because the gas gauge could provide little to no warning that the vehicle is about to run out of gas.

    How bad is it? In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said a defective engine control module (ECM) "may result in inaccurate fuel gauge readings at both the high and low end of the fuel range by as much as one quarter of a tank."

    Do I smell a new marketing slogan opportunity? GM: our gas gauges are only off by 25%!…

    keep reading article "Software Update Aims to Fix GM's Inaccurate Fuel Gauges"

  8. It's official, General Motors has come down with "March Madness".

    Earlier this month they recalled over 1 million vehicles for an ignition switch defect that can disable the airbags during a crash. The problem has resulted in at least 13 deaths and as it turns out GM has known about the defect for over a decade. You've probably seen this story mentioned in the news along with the words "terrible", "dangerous", "criminal" and "jerk-wad executives who care more about money than public safety." OK, that last one was probably just me but you get the point.…

    keep reading article "General Motors 'March Madness' Recall for 1.5 Million Vehicles"

What Owners Say About Their Enclave

Stretched Timing Chains in the Enclave. Some Owners Are Covered. Others Are Not.

Needless to say, we are not very happy about this especially as it appears to be an issue in the past and I suspect our enclave was made with 2009 materials and therefore should be covered under the same 2009 extended warranty … Essentially they have a faulty timing chain whose extended warranty didn’t cover enough years and ours stretched and ended up damaging the engine and the total repair was $9911

2010 Enclave Owner

Other Buick Models