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ProblemsByVin Model / BUICK ENCLAVE
19 model years · 2008–2026

Buick Enclave reliability by year

29 recall campaigns and 2,489 owner complaints across 19 model years. Best year to buy: 2025. Year to avoid: 2014.

Best year to buy
2025
8.2/10
0 recalls · 36 complaints
See the 2025 Enclave →
Year to avoid
2014
5.0/10
7 recalls · 292 complaints
See the 2014 Enclave →

Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.

Years to avoid — and why 1 flagged on the NHTSA record

2008 Avoid — the steering 6 fire-related complaints on the engine

Cleaner on the data: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.

At-a-glance: every year color-coded

Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. best year · year to avoid.

Year-by-year reliability 19 model years · newest first

2026
9.8/10
1 recall · 0 complaints
2025
8.2/10
0 recalls · 36 complaints
OK
2024
9.0/10
0 recalls · 7 complaints
2023
8.6/10
0 recalls · 19 complaints
OK
2022
8.6/10
1 recall · 13 complaints
OK
2021
8.0/10
2 recalls · 25 complaints
OK
2020
6.8/10
6 recalls · 56 complaints
Caveats
2019
8.0/10
1 recall · 42 complaints
OK
2018
8.0/10
0 recalls · 64 complaints
OK
2017
6.2/10
3 recalls · 179 complaints
Caveats
2016
6.0/10
4 recalls · 141 complaints
Caveats
2015
5.4/10
5 recalls · 171 complaints
Caveats
2014
5.0/10
7 recalls · 292 complaints
Caveats
2013
6.8/10
4 recalls · 69 complaints
Caveats
2012
6.0/10
6 recalls · 132 complaints
Caveats
2011
5.8/10
6 recalls · 212 complaints
Caveats
2010
5.8/10
6 recalls · 275 complaints
Caveats
2009
5.4/10
8 recalls · 220 complaints
Caveats
2008
5.4/10
6 recalls · 536 complaints
Avoid

Per-year recall counts add up to 66, more than the 29 campaigns above, because a single NHTSA campaign often covers several model years and is counted once in each.

Common trouble spots across the Enclave aggregated across 19 model years

airbags
720 complaints across 10 years · avg $1,100
steering
432 complaints across 10 years · avg $700
powertrain
294 complaints across 14 years · avg $2,500
electrical
225 complaints across 15 years · avg $850
engine
170 complaints across 11 years · avg $3,100
body
118 complaints across 9 years · avg $1,500

Common questions

What's the best year to buy a Buick Enclave?

Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2025 Buick Enclave scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2008–2026 range. 36 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.

Which Buick Enclave year should I avoid?

The 2014 Buick Enclave scores 5.0/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 292 owner complaints with NHTSA, 7 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2014 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.

Which years of the Buick Enclave should I avoid?

On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2008 (avoid — the steering — 6 fire-related complaints on the engine). The cleaner years on the data are 2025, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.

How many years of the Buick Enclave are tracked?

19 model years (2008 through 2026) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 29 distinct recall campaigns and 2,489 owner complaints. Those campaigns land on 66 model-year entries in total, because one campaign often covers several years at once — which is why per-year recall counts add up to more than the campaign count.

What's the most-reported problem on the Buick Enclave?

airbags is the most-reported category — 720 complaints across 10 model years. Average shop repair runs about $1,100.

Year-over-year reliability scores derived from NHTSA recall and owner complaint volume, severity weighted by reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Best/worst year calls require a minimum complaint sample per year so single-data-point years aren't crowned by chance. Editorial commentary written by ProblemsByVin contributors and reviewed by ASE-certified mechanics. We are not affiliated with Buick.
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