The Buick Enclave has everything to justify the iconic brand’s expertise in making comfy vehicles with polarizing design languages. In terms of giving its owners peace of mind too, the full-size crossover has been doing great too with its commendable reliability and excellent safety scores. The 2017 iteration of the crossover has faced only 17 complaints along with 2 recalls so far. A majority of the issues reported officially by the owners were not repetitive, indicating no underlying or major issues with the SUV. All the complaints cover almost all the areas of the SUV including the powertrain, electrical system, and safety systems. Rivaling the 2017 Buick Enclave are the Acura MDX, the Volvo XC90, and the Lexus RX 350.
Buick Enclave user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Jerking and loss of power: One report regarding these issues was reported. The owner said that while driving, the vehicle jerked abnormally and decelerated with the service StabiliTrak warning sign coming on in the instrument cluster. The vehicle was further diagnosed and required a transmission replacement.
- Abnormal vibration and misfire: One owner complained that while the vehicle was stationary and idling, the engine vibrated abnormally with the service engine light illuminated on the instrument cluster. Further inspection revealed that two cylinders of the engine were misfiring.
- Uncontrolled acceleration: In an instance, the affected vehicle accelerated without any warning according to the report of the owner. The report further states that the owner engaged the cruise control system for driving assistance and after the system was disengaged, the vehicle accelerated uncontrollably.
Electrical problems
- Power steering fault: One owner encountered a faulty power steering problem. The report mentioned that the system stopped working suddenly while driving.
- Shorted ignition circuit: One owner complained that due to heavy rain, the ignition circuit was shorted. As a result, the vehicle failed to start afterward. The user also mentioned that there were several complaints regarding the same issue on a few unofficial forums too.
Safety problems
- ADAS malfunction: One owner faced several issues with the ADAS system of the Buick Enclave. The complaints mentioned that while driving, sometimes the traction control would turn off and check engine light would come on while the vehicle would jerk abnormally and lose power. In other instances, the forward collision avoidance system would fail to work, or the lane departure system would stop working for some time.
2017 Buick Enclave recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
April 8, 2021 |
21V246000 |
Side Curtain Airbags May be Unsecured |
Unsecured side curtain airbags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury. |
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. |
|
2 |
October 7, 2021 |
21V782000 |
Driver's Airbag Inflator May Explode |
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. |
Dealers will replace the driver's airbag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022. |
Should you buy a used Buick Enclave?
The Buick Enclave is a worthy and comfy full-size crossover that gets the basics such as the safety, cabin space, and ride quality absolutely right at a competitive price point. Furthermore, the SUV’s reliability record isn’t too tainted as well, making it still a preferable option despite having a few drawbacks. If you’re planning to go with a used example, get the used Enclave thoroughly inspected by an experienced mechanic and opt for a trusted dealership as well.
