2018 Buick Enclave Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2018 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the alternator was replaced 4 times before the dealer diagnosed that the failure was due to oil leaking onto the alternator and the battery. The contact stated that the alternator had been replaced 6 times in total. Additionally, the contact stated while pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road, the vehicle shut off. The messages "Electronic Control Module Failure", "Battery Saver Active", "Battery Charging System" and "Steering Assist Is Reduced- Drive with Care" were displayed. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with the Electronic Control Module (ECM) and alternator failures. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

NHTSA ID

11740184

Incident

May 26, 2022

Mileage

72,000 mi

Exhaust leak from broken front exhaust pipe. This has been a known defect in this make/model however the year of my vehicle was not included in the extended repair window and should have been. The exhaust leak was identified by the dealership when the vehicle was taken in for other maintenance. I had to pay for the repair myself and would like to be reimbursed due to this being a manufacturer known defect with the exhaust pipe. The exhaust leak caused unusual noises, a loud roaring, and reduced gas mileage. This was also a danger for carbon monoxide exposure.

NHTSA ID

11735792

Incident

Oct 20, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that after picking up the vehicle from the dealer for a different failure, the exhaust pipe made an abnormally loud sound while driving. The check engine and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who determined that the catalytic converter had failed and informed the contact that the catalytic converter and the front exhaust pipe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment: N212356540 (Front Exhaust Pipe); however, the VIN was not covered. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID

11700353

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Mileage

100,000 mi

Wednesday August 6th 2025, I was coming home from work, the low engine compression and engine light came on the car was shaking and I lost power on a busy road, I had to pull it off the road quickly before I lost all power. I stayed there for a few minutes, then turned the car back on to retreat to a safer spot, I then waited for my husband to bail me out, we checked the oil on the dipstick, there was minimal oil on it. We added 1 quart of oil, then the lights went off, all seemed fine. August 23rd 2025, I was driving my car and the same thing happened car lit up with low engine compression and engine light came on car was shaking, I shit the car off. we added 1quart of oil. But the engine light stayed on after about 30 min. I shut the car off. The engine light went off after I shut the car off.

NHTSA ID

11682988

Incident

Aug 6, 2025

I am a [XXX] and owner of a 2018 Buick Enclave that suffered a catastrophic transmission failure which nearly killed me and my child. On Friday, [XXX], while driving westbound on [XXX] from Edison, NJ to my home in Easton, PA, my vehicle suddenly and without warning came to a complete halt in the fast lane. A driver tailgating me swerved at the last second to avoid impact. Moments later, when I tried to move again, the car lost all power and drifted helplessly across two lanes of speeding traffic, directly into the path of two tractor-trailers barreling down at highway speeds. This was the hottest day of the summer, and I was left in terror, fully aware that one wrong move would have ended our lives instantly. The fact that my child could have lost their only parent because of a mechanical defect is beyond unacceptable. The stress, fear, and trauma of this incident cannot be overstated—it was a near-fatal event that never should have happened. My mechanic has since confirmed the transmission is destroyed, with black metal fragments throughout—clear evidence of internal failure. Only two months earlier, in June 2024, the car passed inspection with no codes or signs of a problem. This was not wear and tear; it was a hidden, catastrophic defect. In December 2024, GM recalled more than 461,000 vehicles, including certain 2018 Enclave models, for transmission defects leading to rollaway and internal failure. Source: The Lemon Firm, 12/18/24 [XXX] ). My case mirrors the defect exactly, yet I never received recall notice. I demand GM confirm my VIN’s inclusion and cover the full cost of repair or replacement. I barely escaped a fatal crash. GM must act immediately before lives are lost. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11682848

Incident

Aug 15, 2025

The car shuts off at random when coming out of autostop, the car will disable power steering when coming out of autostop to make turns making it difficult to turn the steering wheel. Coming out of autostop is typically when you are trying to go or make a turn. This has been an ongoing issue that happens often. The issues began around 60k miles.

NHTSA ID

11610932

Incident

Aug 26, 2024

My car starting sputtering on take off from stops, extremely dangerous if you’re trying to get out in traffic and keep up quickly from a stop. Then when I took it to get looked at it the mechanic said it needs a new transmission. Now my family is stuck because that’s our only vehicle big enough for our growing family. They’re was a check engine light that keeps coming on.

NHTSA ID

11608383

Incident

Aug 10, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while idling or at a complete stop, the vehicle lunged forward upon acceleration. The contact then stated that while shifted to park, the vehicle inadvertently started. The contact also stated that she heard a screeching sound in the wheels while shifting in the first gear, and intermittently in second and third gear. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine warning light was previously illuminated; however, after driving the vehicle, the check engine light turned off. The vehicle was taken three times to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the warranty was not honored, and no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 125,639.

NHTSA ID

11508337

Incident

Feb 21, 2023

Mileage

125,639 mi

The car has an auto-stop feature however at times, when the car is stopped, the entire electrical and engine shuts down even while the car is in drive. The driver must restart the car and put the car into park and then back into drive. When the car restarts, several lights/messages turn on including "Service Transmission" and the "Service Parking Brake" message and parking break light. This is a safety and hazard issue as it has happened while in traffic on the freeway when at a standstill.

NHTSA ID

11440931

Incident

Nov 18, 2021

WHILE AT A STOP SIGN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION, PRESSED BRAKE AND TACHOMETER WENT TO OFF INSTEAD OF AUTO-STOP. ENGINE STILL ON BUT PRESSING GAS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.. TRANSMISSION LIGHT WENT ON. HAD TO PUSH THE START/STOP BUTTON A FEW TIMES BEFORE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330713

Incident

Jun 19, 2020

Mileage

24,400 mi

SHORTLY AFTER GETTING GAS, THE CAR WILL REV TO 2-3RPM WHEN LIGHTLY ACCELERATING, AND SEEM TO "RUN ROUGH". THEN, AFTER COMING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR WILL AUTO STOP AND THEN SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. I CAN NOT SHIFT BACK INTO DRIVE WITHOUT PUSHING THE START/STOP BUTTON TO RESTART THE CAR. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME I GET GAS, BUT ALL 3 TIMES IT HAS HAPPENED HAVE BEEN AFTER GETTING GAS. THE FIRST 2 TIMES IT HAPPENED, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL, WHICH WAS THE CAUSE, BUT THIS LAST TIME, THERE WAS NO RECALL, AND THEY SAID THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES, SO THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG. THE CAR STALLING EPISODES OCCURRED IN AUGUST 2019, SEPTEMBER 2019, AND FEBRUARY 2020. IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELATED, BUT IN OCTOBER 2019, THERE WERE ALSO 2 INSTANCES OF AN "EVAP LEAK" THAT WERE FIXED.

NHTSA ID

11308413

Incident

Feb 4, 2020

Mileage

20,000 mi

DURING NORMAL COMMUTE, VEHICLE BEGAN BUCKING BADLY, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND BEGAN ROLLING BACKWARDS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SHUT VEHICLE DOWN, RESTARTED, AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO CLEAR. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, FOUND CODES P0011, P0014, P0021 AND P0024 SET. DEALERSHIP CONTACTED GM, WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE BUT OFFERED NO FIX. THEY ARE STILL STUDYING THE ISSUE AND HAVE NO RESOLUTION. DEALERSHIP CLEARED CODES AND RELEASED VEHICLE BACK TO US. ISSUE MAY RETURN AT ANY TIME. HOW CAN I TRUST MY FAMILY IN A VEHICLE THAT MAY SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, BEGIN BUCKING, STOP ACCELERATING AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT? THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT GM NEEDS TO ADDRESS. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY HAVE NO RESOLUTION. DEALERSHIP REFERENCED BULLETIN PIP5569E, SO GM ACKNOWLEDGES THE ISSUE. I FOUND REFERENCES FROM ALMOST A YEAR AGO TO THIS ISSUE VIA GOOGLE - THAT'S VERY DISCONCERTING THAT, IN THIS TIME, GM CANNOT IDENTIFY A FIX.

NHTSA ID

11221573

Incident

Jun 19, 2019

Mileage

19,750 mi

THE "START STOP" FEATURE CAUSED A LIFE THREATENING HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION FROM A FULL STOP AT AN INTERSECTION. ENCLAVE DOES NOT OFFER ANY OVERRIDE FOR THIS OPTION. THERE MUST BE A FIRMWARE UPDATE PROVIDED BY GM TO ALLOW IT TO BE DISABLED!!! THIS IS GOING TO KILL SOMEBODY!!!

NHTSA ID

11150026

Incident

Nov 6, 2018

Mileage

500 mi

2018 BUICK ENCLAVE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE SHUTING DOWN WHEN VEHICLE STOPS. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE START STOP FEATURE INTERMITTENTLY SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IDLE AND DOES NOT RECOVER QUICK ENOUGH FOR SAFE STARTS IN TRAFFIC. *JS

NHTSA ID

11142010

Incident

Oct 18, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP, IT STALLED AND HESITATED TO MOVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC STOP FEATURE ON THE VEHICLE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CANNON CHEVROLET BUICK CADILLAC (100 N THACKER LOOP, OXFORD, MS 38655, (662) 550-4208) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT WITH THE AUTOMATIC STOP FEATURE AND THERE WAS NO REMEDY TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NO REMEDY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,500. CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE AUTO STOP FEATURE CAUSES ENGINE TO GO DEAD EVERY TIME I COME TO COMPLETE STOP. ENGINE STARTS AFTER BREAK IS RELEASED. ON 9/22/18 ENGINE STOPPED WHILE CROSSING A 4 LANE HIGHWAY. UPDATED 10/26/18*JP

NHTSA ID

11124322

Incident

Jun 1, 2018

Mileage

3,500 mi