RoadVitals

2021 Buick Enclave

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
25
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Mar 31, 2022
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 25 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Buick Enclave, most frequently naming the electrical, brakes and body & structure categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 654 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical622.2%
  • Brakes622.2%
  • Body & structure311.1%
  • Seat belts311.1%
  • Powertrain (other)27.4%
  • Engine27.4%
  • Interior & seats27.4%
  • Steering13.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
22V210000

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN

Mar 31, 2022
89 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
The risk: Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212352140.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N212352140View on NHTSA.gov
21V472000

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:FRONTAL IMPACT

Jun 24, 2021
6 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software that may affect frontal airbag deployment.
The risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will update the air bag calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N212340220.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N212340220View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 25
Seat belts
Filed Jul 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the contact and her daughter inside the vehicle, her daughter's seat belt became extremely tight. The seat belt failed to unlatch, forcing the contact to cut the seat belt to remove her daughter from the seat. The contact believed that the seat belt had malfunctioned. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ID
11753269
Incident
Jul 23, 2026
Mileage
90,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 17, 2026

The muffler and tail pipe has fallen off 6 times and ive had to get repaired. I believe it is due to the bad torque converter that others have complained about and goggle says that is a likely failure on the buick.

NHTSA ID
11744657
Incident
Sep 17, 2025
Body & structure
Filed Jun 15, 2026

The liftgate of my vehicle began opening on it's own at no apparent interval, but now occurs frequently while waiting for a repair part to come in. This has happened while parked - including in public parking lots (where someone malicious could have entered the vehicle and the closed the liftgate after entering the vehicle - I would have been unaware of their presence) as well as while driving, which presents multiple safety issues including belongings falling out of the vehicle or causing an accident. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis and repair and the part has been on backorder since April 20, 2026. Multiple user forums report a plethora of other individuals experiencing the same issue.

NHTSA ID
11744102
Incident
Apr 15, 2026
Seat belts
Filed Jun 10, 2026

Passenger side seatbelt latch gets stuck so when trying to buckle it doesn’t go in, you have to try multiple times. Get a notification on dashboard every once in a while saying seatbelt or airbag issue contact dealer. Warning light (air bag and seatbelt system) lights up. My safety is put at risk as I am pregnant and not sure whether the seatbelt will buckle or not while I’m in the passenger seat. I have not taken this In to be looked at yet.

NHTSA ID
11743361
Incident
Jun 6, 2026
Electrical
Filed Apr 28, 2026

About six months ago the tailgate foot sensor failed and has not worked. Since then, the tailgate began randomly opening on its own, mostly when the car is parked and shut off, but as of today(4-28-2026) it started occurring while I'm driving. In addition to the hazard of items falling from my vehicle unto the highway and/or other cars, the only way for me to close the tailgate from the driver's seat is to place the transmission in Park and push the tailgate button. Other than that, I must stop and get out and physically close it. Both actions are potential risks depending on my location and the traffic around me. I've brought this in to the dealership service department in January 2026 with this complaint, but was told they couldn't find anything wrong with it. In the meantime, it continues to get worse.

NHTSA ID
11734364
Incident
Apr 28, 2026
Electrical
Filed Apr 18, 2026

The trunk latching system malfunction even when it is set to OFF. When the vehicle is off or running it will open automatically then will not shut unless you turn the car on then shut the car off put on lock then unlock the car. While driving short distances the lift gate will open enough to trigger the alarm. I have woke up my trunk is open. It is safety for me and others due to exposure of material in trunk falling out. Safety for me sitting in car this happens all the time. I have called the dealer they want to charge $90 hr to diagnose and fix it.

NHTSA ID
11732015
Incident
Feb 13, 2026
Electrical
Filed Aug 7, 2025

Problem: The back hatch or trunk door pops open randomly on its own, many times a day. In a parking lot once. It hasn't happened while I've been driving. Safety issue because if it were to open while in public and a person wasn't in the vehicle, then anyone could enter the vehicle and theft could occur. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. A service center confirmed that it's the switch in the back hatch. No, the vehicle hasn't been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance. No, there haven't been any warning lights with this issue.

NHTSA ID
11679079
Incident
Jun 9, 2025
Filed Jun 30, 2025

The catalytic converter has been replaced 3 times. The flex pipes has been repaired and replaced 4 times and the exhaust pipes has been welded on 5 times. The back tail pipe fail off while driving and had to be welded. The exhaust on this vehicle has given me many problems.

NHTSA ID
11670139
Incident
May 6, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIT5099J

PI to help diagnose A/C concern

PIT5966F

This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.

PIC6423A

Pi created to provide GM dealers with information on gathering information for projection issue

PIC6551B

This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues

PIT3271Q

This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

N25-250552

Improvements to OnStar functionality.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Buick Enclave by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026210—
2025360046.1
2024700—
2023190045.8
2022131053.6
2021Viewing252047.4
2020566061.5
2019421047.8
2018640048.5
20171793052.4
20161404052.6
20151705050.4
20142927262.7
2013684257.6
20121326262.3
20112116261.0
20102756255.7
20092208358.9
20085366154.7

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.