2020 Buick Envision Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Buick Envision, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance318.8%
- Airbags318.8%
- Electrical212.5%
- Other / unspecified212.5%
- Transmission212.5%
- Brakes212.5%
- Seat belts16.3%
- Powertrain (other)16.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
We have two problems what we would call safety issues. First, all the sound in the vehicle was lost which included safety belt warning alarm, turn signal bells, door open alarms, etc. We were told by the dealership that it was a faulty amplifier. Secondly, the sunroof opened by itself, and is locked in the open position which makes the vehicle undrivable due to weather conditions and makes it an easy target for theft. The vehicle was locked and parked in our driveway when we noticed the sunroof was open. We know this occurred on it's own as we had just washed the vehicle and locked the doors. The next day we found the sunroof open and the doors still locked. This is a computer software issue within the vehicle as these issues occurred within a matter of days of each other. The sunroof opening on its own is a safety issue as a unsecure car is a problem, opening during traveling in a storm is a real threat to driving conditions. During our investigations we have found other cases the same as ours.We have reached out to GMC and we were told no recalls have been issued and to file a complaint with NHTSA and our state Attorney General. Our vehicle has been sitting at the dealership since August 5th, waiting on back ordered parts with no anticipated delivery date for those parts. This is not a dealership issue but rather a manufacturer design defect. Buick has not taken any interest or responsibility for this issue as the vehicle was out of warranty recently. This 2020 vehicle only has 55,000 miles. I have a 60-mile roundtrip commute to my job at a local hospital and have been without a vehicle since July 28th. This issue is not due to any neglect on our part and the cost so far is over $3,000. Buick should be responsible for their design and poor engineering as this has the potential to cause an issue if this happens while the vehicle is moving. The safety bells are an added reminder to buckle up and if they are not working it is a safety issue for those in the vehicle.
I put the car into park and I exited the vehicle because I forgot to push the stop button. So I reached accross the driver's seat and push the stop button. When I did this the car began to roll back as if it was in neutral. I did not touch the shift knob. It shifted into neutral on its on. The front down was open at the time. The car should not have moved if the front door was open. The car ended up rolling down a small hill and ran over me.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2020 Buick Envision. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt failed to extend and was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the front driver's side seat belt ratchet was abnormally opened, causing the air bag module to fail. The dealer determined that the front driver's side seat belt assembly and the front driver's side air bag module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,910. The VIN was not available.
The Air Bag, Parking Brake, Traction Control/StabiliTrak/Electonic Stability Control lights all came on while operating my vehicle. The lights did not go off, so I reported to the dealership. They determined it was an internal defect in the Inflatable Restraint Sensing and Diagnostic Module. This was not covered under warranty and appears to be a defect in the module. I believe this to be a serious safety concern and recommend a recall of this issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
We have two problems what we would call safety issues. First, all the sound in the vehicle was lost which included safety belt warning alarm, turn signal bells, door open alarms, etc. We were told by the dealership that it was a faulty amplifier. Secondly, the sunroof opened by itself, and is locked in the open position which makes the vehicle undrivable due to weather conditions and makes it an easy target for theft. The vehicle was locked and parked in our driveway when we noticed the sunroof was open. We know this occurred on it's own as we had just washed the vehicle and locked the doors. The next day we found the sunroof open and the doors still locked. This is a computer software issue within the vehicle as these issues occurred within a matter of days of each other. The sunroof opening on its own is a safety issue as a unsecure car is a problem, opening during traveling in a storm is a real threat to driving conditions. During our investigations we have found other cases the same as ours.We have reached out to GMC and we were told no recalls have been issued and to file a complaint with NHTSA and our state Attorney General. Our vehicle has been sitting at the dealership since August 5th, waiting on back ordered parts with no anticipated delivery date for those parts. This is not a dealership issue but rather a manufacturer design defect. Buick has not taken any interest or responsibility for this issue as the vehicle was out of warranty recently. This 2020 vehicle only has 55,000 miles. I have a 60-mile roundtrip commute to my job at a local hospital and have been without a vehicle since July 28th. This issue is not due to any neglect on our part and the cost so far is over $3,000. Buick should be responsible for their design and poor engineering as this has the potential to cause an issue if this happens while the vehicle is moving. The safety bells are an added reminder to buckle up and if they are not working it is a safety issue for those in the vehicle.
Got in the vehicle to start the engine and the instrument cluster stop showing all readings of the gauges would not display the screen blacked out and none of the gauges were working. There were no warnings lamps or nothing out the ordinary the instrument cluster just went out. This is the first time it has ever done this.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Air Bag, Parking Brake, Traction Control/StabiliTrak/Electonic Stability Control lights all came on while operating my vehicle. The lights did not go off, so I reported to the dealership. They determined it was an internal defect in the Inflatable Restraint Sensing and Diagnostic Module. This was not covered under warranty and appears to be a defect in the module. I believe this to be a serious safety concern and recommend a recall of this issue.
THE SAFERCAR APP DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE VIN [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
I put the car into park and I exited the vehicle because I forgot to push the stop button. So I reached accross the driver's seat and push the stop button. When I did this the car began to roll back as if it was in neutral. I did not touch the shift knob. It shifted into neutral on its on. The front down was open at the time. The car should not have moved if the front door was open. The car ended up rolling down a small hill and ran over me.
2020 BUICK ENVISION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAN BE POWERED OFF AND KEY REMOVED WITHOUT BEING SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL INDEPENDENTLY, ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Air Bag, Parking Brake, Traction Control/StabiliTrak/Electonic Stability Control lights all came on while operating my vehicle. The lights did not go off, so I reported to the dealership. They determined it was an internal defect in the Inflatable Restraint Sensing and Diagnostic Module. This was not covered under warranty and appears to be a defect in the module. I believe this to be a serious safety concern and recommend a recall of this issue.
I put the car into park and I exited the vehicle because I forgot to push the stop button. So I reached accross the driver's seat and push the stop button. When I did this the car began to roll back as if it was in neutral. I did not touch the shift knob. It shifted into neutral on its on. The front down was open at the time. The car should not have moved if the front door was open. The car ended up rolling down a small hill and ran over me.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2020 Buick Envision. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt failed to extend and was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the front driver's side seat belt ratchet was abnormally opened, causing the air bag module to fail. The dealer determined that the front driver's side seat belt assembly and the front driver's side air bag module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,910. The VIN was not available.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving and came to a stop at a light and all the sudden in my car just shut off. It took me a minute to try to turn it back on while cars behind me honking their horn. I’m assuming it has something to do with the electric due to the start stop button. I don’t have official incident report because I was able to get my car turned back on. I looked it up on the Internet and several people are having this issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .