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2018 Buick Enclave

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Buick Enclave do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 69.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

33 reports with mileage · 31 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

64 reports
27,000 miles · Oct 14, 2020
Power Train

SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A MONTH ON A 2018 BUICK ENCLAVE THAT AIR CONDITIONING UNIT/EVAPORATOR IN VEHICLE IS NOT WORKING AND VEHICLE IS BLOWING HOT AIR ONLY. THIS OCCURS WHETHER VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY. THIS HAPPENS WHEN VEHICLE IS FIRST POWERED ON OR OVER AN EXTENDED DRIVE (45 MINS). DOES NOT OSCILLATE WITH CHANGE IN…

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SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A MONTH ON A 2018 BUICK ENCLAVE THAT AIR CONDITIONING UNIT/EVAPORATOR IN VEHICLE IS NOT WORKING AND VEHICLE IS BLOWING HOT AIR ONLY. THIS OCCURS WHETHER VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY. THIS HAPPENS WHEN VEHICLE IS FIRST POWERED ON OR OVER AN EXTENDED DRIVE (45 MINS). DOES NOT OSCILLATE WITH CHANGE IN SPEED. DOES NOT OSCILLATE WITH LENGTH OF DRIVE. HOT AIR BLOWS THE ENTIRE TIME AND NOISE COMES FROM DASH THAT SOUNDS LIKE HYDRAULIC DOOR HINGE.

NHTSA ODI #11364327

34,500 miles · Jul 23, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesUnknown Or Other

MY CAR SHIFTS ITSELF INTO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A 'NEUTRAL' STATE AND THEN REVS UP VERY LOUD. IT ALSO SLAMS ON ITS OWN BRAKES, THANKFULLY EACH TIME HAS BEEN AT LOW SPEED. TODAY WAS THE LAST STRAW. I AM NEVER GETTING IN TO THAT CAR AGAIN! AS I WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT, MY CAR SLAMMED ON ITS BRAKES, ALL KINDS OF ROLLING SOUNDS UNDER M…

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MY CAR SHIFTS ITSELF INTO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A 'NEUTRAL' STATE AND THEN REVS UP VERY LOUD. IT ALSO SLAMS ON ITS OWN BRAKES, THANKFULLY EACH TIME HAS BEEN AT LOW SPEED. TODAY WAS THE LAST STRAW. I AM NEVER GETTING IN TO THAT CAR AGAIN! AS I WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT, MY CAR SLAMMED ON ITS BRAKES, ALL KINDS OF ROLLING SOUNDS UNDER MY FEET. THEN IT STOPPED AND HIT HARD TO START GOING AGAIN. LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD GOING CRAZY... THE GUY WHO WAS BACKING UP AS I WAS GOING BY, HONKED AND YELLED AT ME BECAUSE HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY I WOULD STOP LIKE THAT. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WELL PAST HIM, BUT MY CAR DECIDED WE WERE STOPPING. SO A LITTLE SHAKEN AND UPSET, BUT I CARRIED ON. THIS CAR HAS BEEN DOING THAT SINCE 4000 MILES. IT IS VERY STRESSFUL TO GET IN THAT CAR AS IT IS. I SAT AT THE VERY NEXT RED LIGHT AT THE PARKING LOT I HAD JUST LEFT TO TURN LEFT ONTO A MAJORLY BUSY STREET. THE LIGHT WAS RED, WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, I APPLIED THE GAS AFTER A AND IT SURGED SO HARD, IT WAS AS IF I FLOORED IT ALL THE WAY, BUT THE PEDAL HAD NOT MOVED UNDER MY FEET, BUT I COULD FEEL ALL KINDS OF 'ACTION' HAPPENING UNDER MY FEET. AS THE CAR WENT OVER THE CROSSWALK PAINT, IT SCREECHED THE TIRES AND I ALMOST HIT THE GUY WHO WAS ALSO MAKING A LEFT NEXT TO ME AS MY CAR WAS THRUSTING FORWARD WITH GREAT SPEED AND SPINNING TIRES, WHEN THE WHEELS CAUGHT THE PAVEMENT I ALMOST HIT THE GUY NEXT TO ME IN HIS BACK DOOR. I WAS HONKED AT AND SCARED. I WAIVED MY HANDS TO TRY TO SAY ' I DON'T KNOW!' I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THE MAN FOLLOWED ME ALMOST A MILE TO MY WORK AND WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY CAR HE CALLED ME EVERY NAME YOU CAN THINK OF. THIS CAR IS REALLY SCARING ME AND I CANNOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE. I AM GOING TO TRY TO WORK WITH GMC TO TAKE IT BACK. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE TERRIFIED TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE. THIS CAR HAS DONE SIMILAR THINGS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS BUT IT HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. DEALER "CAN'T DUPLICATE"

NHTSA ODI #11341162

24,400 miles · Jun 25, 2020
Engine

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 ODI #11330713

20,000 miles · Mar 13, 2020
Service Brakes

THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE HAS TURNED ON 5 TIMES NOW. 3 TIMES, THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TURNED ON AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THE BRAKE WAS NOT ACTIVATED BY ANYONE. THEN IT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY WORKED ON IT AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. THIS WEEK WHILE DRIVING HO…

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THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE HAS TURNED ON 5 TIMES NOW. 3 TIMES, THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TURNED ON AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THE BRAKE WAS NOT ACTIVATED BY ANYONE. THEN IT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY WORKED ON IT AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. THIS WEEK WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE GROCERY STORE THE BRAKE TURNED ON AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI #11317902

20,000 miles · Feb 11, 2020
EnginePower Train

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 …

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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 ODI #11308413

23,000 miles · Jan 8, 2020
Service Brakes

ON 1/06/2020, WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP ON MY 2018 BUICK ENCLAVE.(MILEAGE ABOUT 23,000) THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE ,WHICH WAS OFF. SUDDENLY, THE PARKING BREAK LIGHT CAME ON AND SERVICE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, CALL GM AND THE CAR WAS TOWED…

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ON 1/06/2020, WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP ON MY 2018 BUICK ENCLAVE.(MILEAGE ABOUT 23,000) THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE ,WHICH WAS OFF. SUDDENLY, THE PARKING BREAK LIGHT CAME ON AND SERVICE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, CALL GM AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER. SEVERAL WEEKS EARLIER, UPON STARTING, THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. I WENT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF A LOCAL DEALER., EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. THEY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD COME BACK IN WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, SO THEY COULD READ THE CODE AND NOTED THEY HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING AROUND THE ISSUE BEFORE AND THAT NO BULLETINS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM GM. AS I UNDERSTAND, AS OF LAST EVENING, GM HAS NOT GIVEN THEM ANY DIRECTION. I BELIEVE THIS IS A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND FROM AN INTERNET SEARCH, IT APPEARS OTHERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11297857

Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2019
Power Train

I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 ENCLAVE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2018. I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR THE VEHICLE SOMETIME DURING THE SPRING 2019 SO I WENT TO MY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO GET IT CHECK AND I WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THEN IN SEPTEMBER I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY SO …

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I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 ENCLAVE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2018. I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR THE VEHICLE SOMETIME DURING THE SPRING 2019 SO I WENT TO MY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO GET IT CHECK AND I WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THEN IN SEPTEMBER I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT. ASAP. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID THAT BECAUSE I HAD LESS THAN 5,000 MILES THIS ISSUE SHOULD NOT BE OCCURRING. IT'S BEEN 4 MONTHS AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REASONABLE TIME FRAME FOR WHEN MY VEHICLE WILL BE READY. MY RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER HAVE BEEN VIOLATED BECAUSE I RECEIVED A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE, WHICH PUT MY FAMILY AND I AT RISK. THE SAME DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO GIVE ME A LOANER VEHICLE THAT ENDED UP BEING DEFECTIVE AS WELL. THIS DEALERSHIP IS SELLING DEFECTIVE VEHICLES. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT ABOUT 50 OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME ISSUE AND THE ONLY I CAN DO IS BE PATIENT, BUT DURING THE TIME I HAVE INCURRED MANY DAMAGES AND INCONVENIENCE AND THIS DEANSHIP ALONG WITH GM HAVE NOT GIVEN ME ANY SORT OF RESOLUTION FOR THE PAST 4 MONTHS.

NHTSA ODI #11289763

28,000 miles · Dec 3, 2019
Service Brakes

RANDOM ACTIVATION OF PARKING BRAKE WHILE THE CAR IS IN DRIVE. MOST OFTEN OCCURS WHEN ON A SLOPE AND A LOW SPEED. MULTIPLE INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED SINCE PURCHASE IT HAS CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE MANY TIMES WITH NO RESOLUTION. I OPENED A CASE WITH GM ON 9/12/2019 BUT THEY HAVE NOT RETURNED MY…

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RANDOM ACTIVATION OF PARKING BRAKE WHILE THE CAR IS IN DRIVE. MOST OFTEN OCCURS WHEN ON A SLOPE AND A LOW SPEED. MULTIPLE INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED SINCE PURCHASE IT HAS CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE MANY TIMES WITH NO RESOLUTION. I OPENED A CASE WITH GM ON 9/12/2019 BUT THEY HAVE NOT RETURNED MY CALLS OR EMAILS SINCE 10/3/19. THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES OF THIS ISSUE AND WAS DOCUMENTED IN A FORUM POST THAT PARALLELS OUR ISSUE HTTPS://WWW.ENCLAVEFORUM.NET/THREADS/2018-AVENIR-ELECTRONIC-EMERGENCY-BRAKE-FAULT.22631/ 1) PARKING BRAKE COMING ON AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AS WIFE TRANSPORTED MY DAUGHTER AND SOME OF HER FRIENDS TO THE MALL. AT A RED LIGHT, CLOSE TO THE MALL MY DAUGHTER COMMENTED ON A SMELL. THEY PULLED IN THE PARKING SPOT AT THE MALL, MY WIFE NOTICED THE SMELL AS WELL AND WHEN SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE, THE SMELL WAS OVERWHELMING. 2) 2ND MAJOR INCIDENT WHILE MY WIFE WAS IN A DRIVE THRU AND THE E-BRAKE ENGAGED (AGAIN, WHILE THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE). SHE HAD TO PLACE THE CAR IN PARK AND IT TOOK 1-2 MIN BEFORE THE CAR WOULD DISENGAGE THE E-BRAKE. THIS INCIDENT CONVINCED US THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT HUMAN ERROR AND TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. 3) SEPT 2019 - WIFE BECAME STUCK IN PARKING LOT WHEN THE E-BRAKE ENGAGED AS SHE PULLED IN A PARKING SPOT (STILL IN DRIVE). SHE WAS AWARE THAT THE E-BRAKE HAD TURNED ITSELF ON BUT WHEN SHE HOPPED IN THE CAR TO LEAVE, THE E-BRAKE WAS STILL ENGAGED AND WOULDN'T RELEASE. BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY CLEARED A CODE (FIRST TIME A CODE WAS PRESENT) AND RE-FLASHED THE E-BRAKE CONTROL. 4) 12/1/19 INCIDENT WHILE SITTING AT RED LIGHT ON A DOWNWARD INCLINE. ONCE I RELEASED THE BRAKE TO MOVE, THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD SO I LOOKED DOWN AT THE DASH TO SEE THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT ON FOR A QUICK FLASH THEN IT WENT OFF AND THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE. CAR IS BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI #11286665

170,000 miles · Nov 4, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System

BUICK NOT A YEAR OLD, IN OUR GARAGE VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE CANNOT LET IT INSIDE THE GARAGE IT SMELLS STRONG GOING INTO HOUSE ATTACHED TO GARAGE!

NHTSA ODI #11277945

35,850 miles · Sep 30, 2019
Service BrakesCrash

THE BRAKE ISSUE RAISED ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS OPERATED FINE SINCE THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT EVEN WITH THE FRONT-END DAMAGE. YESTERDAY, ONE WEEK AFTER THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT IT OCCURRED AGAIN. COLD START LEAVING A RESTAURANT TURNED OUT OF PARKING LOT ON TO SIDE STREET. TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND I PULLED INTO …

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THE BRAKE ISSUE RAISED ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS OPERATED FINE SINCE THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT EVEN WITH THE FRONT-END DAMAGE. YESTERDAY, ONE WEEK AFTER THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT IT OCCURRED AGAIN. COLD START LEAVING A RESTAURANT TURNED OUT OF PARKING LOT ON TO SIDE STREET. TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND I PULLED INTO THE LEFT TURN LANE. GOING VERY SLOW, HAVEN'T EVEN TRAVELED 200 FEET. PUT PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP AND NO RESPONSE, THE CAR KEEPS ROLLING FORWARD AS I APPLIED EXTREME BRAKE PRESSURE. AT THAT POINT I HIT THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE BUTTON AND THE CAR STOPPED JUST AS I HIT THE REAR END OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO HIS CAR. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND WE PULLED OFF THE ROAD INTO A PARKING LOT TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION. EVERYTHING OPERATED FINE. LEFT THE SCENE AND HEADED HOME. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, I TURNED LEFT FROM THE SIDE STREET INTO TRAFFIC. HEAVY TRAFFIC, SLOW GO. ABOUT 1 MILE LATER THE TRAFFIC SLOWED DOWN TO STOP. ONCE AGAIN, THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING. I WAS ABLE TO HIT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND DITCH TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER TRAFFIC PASSED, I RESTARTED AND MOVED ABOUT THIRTY FEET INTO THE SAFETY OF A PARKING LOT. AT THAT POINT I CALLED AAA AND HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME. I WILL HAVE IT TOWED INTO THE DEALER THIS MORNING.

NHTSA ODI #11259038

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.