2016 Buick Enclave Problems
Compared with other Buick Enclave years
Typical for this model
39/100 0.8× a typical year · 50 = typical
- Complaint rate is 0.8× that of a typical Buick Enclave year, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, recalls and mileage, and allowing for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints.
- 14 of its 141 complaints were filed by the end of 2018.
- Most reported problem: Driver's air bag inflator recall remedy not available (93 complaints, median 128,500 mi).
- 4 recall campaigns on record. A VIN search at nhtsa.gov/recalls shows open recalls for a specific vehicle.
Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019
Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated
- Complaints
- 141filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 45,000miles, 25 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 4campaigns on record
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
- EPA fuel economy
- 18 mpgcombined, 3.6L 6-cyl FWD · 15 city / 22 hwy
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2016 Buick Enclave (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error
What owners report
Owner complaints for this model year are dominated by an open driver's air bag inflator recall (23V334000): most describe being told the remedy part is unavailable and waiting months, often with no failure experienced yet. The remaining reports cluster around a small number of mechanical issues — transmission failures, engine oil consumption and stalling, power steering leaks, and intermittent air bag or seat belt warning messages. Reported mileages vary widely, from under 1,000 to well over 100,000.
- Air bags
Driver's air bag inflator recall remedy not available
- 93 complaints (66%)
- median 128,500 mi at 8.1 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
- filed 2023–2025
Owners describe receiving notice of the driver's side air bag inflator recall and being unable to get it repaired. Dealers reportedly told them the part was on backorder or not yet released, sometimes by region, and some owners said the vehicle had not shown any failure. A few complaints also describe a continuing air bag warning light or a service air bag message on the dash, including one traced to the passenger side air bag wiring harness. Mostly described in complaints filed from late 2023 through 2025, typically without the vehicle having shown a failure.
Recall 23V334000Recall 21V782000
What to check: Check whether the driver's air bag inflator recall has actually been completed, not just scheduled — ask for documentation of the campaign repair. Also confirm the air bag warning light goes out after the bulb check and stays off.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“My airbags were recalled May 10, 2023 and I have been trying to get them replaced under recall # 23V334 for over a year now and am continously told that the part is on backorder.”
NHTSA complaint #11642320, filed 2025-02“Complete FAILURE to remedy a life and death recall situation now for six months. This is considered an incident to me as there is not a single person of whom I wrote to or spoke to that has any clue or estimate of when this dangerous air bag recall will be remedied. This includes CEO Mary Barra, Cust Care VP John Roth, their administrative phone response personnel, and numerous employees at Tasca GMC Buick in Palm Harbor Florida. My notification letter states we are concerned about your safety and continued satisfaction with our products . …”
NHTSA complaint #11552479, filed 2023-10 - Engine
Excessive engine oil use and stalling
- 7 complaints (5%)
- median 57,500 mi at 3.3 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
- filed 2016–2026
Owners report the engine using more oil than expected between changes, with the low oil indicator coming on, and in some cases the vehicle stalling while accelerating from a stop or at low speed with the check engine light on. According to complaints, dealers ran oil consumption tests and in at least one case told the owner the vehicle was performing as designed, with no repair made. Mostly reported between about 5,000 and 65,000 miles, with a few at higher mileage.
What to check: Check the oil level and look for a low oil message; ask whether any oil consumption test was done and whether the intake manifold or other engine work has been performed.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“I was driving with my family in our new 2016 Buick Enclave when I went to pass someone on a city street and the engine went into full acceleration. I put my foot on the brakes as hard as I could but it did not stop the vehicle. I had to put it into neutral and turn off the ignition and coast to the side of the road. Luckly there weren't many cars around me at the time. I was unable to get the vehicle started right away and I notified on star sos and they notified the police. It was towed to a Buick dealer where they are looking at it now. …”
NHTSA complaint #10905913, filed 2016-09, 644 miles“My car isn't leaking any oil so it is burning it and its it's under warranty still but they won't fix anything on it and other year and make models are having the same problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11321672, filed 2020-04, 65,000 miles
Buying note. Verify by VIN that the driver's air bag inflator recall has been completed and get written confirmation rather than a scheduled appointment. Have a mechanic check transmission behavior, oil consumption and power steering leaks before purchase, since these are the mechanical themes owners report.
Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.
NHTSA recorded 141 consumer complaints for the 2016 Buick Enclave. 25 of the complaints include a mileage, and 52% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 45,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 5 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 1,150 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 13 Buick Enclave model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 39 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Air bags110 78%
- Transmission and drivetrain10 7.1%
- Engine9 6.4%
- Electrical system8 5.7%
- Other or unknown7 5.0%
- Seat belts3 2.1%
- Steering3 2.1%
- Body and structure3 2.1%
- Fuel system2 1.4%
- Equipment1 0.7%
Also reported: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1), Wheels (1).
Example complaints
Air bags: “2016 Buick Enclave had a service airbag light/message illuminated on dashboard continuously. I brought the vehicle into the dealership for a diagnostic test & the issue is the wiring harness for the passenger side airbag. When the technician moves the wiring harness the light comes & goes. Additionally, I found service bulletins talking about the same problem for various GM products.”
NHTSA complaint #11240442, filed 2019-07, 51,000 milesTransmission and drivetrain: “Driving vehicle would not get out of first gear. Decide to get vehicle home so I turned around and found that I did not have reserve also. On way back home transmission made a loud clunking sound and the check engine light came on. Was able to get home and park the car. Called tow truck to take to the dealers. This vehicle only has 23,773 miles on it. Dealer had to overhaul 3-5-r clutch housing.”
NHTSA complaint #11141649, filed 2018-10, 23,773 milesEngine: “My car was repaired by a dealership in texas. First they said it was a fuel injector. They replaced that. Then they said that that didn't work so they said I had a cracked head. They replaced that. I brought it home to shreveport, la. And it had gas fumes coming of of the A/C vents. The dealership here in bossier city that they put in a broken part. They supposedly fixed the problem. I picked the car up and it still had gas fumes. I took it back. They smelled it. Kept it for 2 days. They couldn't find the problem so the kept driving it and running it until they couldn't smell it any longer. …”
NHTSA complaint #11229464, filed 2019-07, 69,499 milesElectrical system: “Brought the car in earlier this year because the car was stalling. They told me it may have been a lose cable, but likely was nothing. In the last 3 weeks the car has stalled 3 times with my kids in the car. I brought the car in 3 days ago and they looked at it and said nothing was wrong with it. Yesterday it stalled again and my wife came very close to getting rear-ended with the kids in the car. This is a car that is 1 year old with 5.500 miles on it. This should not be happening and the car company is not helping me with this. Help!”
NHTSA complaint #10909587, filed 2016-09, 5,500 milesMileage when problems were reported
52% of the 25 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 13,000 and 69,000 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Buick Enclave. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Side pole | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enclave · SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 5 / 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 · 15.5% risk |
| Enclave · SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 5 / 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 · 16.9% risk |
Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2016 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking not available.
Neighbouring years: 2015: same overall rating; 2017: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Fuel economy and running cost
EPA ratings for each 2016 Buick Enclave version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).
| Version | Engine | Transmission | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enclave AWD | 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 15 | 22 | 17 | $3,950 |
| Enclave FWD | 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 15 | 22 | 18 | $3,700 |
Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.
Recalls and investigations
- 23V334000May 10, 2023Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator moduleCovers: Buick Enclave 2014–2017, Chevrolet Traverse 2014–2017, GMC Acadia 2014–2017
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
- 21V782000Oct 7, 2021Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator moduleCovers: Buick Enclave 2008–2017, Chevrolet Traverse 2013–2017
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
- 15V833000Dec 11, 2015SeatsCovers: Buick Enclave 2016, Chevrolet Traverse 2016, GMC Acadia 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured November 6, 2015, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a the third row left lower seat frame that may have welds…
- 15V609000Sep 29, 2015Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › MotorCovers: Buick Enclave 2016, Chevrolet Traverse 2016, GMC Acadia 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield wiper motor may overheat when used.
Recall details for the 2016 Buick Enclave → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 1,150 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 11037555Sep 26, 2026Other or unknown. This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- 11037253Sep 4, 2026Other or unknown. This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- 11035690Jul 27, 2026Other or unknown. This is to advise about a part concern
- 11035340Jul 21, 2026Other or unknown. PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- 11030974Apr 1, 2026Other or unknown. This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
- 11030092Mar 9, 2026Other or unknown. This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
- 11030091Mar 9, 2026Other or unknown. This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- 11027601Jan 8, 2026Other or unknown. This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- 11025755Nov 20, 2025Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit…
- 11023091Sep 9, 2025Other or unknown. New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
Other model years of the Buick Enclave
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | 8,650 | 0 | — | 23 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2024 | 7 | 44,000 | 0 | 4–5 | 21 | — | Too new |
| 2023 | 22 | 13,500 | 0 | 4–5 | 21 | — | Too new |
| 2022 | 14 | 29,000 | 1 | 4–5 | 21 | — | Not enough data |
| 2021 | 26 | 62,188 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 0 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2020 | 61 | 5,550 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 56 · Typical | Rising |
| 2019 | 44 | 15,500 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 9 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2018 | 66 | 24,400 | 0 | 5 | 21 | 13 · Fewer | Stable |
| 2017 | 179 | 38,953 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 35 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2016 | 141 | 45,000 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 39 · Typical | Rising |
| 2015 | 171 | 64,046 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 44 · Typical | Rising |
| 2014 | 292 | 60,592 | 7 | 5 | 19 | 75 · More | Rising |
| 2013 | 70 | 53,500 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 22 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2012 | 132 | 78,000 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 58 · Typical | Falling |
| 2011 | 213 | 55,606 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 93 · More | Falling |
| 2010 | 275 | 72,500 | 6 | — | 19 | 83 · More | Falling |
| 2009 | 220 | 73,648 | 8 | — | 19 | 76 · More | Falling |
| 2008 | 536 | 80,850 | 6 | — | 19 | 100 · More | Falling |
All Buick Enclave model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Buick Enclave?
Owner complaints for this model year are dominated by an open driver's air bag inflator recall (23V334000): most describe being told the remedy part is unavailable and waiting months, often with no failure experienced yet. The issues reported most often: Driver's air bag inflator recall remedy not available; Excessive engine oil use and stalling.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016 Buick Enclave have?
NHTSA recorded 141 consumer complaints for the 2016 Buick Enclave as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2016 Buick Enclave is reported most often?
Air bags is named most often, in 110 complaints (78% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 10.
Has the 2016 Buick Enclave been recalled?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
How did the 2016 Buick Enclave do in NHTSA crash tests?
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2016 Buick Enclave 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.
What gas mileage does the 2016 Buick Enclave get?
The EPA rates the 2016 Buick Enclave (Enclave FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 15 city and 22 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.
At what mileage are problems with the 2016 Buick Enclave reported?
Among the 25 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 45,000 miles and the middle half falls between 13,000 and 69,000 miles; 52% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.