2018 Buick Enclave

Typical pattern

10.9% of complaints about the 2018 Buick Enclave came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2018 vehicle — around the middle of the 182 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.0 yr in service. The most-reported system is service brakes (20 complaints), typically at 2.8 yr or about 23,000 miles.

Complaints: 92
Median age at failure: 5.0 yr
Median mileage: 24,586 n=40
Crash / fire / tow: 13% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Service brakes 20,000 mi 2.5 yr in service

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.

Service brakes 20,900 mi 3.3 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING ON VERY SLICK ROADS ON A HIGHWAY, I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE THE VEHICLE IN PREPARATION TO MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN. I COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE WHEELS KEPT PUSHING ME FORWARD. I COULD FEEL THE ABS PULSING BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS AHEAD OF ME OR I WOULD HAVE HIT THE VEHICLE. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS OVERRIDING MY ATTEMPTS TO STOP IT. I WASN'T JUST SLIDING ON SLICK ROADS; THE VEHICLE WAS ACTIVELY PUSHING ME FORWARD.

Service brakes mileage not reported 3.8 yr in service

While on free way transmission stopped functioning properly after exit unable to move vehicles in gear. Dealer said it was a computer programming issue. Another instance 9 months later care emergency break would not dis engage even after shutting vehicle off and restarting several times that transmission would stop shifting soon received messages dealer said it was a computer programming error .

Power train 200 mi 6 mo in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SUSS BUICK GMC DEALER (866-608-5251, 1301 S HAVANA ST, AURORA, CO 80012) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 200.

Other Enclave model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2018 Buick Enclave

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other Enclave model years

How to read this