2012 Buick Enclave Problems, Recalls & Reliability
174 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Buick Enclave, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 76,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2012 sits among all Enclave years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 124 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 76,563 miles. Half of those reports fall between 45,000 and 104,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022.…
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The…
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008,…
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner…
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, AND GMC ACADIA VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN,…
Fix: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 21V245.
Technical service bulletins
1,569 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Buick Enclave. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Enclave TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Buick Enclave reliable?
The 2012 Buick Enclave drew 174 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2012 Buick Enclave problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Buick Enclave are body & structure (24 complaints), engine (24), and other (23).
At what mileage do 2012 Buick Enclave problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Buick Enclave problems around 76,563 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 45,000 and 104,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Buick Enclave have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Buick Enclave. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.