2016 Buick Enclave Problems, Recalls & Reliability
155 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Buick Enclave, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 19/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2016 Buick Enclave has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2016 sits among all Enclave years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2017 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Enclave
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 35 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 50,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 8,700 and 69,499 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick…
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 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…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact…
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.
Fix: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the wiper cover has been…
Technical service bulletins
1,147 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2016 Buick Enclave. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2016 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 2016 Buick Enclave reliable?
The 2016 Buick Enclave drew 155 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 19/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2016 Buick Enclave problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Buick Enclave are airbags (110 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (9), and engine (8).
At what mileage do 2016 Buick Enclave problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Buick Enclave problems around 50,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 8,700 and 69,499 miles.
Does the 2016 Buick Enclave have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 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.