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2021 Buick Enclave Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 27 complaints about the 2021 Buick Enclave with NHTSA, most often about the brakes (7) and the electrical system (6). It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in March 2022 for the curtain. For comparison, the 2020 has 61 and the 2022 has 14.

NHTSA data checked

AFar fewer problems than a typical Enclave year, for its age

#111 most complained-about 2021 vehicle

Complaints
27
Recalls
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Most common 2021 Buick Enclave problems

Share of all 27 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2021 Buick Enclave recalls 2

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Air bags: curtain

22V21000089 vehicles affected

The problem
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have incompatible electrical terminals, which could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
The risk
Roof rail air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix
Dealers will replace the harness connector to the roof rail air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212352140.

Air bags: frontal impact

21V4720006 vehicles affected

The problem
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software that may affect frontal airbag deployment.
The risk
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury.
The fix
Dealers will update the air bag calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N212340220.

What owners say

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27 complaints about the 2021 Buick Enclave

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 2.

Equipment & accessories

Navigation system failed when I tried to use it on a trip. Lucikly I had a TomTom handheld portable GPS that I used. GPS Navigation System failed because I did not subscribe to OnStar services, a message on the screen let me know. I knew that Onstar was required for custom navigation plans from them, but I did not know it was required for the system to operate.

Filed Incident EquipmentNHTSA 11777100
BrakesDriver assistance

Eboost intermittent. Loss of brakes.

Filed Incident Service brakes · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11768213
Seats & seat belts

The contact owns a 2021 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the contact and her daughter inside the vehicle, her daughter's seat belt became extremely tight. The seat belt failed to unlatch, forcing the contact to cut the seat belt to remove her daughter from the seat. The contact believed that the seat belt had malfunctioned. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Filed Incident Seat beltsNHTSA 11753269
Transmission & drivetrain

The muffler and tail pipe has fallen off 6 times and ive had to get repaired. I believe it is due to the bad torque converter that others have complained about and goggle says that is a likely failure on the buick.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11744657
Body, doors & structure

The liftgate of my vehicle began opening on it's own at no apparent interval, but now occurs frequently while waiting for a repair part to come in. This has happened while parked - including in public parking lots (where someone malicious could have entered the vehicle and the closed the liftgate after entering the vehicle - I would have been unaware of their presence) as well as while driving, which presents multiple safety issues including belongings falling out of the vehicle or causing an accident. The...

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vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis and repair and the part has been on backorder since April 20, 2026. Multiple user forums report a plethora of other individuals experiencing the same issue.

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 11744102
Seats & seat belts

Passenger side seatbelt latch gets stuck so when trying to buckle it doesn't go in, you have to try multiple times. Get a notification on dashboard every once in a while saying seatbelt or airbag issue contact dealer. Warning light (air bag and seatbelt system) lights up. My safety is put at risk as I am pregnant and not sure whether the seatbelt will buckle or not while I'm in the passenger seat. I have not taken this In to be looked at yet.

Filed Incident Seat beltsNHTSA 11743361
Electrical system

About six months ago the tailgate foot sensor failed and has not worked. Since then, the tailgate began randomly opening on its own, mostly when the car is parked and shut off, but as of today(4-28-2026) it started occurring while I'm driving. In addition to the hazard of items falling from my vehicle unto the highway and/or other cars, the only way for me to close the tailgate from the driver's seat is to place the transmission in Park and push the tailgate button. Other than that, I must stop and get out and...

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physically close it. Both actions are potential risks depending on my location and the traffic around me. I've brought this in to the dealership service department in January 2026 with this complaint, but was told they couldn't find anything wrong with it. In the meantime, it continues to get worse.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11734364
Electrical system

The trunk latching system malfunction even when it is set to OFF. When the vehicle is off or running it will open automatically then will not shut unless you turn the car on then shut the car off put on lock then unlock the car. While driving short distances the lift gate will open enough to trigger the alarm. I have woke up my trunk is open. It is safety for me and others due to exposure of material in trunk falling out. Safety for me sitting in car this happens all the time. I have called the dealer they want to charge $90 hr to diagnose and fix it.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or otherNHTSA 11732015
Electrical system

Problem: The back hatch or trunk door pops open randomly on its own, many times a day. In a parking lot once. It hasn't happened while I've been driving. Safety issue because if it were to open while in public and a person wasn't in the vehicle, then anyone could enter the vehicle and theft could occur. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. A service center confirmed that it's the switch in the back hatch. No, the vehicle hasn't been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance. No, there haven't been any warning lights with this issue.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11679079
Other & unknown

The catalytic converter has been replaced 3 times. The flex pipes has been repaired and replaced 4 times and the exhaust pipes has been welded on 5 times. The back tail pipe fail off while driving and had to be welded. The exhaust on this vehicle has given me many problems.

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11670139
Body, doors & structure

The contact owns a 2021 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the tailgate latch independently unlocked. The contact stated the failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was scheduled for an inspection and diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 39,700.

Filed Incident Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 11659614
Electrical systemBody, doors & structure

The contact owns a 2021 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the door locks intermittently failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the doors had failed to lock and unlock as needed. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred after it had rained. The contact related the failure to the Manufacturer's Communication Number: 10211091. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided a cost for the diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 62,188.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 11648845
Electrical systemBody, doors & structure

Power Liftgate was functioning erratically and now it won't open at all. Currently there is no way to manually open the liftgate or access the rear of the vehicle without climbing through the vehicle to get to the trunk area. Electrical switches on inside, exterior of vehicle nor the keyfob will open the liftgate. Previously the liftgate opened on its own at unintended times and now it has simply quit working. Safety issue was when it was opening while driving. It is not currently doing this since it won't work anymore. Complete Failure happened around 54K miles.

Filed Incident Electrical system · StructureNHTSA 11644448
Fuel system

Catalytic converter was defective in October 2022. Had to wait to get part in. Vehicle taken to dealer for repair in December 2022/ Told that the second catalytic converter needed to be repaired. I stated that I was not aware that cars had two catalytic converters. Parts were ordered and replaced. Engine light came back on-again October 15, 2024. Portable CO detector in car was beeping when engine around time engine light came on. Not covered by warranty or insurance. A new car with 55, 000 miles to date should not have these issues.

Filed Incident Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11621844
Electrical systemBody, doors & structure

The rear switch on our tailgate has failed and it allows the tailgate to open/close randomly on its own while the vehicle is locked even. I contacted Buick about the problem and they said didn't care, but this can happen while the vehicle is moving down the road as well as when parked. It's not necessarily a typical safety issue that are normally recalled for, but it does pose significant safety issues if you want your car to be locked and you come back from the store and it's not and people are free to break it or...

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if it were to happen while moving. We had this happen on our car at around 38,000 miles. From reading other Buick forums to try and figure out what the cause is, it sounds like it's a somewhat common occurrence. It's alarming that it can open while the vehicle is locked.

Filed Incident Electrical system · StructureNHTSA 11573738
Seats & seat belts

Passenger seat belt doesn't always work. Has to click several times

Filed Incident Seat beltsNHTSA 11566689
Transmission & drivetrain

AWD has vibration at highway speeds when engaged

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11483900
Engine & cooling

When driving my car down the street today, it abruptly stopped in the middle of the street and and engine locked up. I could not shift gears. I could not put my car in neutral. I was literally stuck in the middle of the street with a vehicle that gave me no warning of malfunctioning. This is the 3rd transmission that I have had in this car. It is a 2021 Buick Enclave with just over 12,000 miles.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11454577
SteeringDriver assistance

This car crosses the line before the lane keep assist does anything. The car nearly hit an oncoming car. I asked the Koons Tysons Buick Service rep about it and he said he has heard this from a number of people but noting has been done. It seems like a software patch is necessary to make this safe.

Filed Incident Steering · Lane departureNHTSA 11430863
Brakes

Brakes started grinding at 1000 miles. I will filed a complaint with the dealership and hope they record it. Now I have approximately 2100 miles on the car and it continues to sound and feel like my brake pad and rotor on the right front are grinding every time I apply the brakes. On July 23 2021 an own coming 18 wheeler did not see me and made a left turn in front of me at the traffic light . I step on the brakes lightly to stop but the car made the metal to metal sound and kept moving forward. So I had to jam on...

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the brakes to stop. All wheels slid forward immediately except the front right. I think different brake pads and rotors are needed on this vehicle. This is definitely a safety issue to all drivers as well as others that are on the road.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11430512
Brakes

No accident. I bought this brand new car on May 29, 2021, and have been experiencing brake issues. When I apply the brakes, there is a weird noise, grinding type and it feels like there is less traction (like when slowing down on snow). I have to apply more pressure to my brakes to slow the vehicle and come to a stop. The problem occurs quite often.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11426025
Brakes

Brakes started grinding at 300 miles. I have filed a complaint with dealership who did record it and advised that it was a known issue that GM is working to resolve. I now have approximately 2000 miles on the car and it continues to sound and feel like my brakes are grinding every time I apply the brakes. Occasionally, when I apply the brakes and they are making the grinding feeling - it feels as if the vehicle is not wanting to slow down and I need to apply more pressure to my brakes. This definitely would be a safety issue to the driver as well as others that are on the road.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11423968
Engine & cooling

This vehicle has an auto stop start feature that the dealer refuses to override. The problem is that if you are stopped to make a left turn, the engine stops. When you need to go when there is a break in traffic, there is a hesitation to get going just when you need instant power. Also at stop lights or signs you tend to keep tapping the brake to keep it running resulting in a dangerous situation. Also if you are stopped and forget and get out of the car, it can start up and run into something. I just want the ability to disable this dangerous feature.

Filed Incident Unknown or other · EngineNHTSA 11421887
Brakes

when applying the brakes it sounds lile metal on metal

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11419828
Brakes

I have a 2021 Buick Enclave Premium purchased 01.03.2021from Alden Buick-GMC been having problems with my brakes when I apply my brakes I have a brake noise grinding growling noise coming from the brakes. Took vehicle to dealership today 06.01.2021. Was told cause is Composition of brake material, dealers informed by GM not to replace any parts or attempt any repairs at this time. Was informed vehicle is safe to drive and GM engineering is working on a solution to this concern. I am concerned should the brakes not...

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work properly when applied causing an accident. Would like to know if NHTSA is aware of this problem on the 2021 Buick Enclaves and 2021 Cadillac XT5-XT6, 2021 Chevrolet Blazer, Traverse, and 2021 GMC Acadia? Would like to know if NHTSA feels it is safe to drive?

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11419275

Buick Enclave: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
202539030BrakesD
20247010Driver assistanceA
202322020LightsA
202214120BrakesA
202127200BrakesA
202061630Engine & coolingB
201945121Transmission & drivetrainA
201866050BrakesB
2017179360AirbagsC
All Enclave years

2021 Buick Enclave vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2021 Buick Enclave

Does the 2021 Buick Enclave have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2021 Buick Enclave: curtain (March 2022); frontal impact (June 2021). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Buick Enclave?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the brakes (7), electrical system (6), body, doors & structure (5).

How many complaints has the 2021 Buick Enclave had?

27 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on March 1, 2021 and the latest on November 10, 2026. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2021 Buick Enclave a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 84 out of 100 (grade A: far fewer problems than a typical Buick Enclave year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Buick Enclave years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2021 Buick Enclave has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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