Owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, electrical, and engine. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2019Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2019 Buick Enclave: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/5
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/2
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2019's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2019 checks
Worth adding to your 2019 checks
Worth adding to your 2019 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2019 Buick Enclave. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD, FWD | 20–21 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Buick Enclave, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The engine shuts off at a stop instead of restarting under auto start/stop. Drivers lose steering and brake assist and are stranded in traffic, sometimes for minutes. Others describe the transmission slamming into gear after start/stop, fluid leaks, shudder at low speeds, and a torque converter replacement near 69,000 miles. One report has the car shifting into neutral at highway speed. A grinding rear differential appears near 87,000 miles. One crash report, with one injury, involves the vehicle rolling backward after being started.
Stalling in traffic, followed by a refusal to restart or shift, is the most serious pattern. The display reports that conditions are not met for driving, and repeated battery and starter replacements do not cure it. One fire report, with one injury, describes the passenger-side seat air bag exploding and burning an occupant during an auto start. Other complaints cite a cooling fan motor that shorts and blows its 70 amp fuse, accessory outlets and DVD players resetting when doors close, and a noise-cancellation module failure that silences the speakers.
Check engine lights tied to the evaporative emission canister purge valve, including code P0442, are the main pattern. When it fails, the engine can flutter and stall after refueling, and in one case the dealer replaced the part twice. Separate reports describe a sudden loss of power that left the car stuck in 3rd gear at low mileage, and a leaking timing chain seal with a pitted camshaft that the dealer replaced under warranty.
Belts fail to latch or are not anchored properly. In one case an internal part of the buckle detaches at about 43,000 miles and the belt will not lock. In another, a second-row retractor is found hanging loose and never bolted to the frame, discovered at 12K miles when a trim panel fell off. In both cases the occupant would have no working restraint in a crash.
Loss of power steering during a stall is the most serious report. The vehicle dies in traffic at 40 mph, jerks, and the horn, wipers, door locks, windows, and air conditioning stop working normally while several warning lights come on. The car then needs a tow. A second report pairs heavy steering and hesitation with StabiliTrak and check engine lights at stops, a shift display jumping between neutral and low, and speed falling while accelerating. Transmission service leaves the StabiliTrak warning unresolved.
An oil leak dripping on the driver's side is one of only two scattered reports here. The dealer blames the oil filter, though the filter sits on the opposite side of the car. The other report concerns the passenger-side kick panel, whose design may injure a passenger's feet, raised at 3,000 miles. Dealers say the panel meets manufacturer specifications and decline to replace it.
Excerpts from complaints Enclave owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
This is the third time in less the last couple of months that the air conditioning system on this 2019 Buick Enclave has failed. The vehicle consistently blows only hot air, regardless of whether it is in motion or stationary. The problem does not fluctuate with changes in speed or drive duration. In addition, there is a consistent noise coming from the dashboard area that resembles a hydraulic hinge or actuator.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2025
The car hesitates when accelerating. It feels like its going to die. Also, the car has shut off randomly with the display saying "not in right conditions to start". The dying has happened a few times.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
The cooling fan motor assembly is shorting out internally & blowing the 70 amp fuse dedicated to that circuit. Mustreplace fan assembly and fuse to correct this concern
Filed with NHTSA, January 2024
On Sept 6th the check engine light came on. A diagnostic test showed it was code P0442 related to the canister purge valve /solenoid. It also showed that it was a permanent thing that had been on there a while but when I look up my Vin number there is no recalls for it, but there is for other 2019 Buick enclaves.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2019 ranks third for owner complaints among 8 Enclave years, about 1.4 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2019 is the second model year of the Enclave's second generation (2018–2024).
Buick updated the Enclave for 2022, so a 2019 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2022 (not on a 2019)
Recall repairs are free at any Buick dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Cars shoppers compare with the Buick Enclave, with their own 2019 checklists.
2019 owner complaints, side by side
