Used Car Checklists

2025 Buick Enclave: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, brakes, and engine. The 8 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

Buick Enclave2025
Owner complaints
31
Recalls
0
Crashes reported
2
3 injuries
Reliability
Good
77/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Run the VIN before you go

A history report shows accidents, title brands, odometer readings, and open recalls for this 2025 Buick Enclave. Ask the seller for the VIN; it is also on the dash at the base of the windshield.

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/8 checked

1

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2

2

Cold start, engine bay, and underside

Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1

3

Test drive

At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5

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.

Reported on neighboring Enclave years

Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.

2024 Enclave

7 owner complaints

Worth adding to your 2025 checks

  • Test infotainment system for power and functionality.
  • Check for whining noise when turning the steering wheel.
  • Inspect seat belts for ease of latching and proper locking.
Open the 2024 checklist

2023 Enclave

17 owner complaints
  • Exterior lights 4
  • Seat belts 2
  • Electrical 2

Worth adding to your 2025 checks

  • Drive on an unlit road at night and confirm the low beams light the road ahead without a dark gap.
  • Set headlights to auto at dusk and confirm both headlights come on promptly and equally.
  • Pull out and buckle every seat belt, including any SmartFloor rear seats, and inspect the driver belt's floor cable.
Open the 2023 checklist

Which Enclave is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Buick Enclave. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.

VersionDriveEPA rating
2.5L 4-cylAWD, FWD21–23 mpg
  • Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Enclave that averages well under the EPA 21 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Buick Enclave, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

  • Electrical81 crash

    The digital dash and infotainment screens go black, taking the speedometer, fuel gauge, tire-pressure readout, backup camera and surround view with them. Dealer reprogramming and software updates do not always fix it, and one failure appeared at 800 miles. Other reports describe the power brakes failing while driving. The pedal sinks to the floor and the parking brake button does not stop the car, sometimes after months of random electrical glitches at startup. One filing is crash-related with 2 injuries. Owners also report that the wireless charging tray overheats phones until they shut down, and they worry it could start a fire.

  • Brakes8No crashes

    Brakes squeal loudly at low speeds and when cold, and the brake pad life reading drops faster than expected. Dealers replace pads, and in one case warped rotors at 11,845 miles, but the noise comes back within days. A more serious pattern involves the pedal dropping to the floor at startup, or warning lights that a dealer traces to a failed brake master cylinder, with reports at 400 and 650 miles. Backordered parts delay repairs. Other reports describe ABS, brake and forward collision warnings, plus automatic braking that hits hard with nothing ahead and nearly causes a rear-end crash.

  • Engine3No crashes

    Complete failure strikes while driving, with no warning lights beforehand. Power drops, the car shuts down, and drivers have to coast to the shoulder in fast freeway traffic. Repairs drag on, and one vehicle was out of service for 3 months. A separate report filed under this heading blames loose bolts inside the torque converter that leak transmission fluid and leave the car unable to pull away from a stop.

  • Transmission3No crashes

    The transmission shudders on acceleration, then caps the car's speed and finally stops it. One case came at around 9,800 miles. The electronics may refuse to shift into neutral, so the car cannot be pushed off the road and is hard to load onto a tow truck. Cold weather and car washes set off a check engine light with transmission errors. Other reports describe the rear wheels locking briefly while slowing and the car braking hard on its own while reversing with nothing behind it.

In owners' own words

Excerpts from complaints Enclave owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.

Electrical
Completely lost all power brakes while on the road today. Owned it for about 11 months. Looking like the master cylinder. We've been having random electrical issues when we're cranking it up. Weird sound coming from the dash when the AC is on on occasion. Like the car wasn't fully kicking over even though the engine was running. Sometimes turning it off and turning it back on would make it work.

Filed with NHTSA, October 2025

Electrical
The wireless charging tray on my Enclave gets the phone very hot. It gets so hot that my phone shuts down. This happens with Pixel, Samsung and Apple devices. There are several reports on the web regarding this issue. I even tried to charge my phone without a case same issue. This is a concern because it can cause a vehicle fire. The batter gets so hot that it can easily catch on fire

Filed with NHTSA, October 2025

Brakes
Driving down the street after a short trip this morning with no one on the road in front of us the vehicle had an alert like we were about to impact someone and braked pretty hard 2x back to back with the collision alert popping up. The person behind us had to slam on their brakes and BARELY avoid hitting us. There was NOTHING in front of us. This vehicle is dangerous to everyone around us and should be taken off the road.

Filed with NHTSA, November 2025

Brakes
Brakes are extremely noisy at low speeds. Dealer advice that this is normal When driving at low speeds brakes squeak extremely loud This is clearly a defect that GM needs to address They keep using the excuse that is the the high quality pads that they are using

Filed with NHTSA, March 2026

Transmission
The car frequently just slams on the brakes on its own when reversing. Doesn’t matter the speed, and nothing is behind me at all. It also triggers a check engine light with transmission errors if you get a car wash and it is even mildly cold. Transmission errors when it gets too cold or snow in the grill.

Filed with NHTSA, April 2026

How the 2025 compares with other Enclave years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2025 ranks fourth for owner complaints among 8 Enclave years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2025 Average of other years
  • Electrical84
  • Brakes84
  • Engine33
  • Transmission35

Also looking at these instead of a Enclave?

Cars shoppers compare with the Buick Enclave, with their own 2025 checklists.

2025 owner complaints, side by side