What are the most common problems with the 2016 Buick Enclave?

The air bags group is the biggest, with 110 complaints. Power train follows with 10 and engine with 9.

Does the 2016 Buick Enclave have recalls?

Yes. This year has 4 recalls on record. See the Recalls section on this page for the full list.

How many complaints has the 2016 Buick Enclave had?

NHTSA has 141 owner complaints on file. They are unverified and not adjusted for sales.

What gas mileage does the 2016 Buick Enclave get?

See the Fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.

What is the best year for the Buick Enclave?

See the by-year comparison section on this page, which sets this year beside the others.

2016 Buick Enclave Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 141 owner complaints on file for the 2016 Buick Enclave^[1]. The air bags group is the biggest, with 110 of them^[2].

141owner complaints^[1]

4recalls^[3]

17–18MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups, biggest first.

Air Bags. 110 complaints^[2]. In the stories we read, owners describe a dashboard air bag warning light that stays on, a wiring harness problem found by a dealer, and crashes where the air bags did not go off.
Power Train. 10 complaints^[6], with a median mileage at failure of 25,449^[6]. Owners describe a transmission that shudders, hangs in the wrong gear, rolls back on a hill, or suddenly gives no power to move.
Engine. 9 complaints^[7]. Owners describe oil that disappears between changes, strange noises, stalling, and one scary moment when the engine kept speeding up and the brakes could not stop it.
Electrical System. 8 complaints^[8]. Owners describe cars that stall with kids on board, a warning light tied to wiring, and water getting into the fuse area.
Unknown Or Other. 7 complaints^[9].
Structure. 3 complaints^[10].
Steering. 3 complaints^[11].
Seat Belts. 3 complaints^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2016 Enclave is necessarily included.

Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module (23V334), May 2023. About 995,085 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: explosion, injury, death. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module (21V782), October 2021. About 555 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: explosion, injury, death. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]
Seats (15V833), December 2015. About 2,633 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[15]
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor (15V609), September 2015. About 29,295 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[16]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Enclave FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	15 / 22 / 18	$3,700
Enclave AWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[17]	15 / 22 / 17	$3,950

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[5]	5	5	5	4	15.5%
SUV FWD^[18]	5	5	5	4	16.9%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2016 Buick Enclave with 3.6L 6-cylinder^[19]	288 hp

How 2016 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Enclave model year. The 2016 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2008	536	6
2009	220	8
2010	275	6
2011	213	6
2012	132	6
2013	70	4
2014	292	7
2015	171	5
2016	141	4
2017	179	3
2018	66	0
2019	44	1
2020	60	6
2021	26	2
2022	14	1
2023	21	0
2024	7	0
2025	38	0
2026	2	1

NHTSA's counts for the Enclave show 141 complaints and 4 recalls for 2016^[3]. Among the 20 model years listed, 12 have fewer complaints than 2016 and 7 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2027 (0) and the most are for 2008 (536)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2016 Enclave?

The 2016 Enclave has 141 complaints on file^[1]. The air bags group accounts for 110 of them^[2], so that is the area to ask about first. The other groups are much smaller, such as power train with 10^[6] and engine with 9^[7]. The recalls for this year are listed on this page^[3]. These are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as questions to ask, not a final ruling.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Buick Enclave?: The air bags group is the biggest, with 110 complaints^[2]. Power train follows with 10^[6] and engine with 9^[7].
Does the 2016 Buick Enclave have recalls?: Yes. This year has 4 recalls on record^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the full list.
How many complaints has the 2016 Buick Enclave had?: NHTSA has 141 owner complaints on file^[1]. They are unverified and not adjusted for sales.
What gas mileage does the 2016 Buick Enclave get?: See the Fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.
What is the best year for the Buick Enclave?: See the by-year comparison section on this page, which sets this year beside the others.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Buick Enclave

2010 275 complaints, 6 recalls
2011 213 complaints, 6 recalls
2012 132 complaints, 6 recalls
2013 70 complaints, 4 recalls
2014 292 complaints, 7 recalls
2015 171 complaints, 5 recalls
2016 this page
2017 179 complaints, 3 recalls

Compare all model years of the Buick Enclave

Other Buick models from 2016

2016 Buick Regal 41 complaints, 1 recall

All Buick models

Similar cars from 2016: suvs

2016 Porsche Cayenne 40 complaints, 2 recalls
2016 Tesla Model X 450 complaints, 12 recalls
2016 Toyota Land Cruiser 4 complaints, 3 recalls
2016 Volvo XC90 198 complaints, 8 recalls
2016 BMW X5 74 complaints, 5 recalls
2016 Cadillac Escalade 104 complaints, 4 recalls

All suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 141 owner complaints on file for the 2016 Buick Enclave (2 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 5 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
110 complaints name the air bags component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Buick Enclave model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Enclave FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 15 city / 22 highway / 18 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
10 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 25,449). NHTSA vehicle records
9 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 57,500). NHTSA vehicle records
8 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 51,000). NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the structure component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the steering component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the seat belts component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 23V334, filed May 10, 2023: Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module. NHTSA recall database
Recall 21V782, filed October 7, 2021: Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V833, filed December 11, 2015: Seats. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V609, filed September 29, 2015: Visibility › Windshield Wiper / Washer › Motor. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Enclave AWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 15 city / 22 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 16.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2016 Buick Enclave with 3.6L 6-cylinder: rated 288 hp. www.epa.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2016 Buick Enclave: problems, recalls and fuel economy