2013 Buick Enclave Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 28, 2026 · 70 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Enclave years
Fewer complaints than other years 10th of 19 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
5 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Buick Enclave. That ranks 10th out of 19 Enclave model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (14 complaints, 20%), typically at around 73,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 7 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.

Buick Enclave
26 Buick Enclave Avenir - Shot at Earnhardt Buick GMC in Mesa AZ. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: HJUdall, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2013 Buick Enclave problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Engine14 · ~73,000 mi
Power Train14 · ~73,000 mi
Electrical System12 · ~32,624 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)12 · ~68,000 mi
Steering12 · ~43,400 mi
Air Bags10 · ~53,000 mi
Unknown or Other8 · ~83,218 mi
Exterior Lighting6 · ~50,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control5 · ~69,840 mi
Fuel/propulsion System3 · ~95,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Engine1420%73,000——
Power Train1420%73,000——
Electrical System1217%32,624——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1217%68,000——
Steering1217%43,400——
Air Bags1014%53,000——
Unknown or Other811%83,218——
Exterior Lighting69%50,000——
Vehicle Speed Control57%69,840——
Fuel/propulsion System34%95,000——
Seat Belts34%12,700——
Structure23%27,414——
Suspension23%35,000——
Visibility/wiper23%51,825——
Wheels23%28,790——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility11%14,660——
Lane Departure11%———
Service Brakes11%51,800——
Tires11%19,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2018, with 13 complaints
2013: 1201312014: 9201492015: 4201542016: 6201662017: 7201772018: 132018132019: 8201982020: 3202032021: 5202152022: 4202242023: 3202332024: 3202432026: 420264

n = 70 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2013 Buick Enclave recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleOct 7, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V782000 · 555 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

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. 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 N212349040.

Air bags:critical fastenersApr 8, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V246000 · 108 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.

Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.

Seat beltsMay 20, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V266000 · 1,339,355 vehicles

Problem: General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

Air bags:side/windowMar 17, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V118000 · 1,176,407 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure (EA20002) — opened Aug 31, 2020, closed Aug 30, 2024, led to recall 21V245.
  • Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure (RQ19003) — opened May 28, 2019, closed Aug 31, 2020.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Transmission slip, surging forward, grinding, not shifting, shuts down completely

Power Train · received Sep 28, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11767347

The contact owned a 2013 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to make a right turn around a curve, the driver-side curtain airbag deployed unexpectedly and struck the contact's left temple, causing the contact to lose consciousness. While unconscious, the…

Air Bags · received Aug 27, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11759995

No first gear. Engine stalls if car is brought to a halt. On take off, car will stall if given too much throttle. If able to roll from dead stop, it will jerk and hesitate as if in too high of gear or dragging clutch.

Power Train · received Feb 16, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11718186

Steering wheel is so stiff it over works my arms and shoulder muscles burn it hard to turn literally feels as if the wheels is kind of bumping the frame 5 days steering wheel started to make a weird noise that is now persistent and sounds like a rubbing rubber sound and I have been getting electric…

Steering · received Feb 9, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11716882

The contact owns a 2013 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.

Air Bags · received Aug 21, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11610032

Other Buick Enclave years

← 2012 Enclave · 2014 Enclave →

See all Buick Enclave problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Buick Enclave?

Owners most often report engine, power train, electrical system problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 14 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2013 Buick Enclave?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2013 Buick Enclave a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Enclave model years, the 2013 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.