Buick Enclave Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 360 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Buick Enclave across 19 model years. The 2008 model year has the most (139). The words owners use most often: “wave plate” (9% of reports).
- 360power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 11mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $5,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 33%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Wave plate: mentioned in 34 of 360 complaints (9%)
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 23 of 360 complaints (6%)
- Timing chain: mentioned in 20 of 360 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the Buick Enclave at $5,050, and half of them between $3,250 and $6,000.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2013–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 274 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 360 complaints, 11 mention a crash, 6 an injury.
Buick Enclave power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Enclave | 1 | 50% | — |
| 2025 Enclave | 3 | 8% | — |
| 2024 Enclave | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2023 Enclave | 1 | 5% | 30,000 |
| 2022 Enclave | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2021 Enclave | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2020 Enclave | 9 | 15% | 2,650 |
| 2019 Enclave | 17 | 39% | 60,000 |
| 2018 Enclave | 15 | 23% | 49,000 |
| 2017 Enclave | 4 | 2% | 36,500 |
| 2016 Enclave | 10 | 7% | 25,449 |
| 2015 Enclave | 4 | 2% | 57,000 |
| 2014 Enclave | 21 | 7% | 40,000 |
| 2013 Enclave | 14 | 20% | 73,000 |
| 2012 Enclave | 13 | 10% | 56,569 |
| 2011 Enclave | 38 | 18% | 29,000 |
| 2010 Enclave | 34 | 12% | 78,000 |
| 2009 Enclave | 33 | 15% | 91,000 |
| 2008 Enclave | 139 | 26% | 82,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2019, 2020
Problem: 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.
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2014
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift
Model years: 2009
Problem: General motors is recalling 276,729 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet cobalt, hhr, malibu, traverse, gmc acadia, pontiac g5, g6 and saturn aura and outlook passenger vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicles safety standard 102, "transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect", and fmvss 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention". On some of these vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjustment clip may not be fully engaged. If the clip is not fully engaged, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. With this condition, the drive could move the shifter to "park" and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in "park".
Risk: The driver may not be able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and ensure that the shift cable adjustment clip is fully engaged. In the event that the clip does not engage, the shift cable will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before march 24, 2009. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 and saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
alternator failed approximately 2½ years earlier, and the alternator and battery were replaced. another alternator and battery installed the following year. * A pulley bolt broke while I was driving and was replaced. * I subsequently had problems with the serpentine belt squealing and producing a…
Transmission slip, surging forward, grinding, not shifting, shuts down completely
The contact owns a 2020 Buick Enclave. While the contact's wife was attempting to park the vehicle, the transmission failed to shift into park as needed. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle was parked. The contact used bricks to chock the wheels to prevent the vehicle from…
The contact owns a 2023 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to 3rd gear and the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. Additionally, the computer system took control of the vehicle. The contact…
I purchased this used 2016 Buick Enclave in July 2026. Shortly after purchase, the vehicle began repeatedly jerking and hesitating while driving. During occurrences, Traction Control/StabiliTrak warnings appeared and the vehicle experienced loss of power and difficulty accelerating normally. I…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Buick Enclaves have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 360 owner complaints about power train for the Buick Enclave. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Buick Enclave power train?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the Buick Enclave?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,050 (half paid between $3,250 and $6,000), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Buick Enclave?
The most frequent phrase is “wave plate”, in 34 of 360 complaints, followed by “transmission failed” (23).
Other Buick Enclave problems
- Air Bags problems (770)
- Steering problems (443)
- Engine problems (350)
- Electrical System problems (278)
- Structure problems (175)
- Service Brakes problems (105)
See all Buick Enclave problems.