2011 Buick Enclave recalls and problems

The 2011 Buick Enclave has 6 safety recalls and 213 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Buick dealer.

Recalls
6
Complaints
213
Crashes / fires
14 / 3
Injuries / deaths
18 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2011 Buick Enclave vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2011 Buick Enclave recalls

Recall 21V-782: Air Bags

Reported Oct 7, 2021 · 555 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

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.

Recall 21V-246: Air Bags

Reported Apr 8, 2021 · 108 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

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.

Recall 15V-415: Structure

Reported Jun 30, 2015 · 691,144 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

Recall 14V-266: Seat Belts

Reported May 20, 2014 · 1,339,355 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

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.

Recall 14V-118: Air Bags

Reported Mar 17, 2014 · 1,176,407 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

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.

Recall 12V-151: Visibility

Reported Apr 9, 2012 · 47,846 vehicles affected · GENERAL MOTORS LLC

Problem: General motors (Gm) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, and gmc acadia vehicles currently registered in alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming and the district of columbia. Snow or ice buildup on the windshield or on the wiper may restrict the movement of the wiper arm, causing the wiper arm to loosen and cause the wiper to become inoperative.

Risk: If this occurs, driver visibility could be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper arm nuts, free of charge. The safety recall began on april 20, 2012.

2011 Buick Enclave problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Steering41
Power Train38
Air Bags38
Engine35
Structure26
Electrical System21
Vehicle Speed Control14
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)11
Fuel/Propulsion System9
Service Brakes8
Unknown or Other8
Tires6

Most reported parts

  • Structure › Body — 16
  • Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 5
  • Structure › Body › Hatchback/Liftgate — 4
  • Equipment › Electrical › Navigational System(Global Positioning System) — 2
  • Structure › Body › Hatchback/Liftgate › Hinge and Attachments — 2
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine — 1
  • Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls — 1
  • Power Train › Axle Assembly — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 55,606 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2011 Buick Enclave complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Engine · reported Oct 12, 2026
The check engine light has been on for over 2 years now. It turns off and on, so it makes it hard to pass the emission test. I have replaced what shows on the emission testvas failed which are both catalyc converters, oxygen sensors and I also had to replace the engine in 2018. I have spent over $10k on the car and it still has the same codes appearing. I take it to different mechanics and they tell me they don't find anything because what the emission report states is not a problem on the vehicle. They don't understand why the light is on and they all tell me this is a huge problem with Buick…
Engine · reported Aug 31, 2026
I drove to work just fine on May 19th, 2020, when I got off work around 3pm. I started the car and as I was about to pull out on Brightleaf BLVD in smithfield, NC my car just stopped. I contacted OnStar and they pulled many codes P02AD,P0300 x2, P0305 x 2 at 126,362 miles with 73% oil life remaining. I contacted by Mechanic and was able to have it towed to his show for him to inspect it and the engine was totally seized. While I did research before purchasing this car the year before (I only average about 6k miles a year) I missed that this year and several others have a known issue that the…
Tires · reported Apr 19, 2026
While driving, the Kenda Klever tire experienced a sudden and complete tread separation. The tread detached in one solid ring from the rest of the tire. The failure happened without warning. The driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and safely pull over. There were no injuries. Klever ST 255/60R19
Unknown or Other · reported Sep 27, 2024
Ignition not acting like it’s in the right spot like not starting when turning key it moves like it’s loose and turned off while driving. Thankfully was driving very slow and coasted to the side of road when it died at first acted like it was going to start again but it did just drive back home. Just bought suv from mother in law and already replaced alternator last week
Tires · reported Jun 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Enclave equipped with Sentury Tires, Tire Line: National Commando HTS, Tire Size: 255/55/R20, DOT Number: [XXX] . The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23T009000 (Tires); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the front passenger's side tire was frequently flat. The contact stated that air was added to the tire several times; however, the failure recurred. The local dealer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The tire was not replaced. The tire was a replacement tire. The contact…

Other Buick Enclave years

Compare all Buick Enclave years · All Buick models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2011 Buick Enclave have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2011 Buick Enclave: 21V-782 (air bags), 21V-246 (air bags), 15V-415 (structure), 14V-266 (seat belts), 14V-118 (air bags) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2011 Buick Enclave?

Owners report steering problems most often (41 reports), followed by power train (38). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 55,606 miles.

Are Buick recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Buick dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.