2021 Buick Enclave Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 6

“About six months ago the tailgate foot sensor failed and has not worked. Since then, the tailgate began randomly opening on its own, mostly when the car is parked and shut off, but as of today(4-28-2026) it started occurring while I'm driving. In addition to the hazard of items falling from my vehicle unto the highway and/or other cars, the only way for me to close the tailgate from the driver's seat is to place the transmission in Park and push the tailgate button. Other than that, I must stop and get out and physically close it. Both actions are potential risks depending on my location and…”
NHTSA complaint #11734364, 2026

“The trunk latching system malfunction even when it is set to OFF. When the vehicle is off or running it will open automatically then will not shut unless you turn the car on then shut the car off put on lock then unlock the car. While driving short distances the lift gate will open enough to trigger the alarm. I have woke up my trunk is open. It is safety for me and others due to exposure of material in trunk falling out. Safety for me sitting in car this happens all the time. I have called the dealer they want to charge $90 hr to diagnose and fix it.”
NHTSA complaint #11732015, 2026

“Problem: The back hatch or trunk door pops open randomly on its own, many times a day. In a parking lot once. It hasn't happened while I've been driving. Safety issue because if it were to open while in public and a person wasn't in the vehicle, then anyone could enter the vehicle and theft could occur. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. A service center confirmed that it's the switch in the back hatch. No, the vehicle hasn't been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance. No, there haven't been any warning lights with this issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11679079, 2025

Service Brakes 6

“Brakes started grinding at 1000 miles. I will filed a complaint with the dealership and hope they record it. Now I have approximately 2100 miles on the car and it continues to sound and feel like my brake pad and rotor on the right front are grinding every time I apply the brakes. On July 23 2021 an own coming 18 wheeler did not see me and made a left turn in front of me at the traffic light . I step on the brakes lightly to stop but the car made the metal to metal sound and kept moving forward. So I had to jam on the brakes to stop. All wheels slid forward immediately except the front right.…”
NHTSA complaint #11430512, 2021

“No accident. I bought this brand new car on May 29, 2021, and have been experiencing brake issues. When I apply the brakes, there is a weird noise, grinding type and it feels like there is less traction (like when slowing down on snow). I have to apply more pressure to my brakes to slow the vehicle and come to a stop. The problem occurs quite often.”
NHTSA complaint #11426025, 2021

“Brakes started grinding at 300 miles. I have filed a complaint with dealership who did record it and advised that it was a known issue that GM is working to resolve. I now have approximately 2000 miles on the car and it continues to sound and feel like my brakes are grinding every time I apply the brakes. Occasionally, when I apply the brakes and they are making the grinding feeling - it feels as if the vehicle is not wanting to slow down and I need to apply more pressure to my brakes. This definitely would be a safety issue to the driver as well as others that are on the road.”
NHTSA complaint #11423968, 2021

Unknown Or Other 4

“The trunk latching system malfunction even when it is set to OFF. When the vehicle is off or running it will open automatically then will not shut unless you turn the car on then shut the car off put on lock then unlock the car. While driving short distances the lift gate will open enough to trigger the alarm. I have woke up my trunk is open. It is safety for me and others due to exposure of material in trunk falling out. Safety for me sitting in car this happens all the time. I have called the dealer they want to charge $90 hr to diagnose and fix it.”
NHTSA complaint #11732015, 2026

“The catalytic converter has been replaced 3 times. The flex pipes has been repaired and replaced 4 times and the exhaust pipes has been welded on 5 times. The back tail pipe fail off while driving and had to be welded. The exhaust on this vehicle has given me many problems.”
NHTSA complaint #11670139, 2025

“This vehicle has an auto stop start feature that the dealer refuses to override. The problem is that if you are stopped to make a left turn, the engine stops. When you need to go when there is a break in traffic, there is a hesitation to get going just when you need instant power. Also at stop lights or signs you tend to keep tapping the brake to keep it running resulting in a dangerous situation. Also if you are stopped and forget and get out of the car, it can start up and run into something. I just want the ability to disable this dangerous feature.”
NHTSA complaint #11421887, 2021

Seat Belts 3

“The contact owns a 2021 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the contact and her daughter inside the vehicle, her daughter's seat belt became extremely tight. The seat belt failed to unlatch, forcing the contact to cut the seat belt to remove her daughter from the seat. The contact believed that the seat belt had malfunctioned. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11753269, 2026

“Passenger side seatbelt latch gets stuck so when trying to buckle it doesn’t go in, you have to try multiple times. Get a notification on dashboard every once in a while saying seatbelt or airbag issue contact dealer. Warning light (air bag and seatbelt system) lights up. My safety is put at risk as I am pregnant and not sure whether the seatbelt will buckle or not while I’m in the passenger seat. I have not taken this In to be looked at yet.”
NHTSA complaint #11743361, 2026

“Passenger seat belt doesn't always work. Has to click several times”
NHTSA complaint #11566689, 2023

Structure 3

“The liftgate of my vehicle began opening on it's own at no apparent interval, but now occurs frequently while waiting for a repair part to come in. This has happened while parked - including in public parking lots (where someone malicious could have entered the vehicle and the closed the liftgate after entering the vehicle - I would have been unaware of their presence) as well as while driving, which presents multiple safety issues including belongings falling out of the vehicle or causing an accident. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis and repair and the part has been on back…”
NHTSA complaint #11744102, 2026

“Power Liftgate was functioning erratically and now it won't open at all. Currently there is no way to manually open the liftgate or access the rear of the vehicle without climbing through the vehicle to get to the trunk area. Electrical switches on inside, exterior of vehicle nor the keyfob will open the liftgate. Previously the liftgate opened on its own at unintended times and now it has simply quit working. Safety issue was when it was opening while driving. It is not currently doing this since it won't work anymore. Complete Failure happened around 54K miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11644448, 2025

“The rear switch on our tailgate has failed and it allows the tailgate to open/close randomly on its own while the vehicle is locked even. I contacted Buick about the problem and they said didn’t care, but this can happen while the vehicle is moving down the road as well as when parked. It’s not necessarily a typical safety issue that are normally recalled for, but it does pose significant safety issues if you want your car to be locked and you come back from the store and it’s not and people are free to break it or if it were to happen while moving. We had this happen on our car at around 38,…”
NHTSA complaint #11573738, 2024

Engine 2

“When driving my car down the street today, it abruptly stopped in the middle of the street and and engine locked up. I could not shift gears. I could not put my car in neutral. I was literally stuck in the middle of the street with a vehicle that gave me no warning of malfunctioning. This is the 3rd transmission that I have had in this car. It is a 2021 Buick Enclave with just over 12,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11454577, 2022

“This vehicle has an auto stop start feature that the dealer refuses to override. The problem is that if you are stopped to make a left turn, the engine stops. When you need to go when there is a break in traffic, there is a hesitation to get going just when you need instant power. Also at stop lights or signs you tend to keep tapping the brake to keep it running resulting in a dangerous situation. Also if you are stopped and forget and get out of the car, it can start up and run into something. I just want the ability to disable this dangerous feature.”
NHTSA complaint #11421887, 2021

Latches/Locks/Linkages 2

“The contact owns a 2021 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the tailgate latch independently unlocked. The contact stated the failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was scheduled for an inspection and diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 39,700.”
NHTSA complaint #11659614, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the door locks intermittently failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the doors had failed to lock and unlock as needed. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred after it had rained. The contact related the failure to the Manufacturer's Communication Number: 10211091. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided a cost for the diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was appr…”
NHTSA complaint #11648845, 2025

Power Train 2

“The muffler and tail pipe has fallen off 6 times and ive had to get repaired. I believe it is due to the bad torque converter that others have complained about and goggle says that is a likely failure on the buick.”
NHTSA complaint #11744657, 2025

“AWD has vibration at highway speeds when engaged”
NHTSA complaint #11483900, 2021

Fuel/Propulsion System 1

“Catalytic converter was defective in October 2022. Had to wait to get part in. Vehicle taken to dealer for repair in December 2022/ Told that the second catalytic converter needed to be repaired. I stated that I was not aware that cars had two catalytic converters. Parts were ordered and replaced. Engine light came back on-again October 15, 2024. Portable CO detector in car was beeping when engine around time engine light came on. Not covered by warranty or insurance. A new car with 55, 000 miles to date should not have these issues.”
NHTSA complaint #11621844, 2024

Lane Departure 1

“This car crosses the line before the lane keep assist does anything. The car nearly hit an oncoming car. I asked the Koons Tysons Buick Service rep about it and he said he has heard this from a number of people but noting has been done. It seems like a software patch is necessary to make this safe.”
NHTSA complaint #11430863, 2021

Steering 1

“This car crosses the line before the lane keep assist does anything. The car nearly hit an oncoming car. I asked the Koons Tysons Buick Service rep about it and he said he has heard this from a number of people but noting has been done. It seems like a software patch is necessary to make this safe.”
NHTSA complaint #11430863, 2021