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What 132 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Buick Enclave

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (132)Crash / fire / injury (19)Body & structure (24)Engine (24)Airbags (21)Electrical system (19)Steering (17)Transmission & drivetrain (13)Fuel system (8)Brakes (6)Visibility & wipers (4)Seat belts (3)

5 of 132 complaints match · Body & structure · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jun 8, 2023Body & structure1 injury

The contact owns a 2012 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that after pressing the liftgate button to the open the rear liftgate, the liftgate door opened before suddenly falling downward and closing. During the incident the liftgate door had made contact with the owners head. The contact sustained bruised head which did not require medical treatment. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V415000(Structure). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 105,000.

NHTSA ODI 11526006

Aug 17, 2020Body & structure1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFTGATE INADVERTENTLY CLOSED AND STRUCK A PERSON RETRIEVING AN UNKNOWN OBJECT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE F. C. KERBECK GMC DEALER LOCATED AT 100 ROUTE 73 N, PALMYRA, NJ 08065, WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,100.

NHTSA ODI 11349789

Feb 7, 2020Electrical systemBody & structure1 injury

I HAD THE RECALL DONE ON MY VEHICLE AS PART OF THE 2015/2016 LIFTGATE RECALL. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE. THIS MORNING WHEN GETTING INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR, THE LIFTGATE STARTED TO CLOSE ON IT'S OWN WITH NO WARNING (BEEPING OR LIGHTS) AND HIT ME ON THE HEAD. EVEN THOUGH IT IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN AGAIN WHEN IT DETECTS AN OBJECT IN THE WAY, IT CONTINUED TO PUSH CLOSE ON ME. I HAD TO FORCE THE LIFTGATE UP WHILE IT WAS PUSHING DOWN. I TRIED TURNING THE POWER OFF AND THE LIFTGATE WON'T STAY OPEN AT ALL. I TRIED PROPPING SOMETHING UNDER IT TO KEEP IT OPEN, BUT DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE LIFTGATE, I CANNOT KEEP IT OPEN. I EFFECTIVELY CAN NO LONGER SAFELY USE THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE FOR STORAGE, AS I AM AFRAID THE DOOR WILL TRY TO CLOSE ON ME EVERY TIME. I HAVE READ THAT IT IS AN ELECTRICAL/SOFTWARE ISSUE, AS WELL AS AN ISSUE WITH THE STRUTS ON THE DOOR. I HAD THE SOFTWARE UPGRADED, BUT THE STRUTS WERE NOT REPLACED AS PART OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL. THE ONLY ELECTRICAL ISSUES I'VE HAD ARE THAT THE ACTUATORS FOR MY HEATING & A/C ARE NOT SWITCHING OVER. BECAUSE OF THIS MY DEFROST AND FRONT VENTS DON'T WORK. I LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE IT IS BELOW FREEZING IN THE WINTER. THE DEFROST NOT WORKING HAS CAUSED SAFETY ISSUES BECAUSE THE WINDOWS WILL FOG UP SUDDENLY WHILE I'M DRIVING. I HAVE TO PULL OVER OFTEN TO SQUEEGEE THE FOG OFF THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOWS SO I CAN SEE WHILE DRIVING. TRIED REPLACING THE PARTS OURSELVES, AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK. I HAVE ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH THE RADIO/ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM. IT RANDOMLY CHANGES BETWEEN BAND, CD, AUX INPUT, SATELLITE RADIO AND USB WITH NO INPUT FROM ME. ALTHOUGH THIS IS MORE OF A NUISANCE THAN A SAFETY ISSUE, I FEAR IT POINTS TO A LARGER ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP FOR THE ACTUATOR AND ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM PROBLEMS AND WAS TOLD THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE, SO THEY CAN'T FIX IT. DOES IT EVERY TIME I DRIVE.

NHTSA ODI 11307706

May 10, 2017Body & structure3 injuries

THE POWER BACK DOOR"HATCH" SLAMS SHUT AFTER OPENING. BE THE POWER ON OR OFF. SOMETIMES IT WILL STAY OPEN OTHER TIMES IT SLAMS SHUT. IT DOESN'T MATTER EVEN IF YOU ARE STANDING THERE. IT HAS SLAMMED SEVERAL TIMES ON MY CHILDRENS' HEADS. I EMAILED BUICK BUT THEY STATED MY CAR WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL BUT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE SAME PROBLEM THE OTHER 2012 BUICK ENCLAVES WERE HAVING.

NHTSA ODI 10984654

Jun 6, 2013Body & structure1 injury

WHEN I EXIT THE VEHICLE AND CLOSE THE DOOR, THE DESIGN OF THE DOOR IS SO IT CUTS MY LEG. I HAVE CUT THE LEG THREE TIMES IN THE ONE YEAR I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE, EACH TIME DRAWING BLOOD THROUGH MATERIAL. THE DOOR IS DESIGNED WHERE THE BOTTOM CORNER PROTRUDES ABOUT THREE INCHES FROM THE STRAIGHT EDGE OF THE DOOR, THE DOOR CURVES OUT. SO WHEN I CLOSE THE DOOR, THAT EDGE EXTENDS PAST THE DOOR AND CUTS MY LEG. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE DOOR AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. I AM TIRED OF SCARING MY LEG. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10515579

Working with the data? Download all 132 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Buick Enclave verdict →