Home · 2012 Buick Enclave · Complaints

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)

2 of 132 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

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

Jan 29, 2019Electrical system1 injury

POWER LIFTGATE IS NOT WORKING. IT COLLAPSED ON MY WIFES BACK AFTER SHE HAD OPENED IT TO GET GROCERIES.

NHTSA ODI 11172961

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 →