2013 Buick Enclave
The Verdict
The 2013 Buick Enclave has 68 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (21 complaints) and body (20 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 82/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Buick Enclave, consider the 2024 model year which has 89% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2024 has 89% fewer complaints
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Klunk Score: Smooth Ride
This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
No first gear. Engine stalls if car is brought to a halt. On take off, car will stall if given too much throttle. If able to roll from dead stop, it will jerk and hesitate as if in too high of gear or dragging clutch.
Steering wheel is so stiff it over works my arms and shoulder muscles burn it hard to turn literally feels as if the wheels is kind of bumping the frame 5 days steering wheel started to make a weird noise that is now persistent and sounds like a rubbing rubber sound and I have been getting electric shock every time I’m getting out the car and go to close the door since this started making a static like electric sound in the dash over my steering wheel they all at the same time on the same day February 4,2026 scared my car might catch fire
The contact owns a 2013 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.
Check engine light illuminated due to transmission clutch not being adequate in manufacturing. Transmission causes motor to shudder due to clutches slipping. Whether in automatic or manual, when accelerating in low RPM, the entire car begins to shudder instead of downshifting. Transmission has been replaced twice, with no corrections. Happens every time the car is driven.
You will just be driving down the road and then get the check engine light, engine power reduced, traction control off, and service stabilitrak warning on the dash board. You can be going 60 and it will just shut down with no warning. It's been to the shop 3 times and the issue is still unresolved. This is highly dangerous and could cause an accident
This vehicle should have a recall on the transmission upon review the recall numbers NHTSA Recall ID: 14V092000 and NHTSA Recall ID: 09V073000 are not showing up in the system as recalls on the 2013 model. I purchased this vehicle used from a private owner. In April of 2023 the transmission went out without any warning a major expense not to mention the trauma from being stranded on the highway. The repair at that time was not under a recall even though several other Buick Enclaves failed at the same time. Present November 2023 upon returning home from a road trip the vehicle showed the inability to shirt failed to shift into the proper gear NHTSA Recall ID: 14V092000 . Vehicle was towed to a local shop for diagnosis this is very irritating and upon calling was told that recall did not apply to my vehicle. PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY NOT !
I originally did front end collision repairs on this GM vehicle and I had to originally replace the front passenger seatbelt. I went through 3 apparent good used ones for replacement and all of them have had their fair share of difference from acting up. One of them seemed to work but every now and then the airbag light would come on due to seatbelt. Replaced it with another and frequently the airbag light would come off and on than the last one installed. The 3rd replacement seems to work but airbag light would come on again, not as frequent and would only shut off if seatbelt is pulled and retracted purposely by hand. I am not seeing a short or a wire problem but the seatbelt is not working properly and I believe GM has failed to produce quality front passenger seatbelts. Even all three of the seatbelt would not fully retract on their own without pushing it in by hand.
Ac issue causing it hot to be in vehicle in this hot drought we are in. Ac blows hot indicating that there is a leak in the system of Freon. This needs to be fixed as I was researching I found many others complaint of the same year 2013 Buick enclave having the same issue. In the south it is too hot and not safe for anyone to be in a vehicle with out a working ac and costly to find issues to fix the entirety of the ac in a vehicle to fix. Please help!
My 2013 Buick Enclave transmission needed to be rebuilt after only 140,000 miles. While my cars transmission was being repaired there were 5 other Buick Enclaves being rebuilt as well. The internet shows that it is the number 1 car issue in Buick Enclaves. There needs to be some kind of recall for this issue. There is no reason that a transmission should be rebuilt on so many Enclaves.
Engine stalled multiple times while driving. Fuse box under hood loose and threw a code P1682. Only threw code once. No other warnings. Engine just cuts off with power til to dash and other dash components.
Vehicle has been to GM dealership many times for problems related to reduced engine power, stabilitrack, and traction control issues. Dealer replaced relay switches, problem appeared to be fixed. While driving on a busy road, engine power reduced, stabilitrack, and traction control warnings illuminated. Car reduced speed nearly causing an accident while driving and power steering failed. Police needed to help remove car from roadway. ECM replaced, appeared fixed for awhile. While driving on Highway 54, same warnings illuminated and car slowed itself from 60mph to under 30mph. Numerous complaints can be found about the 2013 Buick Enclave and other years and this problem. I believe it will cause an accident and kill someone one day, if it hasn't already. Class action suit was even filed, and unfortunately dismissed. I'm afraid to drive my car. It is at the dealership AGAIN and we've only owned it since February 2022.
Hard to turn steering wheel when braking, parking, and completely stopped. No leaks and fluid is full.
Brake seemed as if it had a sound when purchased but dealership said it was inspected. I now find that it leaks fluid and I spent over $600 to replace the pump. Now as the dealership was diagnosing and repairing a separate issue they've notified me that there is a failed steering rack. The power steering rack repair is estimated to be $2,000. As this is a definite safety issue I am reporting in hopes of Buick assisting with this known failure. Invoice to be uploaded when repair is completed.
AFTER ANY AMOUNT OF RAIN, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHUT OFF AFTER TURNING THE KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND REMOVING THE KEYS. THE VEHICLES DASH LIGHTS ALL GO OFF WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT". THE VEHICLE REMAINS RUNNING. I HAVE TO PULL A FUSE TO GET IT TO SHUT OFF. THEN, THE NEXT MORNING I HAVE TO JUMP IT TO GET IT TO START.
TRANSMISSION SHUDDER 2 ND GEAR MAYBE BAD WAVE PLATE DUV IS IN MOTION TO NOTICE SHUDDER AT 20 TO 30 MPH CAR IS 94.000 MILES
AT 77,136 MILES, ENGINE OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. CAR TOWED, RADIATOR REPLACED. AT 126,700 MILES, WHILE IDLING, CAR OVERHEATED. DRIVER PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF ENGINE X 30 MINUTES. DROVE 1.5 MI WHEN CAR BEGAN SPUTTERING, BEEPING, AND SMOKING. CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. REQUIRED NEW RADIATOR, WATER PUMP AND ENGINE BLOCK.
AUTOMATIC LIFT GATE LIFTS UP JUST FINE AND AS YOUR PUTTING STUFF IN THE HATCH IT COLLAPSES ON TOP OF YOU
IT KEEPS HAPPENING. THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE YEAR. NO SERVICE CODE TO REPAIR!!! TO FIX WE KEEP DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY AND RECONNECTING WHY IS THIS A RECALL ON SOME MODELS AND NOT ON OTHERS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ALPINE BUICK GMC 8120 W TUFTS AVE, DENVER, CO 80123 TO HAVE THE LIGHT TURNED OFF HOWEVER, THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ONE DAY WHILE REVERSING FROM THE DRIVEWAY, THE POWER STEERING CEASED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE HIT A TREE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND THERE WAS NOT A POLICE REPORT FILED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY AT THE SAME DEALER BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO AN ABNORMAL NOISE THAT WAS HEARD EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,515.
MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED. FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. THEY WOULD ONLY ENGAGE WHEN YOU USED THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL. NO OTHER FUNCTION OF THE WIPER MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WOULD WORK. THIS LEFT NO WIPER FUNCTIONALITY UNLESS YOU TURNED RIGHT FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE INTERMITTENT FUNCTION AND FRONT WINDSHIELD CLEANER BUTTON DID NOT FUNCTION. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY DURING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN MAKING VISIBILITY LITTLE TO NONE UNLESS THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS PHYSICALLY ENGAGED. THIS CONTINUED THROUGH CITY STREETS, TURNING, AND THEN STATIONARY AT A COMPLETE STOP WHERE IT QUIT FUNCTIONING ALL TOGETHER. ALL FUSES TESTED AND CHECKED AND NO FAULTS WERE REPORTED ON THE DRIVER DISPLAY OR FROM OBD CHECK. UPON REPLACEMENT OF MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH (HIGH BEAM, TURN SIGNAL, WIPER SWITCH) IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE 4 PIN WIRE HARNESS (BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW, ORANGE) THAT IS SOLDERED TO THE PCB BOARD HAS ONLY ONE SPOT OF PROTECTION ELECTRICAL TAPE ON THE BACK OF THE UNIT.. AS THE WIRES ROUTE THROUGH THE PLASTIC HOUSING TO THE TURN SIGNAL MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH THEY ARE SUBJECT TO WEAR AND BECOMING SNAGGED BY NORMAL USE OF THE TURN SIGNAL OR HIGH BEAMS. HAVING ZERO PROTECTION OVER THIS WIRING CAUSED THE ORANGE WIRE TO BECOME BRITTLE AND BREAK AWAY FROM THE MODULE. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO HAVE NO WIRE GROMMET PROTECTING SUCH A CRITICAL MOVING PART OF THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONALITY. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS WAS A CHEAP DESIGN WITH LITTLE TO NO OVERSIGHT. ALL OTHER PLASTIC HOUSING , COPPER CONTACT POINTS AND MOVING PARTS WERE CLEAN AND FREE OF DEBRIS AND HAD SUFFICIENT GREASE TO MOVE PROPERLY. THIS IS A VERY SIMILAR PROBLEM TO COMPLAINT # 14V266000 WHERE MOVING PARTS HAVE CLEARLY NOT HAD PROPER PROTECTION AROUND WIRING OR WIRE HARNESSES.
68 total