178 of the
3,307 complaints filed about the Buick Enclave
are about the body and structure —
5% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2008.
I am submitting this complaint regarding a paint defect on my 2020 Buick Enclave. The passenger-side rear door has significant top-coat peeling and flaking, exposing the primer and metal underneath. This deterioration is not normal wear for a six-year-old vehicle that has been properly maintained and protected from environmental conditions. The pattern of peeling indicates a failure of the top coat or clear coat applied during manufacturing. The paint layers are separating prematurely, reducing corrosion protection and long-term durability. Exposed metal increases the risk of rust, structural weakening, and potential failure of the door panel, which may affect occupant safety in the event of a collision. I am aware that similar paint adhesion failures have been reported across multiple General Motors vehicles, and class-action lawsuits are currently pending alleging defective basecoat and clearcoat systems that cause premature peeling, bubbling, and flaking. The number of complaints suggests a broader manufacturing issue rather than isolated consumer misuse. Although my vehicle’s limited warranty has expired, the defect is clearly premature and manufacturing-related. A properly applied top coat should not fail this early, especially on a vehicle that has been routinely washed, waxed, and stored in normal conditions. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this issue and consider opening an investigation into paint top-coat failures on Buick and other GM vehicles. Premature paint failure affects corrosion resistance, vehicle longevity, and consumer value, and may compromise the safety of occupants and other drivers if corrosion spreads or structural integrity is reduced. I am willing to provide photographs, documentation, and maintenance records to support this complaint. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your commitment to consumer safety and manufacturing accountability.
NHTSA complaint #11748311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 backorder since April 20, 2026. Multiple user forums report a plethora of other individuals experiencing the same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11744102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
> Failed component is the front sun roof window > The shattering of the glass sounded like a bullet coming through the roof of the car. Sprayed me with glass from the implosion. I was in heavy rush hour traffic. >There are several complaints about the sun roof window just shattering. > Not at this time. >No warning or cracks in the sun roof were observed. > I was driving on the Highway at 60 mph and the front sun roof window just shattered and sprayed me with glass.
NHTSA complaint #11723536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start intermittently. The contact stated that upon attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact stated that her husband, who was a mechanic, had inspected underneath the hood and noticed that the wiring harness underneath the engine was melting. The contact's husband scanned the vehicle with a vehicle scanner and retrieved diagnostic trouble codes that indicated a computer module failure. The contact's husband purchased the module, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the module was installed and flashed; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact's husband diagnosed that the wiring harness failure had caused the battery to overcharge and fail. The contact's husband replaced the battery and the alternator; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the liftgate struts had failed, causing the lift gate to close unintendedly after being lifted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
NHTSA complaint #11662645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and hesitated while attempting to accelerate and depressing the accelerator pedal. During the failure, the check engine warning light momentarily illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Additionally, while opening the rear liftgate door, there was a clicking sound coming from the driver's side rear liftgate door strut. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V415000 (STRUCTURE). The failure mileage was 118,000.
NHTSA complaint #11645043 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Blind spot is extremely large between the front windshield and side windows, because of the enlarged side view mirror housing. Entire vehicles and people can dissappear into these spots rendering them invisible to proceeding motorist.
NHTSA complaint #11577838 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that water was leaking into the engine compartment and the passenger side foot well, causing the vehicle to not start. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 08-08-57-003D for (Seal Seam) (Structure). The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
NHTSA complaint #11577553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Due to an inability of the Buick auto manufacturers to provide parts to my 2022 Enclave, after becoming disabled to drive in auto accident..since November 27th, enduring a 3 month wait with rental car fees, and emotional stress strickly because unable to obtain parts! How does a company sell a car without the ability to pro ide ANY customer service in a timely manner.. I've made 4 car payments with no car..I purchased a Buick with the expectation of quality service..
NHTSA complaint #11574072 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 38,000 miles. From reading other Buick forums to try and figure out what the cause is, it sounds like it’s a somewhat common occurrence. It’s alarming that it can open while the vehicle is locked.
NHTSA complaint #11573738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed that water was leaking inside the vehicle through the sunroof. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that there were several unknown point of entry of water, and mold had developed in the parts of the vehicle that were mostly affected by the water intrusion. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical failures due to water damage. The contact stated that the windshield wipers were operating erratically and other unknown electrical parts had failed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,000.
NHTSA complaint #11549417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
8am, Stopped at intersection. Light traffic. Green light, increased speed to 15 mph, turning left and sunroof explodes. Luckily inside shade cover was closed so no glass was able to come down.
NHTSA complaint #11528631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Purchased new, dealer twice during warranty kept vehicle for 6 weeks to do recall notice repairs. Now this 2010 has 42,000 miles and the steering is going bad. SB10056459-3388 describes the exact problem. During these two periods that recall repairs were done that should have addressed the problem even though the problem had not surfaced yet. This was a wear condition i was never informed of. It is getting worse now.
NHTSA complaint #11528361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 complaint #11526006 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while placing groceries into his vehicle, an abnormal noise began to emit from the rear liftgate. As the contact moved out of the way, the liftgate slammed down independently without warning. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V415000 (Structure) which he linked to the failure. The contact called the manufacturer and he was informed that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The contact was then referred to a dealer for assistance. The dealer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11468393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact stated upon pressing the liftgate power button to open the liftgate, the liftgate partially opened and rapidly closed on her. The contact's husband who was standing nearby, held the liftgate manually until she was able to remove herself out of the path of the liftgate. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring and she had to manually open and hold the liftgate open. The contact stated that the software update for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit was previously completed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V415000 (Structure) which she associated to the failure. The local dealer was contacted and an appointment was scheduled for repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the recall had been closed. A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
NHTSA complaint #11462114 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, he would hear loud abnormal rattling and ticking sounds coming from the corner between the front passenger’s side and the windshield. There were no warnings lights were illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000.
NHTSA complaint #11439890 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.