FaultScore

Buick Enclave headlight problems

41 of the 3,307 complaints filed about the Buick Enclave are about the lighting — 1% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2013.

41

Complaints

1%

Share of all complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

Lights complaints by model year

2008 Enclave 5 12.2%

Median failure at 70,670 miles

2009 Enclave 2 4.9%

Median failure at 111,384 miles

2010 Enclave 1 2.4%

Median failure at 41,000 miles

2011 Enclave 4 9.8%

Median failure at 80,000 miles

2012 Enclave 1 2.4%

Median failure at 12,000 miles

2013 Enclave 6 14.6%

Median failure at 50,000 miles

2014 Enclave 4 9.8%

Median failure at 74,785 miles

2015 Enclave 5 12.2%

Median failure at 45,100 miles

2017 Enclave 2 4.9%
2018 Enclave 2 4.9%
2022 Enclave 3 7.3%

Median failure at 29,000 miles

2023 Enclave 6 14.6%

What owners said

2023 Buick Enclave The Villages, FL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The driver side headlight was working and then it wasn't. A very costly expense to replace.

NHTSA complaint #11753256 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Buick Enclave Sebring, FL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Right-side LED headlight assembly failed at under 3 years and ~55,000 miles. Dealer states the sealed LED unit is non-serviceable and must be replaced as a complete assembly, quoted at ~$1,450. LED headlights are rated for tens of thousands of hours and are marketed to last the life of the vehicle; this failed at a small fraction of rated life. Other 2023 Enclave owners report the same right-side failure at similar low age/mileage, suggesting a recurring defect.

NHTSA complaint #11743284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Buick Enclave San Diego, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

My vehicle has begun all us sudden flickering headlights from low beams to high beam when driving and also it ay the airbag safety light turn on with the locks also doing a closing and opening while driving.

NHTSA complaint #11706354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Buick Enclave Sunrise, FL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The headlights continously and irregularly flicker between high and low beam while driving at night. I have no control over it and cannot turn off the high beams when they activate. This is highly annoying to drivers ahead me, as they believe I am trying to get their attention (or be obnoxious). In these times and the legalization of open carry weapons in the state of Florida, this can be highly dangerous if the wrong person is aggravated by unintentional signaling. I have already had issues on the road with drivers not happy with the high beam flicking on and off at them while driving on the road. They have become very aggressive, following, slowing down, honking at me because they think I am being impatient or trying to tell them someting is wrong. I spent $2000 in January 2025 trying to get this fixed and it has started (December 2025) happening again.

NHTSA complaint #11704524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Buick Enclave Ridgeway, SC

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I have been the owner of this vehicle almost 6 months. My headlights and brake lights do not currently work because of what was diagnosed as electrical failure at the Buick dealership. There are no warranties for this issue specifically aside from the 36,000/3 year warranty which is expired. The dealership mechanics don’t know how to fix this issue and informed me it could be thousands. It poses an extreme safety risk and prevents me from being able to drive my car at any point requiring headlights. I’ve been given a warning from an officer as to my lights being out as it gets dark around 5-5:30 pm. This vehicle hasn’t been altered in any way and has all original manufacturer parts. It has not been wrecked or in any minor or major accident. I am stuck with a “LEMON” but in the state of SC my vehicle doesn’t qualify. This vehicle has 70k miles. I am the 3rd owner. Buick indicated that these model enclaves have been known to have headlight issues. I do not have an alternative vehicle. I have children. I have responsibilities. I cannot go without a safe vehicle and currently I’m unable to use my vehicle for the purpose it’s intended because of this issue. I need a replacement vehicle if this is not a repairable issue. I also cannot get new financing as this vehicle has only been financed for 6 months.

NHTSA complaint #11697817 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Buick Enclave Stockton, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Headlight on right side failure - no light. AI shows a recall for this problem, but my vin was not listed. Notice also states 2022, 2023, and 2024 vehicles. It should be as car was only 2 years 10 months old with about 42000 miles. GM has the part now. Dealer inspected the car. Light had less then 750 hours on it; references say average light should last 20,000 hours. An obvious defect. Only noticed failure due to a neighbor seeing it. We drive mostly in the day due to age. Car is used only to go to work. Car has auto headlights, and they do not operate during daylight when we drive.

NHTSA complaint #11695839 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Buick Enclave Indianapolis, IN Crash

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I had storm damage to my vehicle and needed the front headlight replaced. This was a insurance claim and it went to a local body shop as well as a GM Dealership trying to fix the problem. My vehicle is equipped with Adaptive Forwarding Headlights that turn with my steering wheel. Once my headlight was replaced this feature cannot work again. This feature is what holds my headlights in alignment with a module behind the headlight. GM is aware of this issue, and they cannot fix it. Now I have headlights that will not stay in place. The GM dealership said it cannot set my headlights the proper way due to the feature not working now. GM owned the issue; told us their engineers are working to find a fix however it has been years and every Enclave that needs a new headlight loses the feature they can't fix. I bought this car for the adaptive headlight feature to help me see at night and now I'm stuck with a vehicle I don't even want because GM can't fix their own product. It is not fair, and I can't see at night at all now due to my headlight pointing at the ground. Safety is a huge issue. GM needs to recall and fix their Enclaves or any other vehicles they make that have Adaptive Forward Assistant Headlights.

NHTSA complaint #11694298 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Buick Enclave at 29,000 miles Estero, FL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS:BULBS

The contact owns a 2022 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the daytime running lights failed to function as intended. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that occasionally, while shifted into reverse, the rearview camera failed to display an image as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not identified. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.

NHTSA complaint #11683832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Buick Enclave La Habra, CA Crash

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

2023 Buick Enclave Ramsey, MN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

at early evening my lights do not come on when the rest of the cars lights are on and mine don`t come on till later i see canada is haveing a re call on this problem .i stop at buick they said that nothing could be done. thank you [XXX] email [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11570812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Buick Enclave Loudonville, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The headlights on our 2023 Buick Enclave do not provide nearly enough light at night. If you shine the lights up against a wall at night they seem bright but they do not seem to light up the area directly in front of the car. When driving on a road without streetlights at night I barely feel like my headlights are on. It’s so bad that I am concerned that if a person or an animal stepped out in front of my car I wouldn’t be able to see it in time to avoid it. I brought the car into the dealer today and they actually found that both headlights need to be raised 11-12 inches (they were completely shocked). This is very odd for a new car with only 5k miles. Unfortunately, raising the headlight did not add more light in front of the car at night. I think the issue is caused by the headlights not only being very small but also because they are very low on the car. Also, the headlights are below the grill and the running lights are on the hood. I believe this could be a design flaw that is also a safety hazard. A mechanic at the dealer also agreed with me that in general the lights are very dim. If you drive this model car at night on a road with no street lights I bet you will come to the same conclusion. Attached is the invoice from today that shows the headlights had to be raised. I told the dealer that they should pull another enclave off their lot and see if the issue is only present in my car or if the headlights on other enclaves need to be raised.

NHTSA complaint #11560366 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Buick Enclave Berthoud, CO

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The vehicles low beams fail to properly illuminate the road, and create a significant blind spot in your vision. We bought a brand new 2023 Buick Enclave and noticed on the first night drive that the vehicles lighting has a very large blind spot where it fails to properly illuminate the road. When switching too high beams the blind spot is diminished but not eliminated. We immediately took the vehicle back to the dealer where they adjusted the lights. However, all that they accomplished was to move the blind spot more central to the vehicle. When traveling up or down hills the lighting problem changes. When traveling up a hill the blind spot is moved closer to the vehicle creating a larger hazard. Traveling down hill the lighting blind spot is moved a bit further out. This is truly a very big safety concern especially when around pedestrians at night as it is nearly impossible to seem them until the very last second. The lighting problem and safety is worse when traveling at higher speeds as you have no time react when things suddenly appear from a blind spot in the vehicles head lights. I have attached several pictures. Please get in contact with me if you have further questions. All attached photos have been taken with an iPhone 13 and have no visual enhancements.

NHTSA complaint #11532563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Buick Enclave Roseboro, NC

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

First incidence was 11/22/2018 headlights did not function nor did taillights. Manually turned them on; yet was pulled by Ga sheriff for no headlights, who escorted me to my hotel. Put car in the shop on 11/24/2018 for diagnostics. Nothing found. Lights have continuously malfunctioned for the last six years and the vehicle has been in the shop & the problem can't be reproduced! The issue has become worse to the point the lights will not always come on when manually turned on & they will go out. There are no warning lamps or messages until this last time when we were almost killed on Lookout Mountain in Al, on 5/9/2023. It was 7:23pm it was raining & the headlights went out, as did the dash lights & OnStar. This stretch of mountain is known as "Joe's Truck Stop;" because so many 18 wheelers have wrecked on this stretch of road. At the first pullover I stopped, cut car off, then restarted it & a message error was on the screen. The lights came on automatically, OnStar restarted & everything worked fine. I had just had the vehicle in my local dealership for the same issue & had it inspected, & no issues were found! This is why I don't drive this vehicle after dark & why it only has 18,000+ miles on it. I paid over $45,000 for a vehicle I can't enjoy & I could be killed & no one would know why; therefore, if I don't get some answers I'm going public. My Buick Enclave can't be the only one with this malfunction.

NHTSA complaint #11524069 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Buick Enclave Pineville, NC

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

There has been a considerable dimming of car’s headlights over the past 6 months. Visibility at night is very low, and I usually have to use my high beams to see while driving at night. The cost to replace headlights is astronomical and requires mechanic to fix (very complicated process that requires significant amount of dismantling of the vehicle). Concerned this is a recipe for disaster as many people affected by similar issue will be unable to afford the cost of changing headlights that really shouldn’t be this dim to start with.

NHTSA complaint #11502163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2014 Buick Enclave at 85,000 miles Clovis, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON RANDOMLY - AIRBAGS, CHECK ENGINE, ABS. THEY WILL LIGHT DURING DRIVE TIME, THEN BLINK OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. INSTRUMENT LIGHTING MAY OR MAY NOT LIGHT WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED, AND INSTRUMENT CONSOLE AND/OR ENTERTAINMENT CONSOLE WILL NOT FUNCTION WHEN UNLIT. AGAIN, THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY, AND OFTEN RESOLVES JUST AS RANDOMLY. HAVE HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED BY DEALER WITHOUT ANY ISSUES IDENTIFIED. ISSUES HAVE BEEN ONGOING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THEY CAN OCCUR WITHOUT REGARD TO VEHICLE BEING IN MOTION.

NHTSA complaint #11399749 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2009 Buick Enclave at 112,769 miles Massena Springs, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION WHILE DRIVING. THERE WERE SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED AT THE RESIDENCE, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS WERE FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GREENS AUTO REPAIR (23 E ORVIS ST, MASSENA, NY 13662, (315) 514-1282) TO BE DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE RESULT WAS STILL PENDING. THE VEHICLE REPAIR WAS STARTED BUT NOT YET COMPLETED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 112,769. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint #11373464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2014 Buick Enclave at 38,545 miles Idaho Falls, ID

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A BUSY CITY STREET, BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. IT SCARED ME TO DEATH. I QUICKLY SWITCHED THE LIGHTS FROM AUTO TO MANUAL AND THEY CAME BACK ON. WITHIN SECONDS, HOWEVER, THEY WENT OFF, AGAIN AND DID NOT COME BACK ON. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT VERY FRIGHTENED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THEY REMOVED THE BULB AND BALLAST, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT APPARATUS HAD WARPED BY OVERHEATING. THIS WAS THE SAME ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS. I WAS TOLD THE COST TO REPAIR WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $2,800 FOR PARTS, PLUS LABOR. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE PROBLEM. IT IS CLEAR THE PROBLEM IS A DEFECT, RATHER THAN A MATTER OF REASONABLE WEAR AND USE. I HAVE SEEN THAT OTHER IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN LODGED WITH THE NHTSA. ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON-LINE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL WHO MAY BE DRIVING THIS MAKE AND MODEL, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT A RECALL ORDER BE ISSUED.

NHTSA complaint #11354819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2011 Buick Enclave West Chicago, IL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE POWER LIFTGATE DOOR OPENS 75% OF THE WAY WHEN I PUSH BUTTON OR MANUALLY BUT THEN STARTS TO CLOSES AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN HIT BY THE DOOR SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY DUE TO DOOR CLOSING. ALSO DAY LIGHT ON PASSENGER FRONT GOES ON AND OFF. IT WILL WORK FOR A FEW DAYS THEN NOT WORK FOR WEEKS. HAVE HAD LIGHT BULB REPLACED AND CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.

NHTSA complaint #11321320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Buick Enclave at 95,000 miles Vanderbilt, MI

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

AIR BAG AND SIDE DECTION LIGHTS BLINK DON'T WORK AND HEADLIGHT DON'T WORK AND CAR STOPS RUNNING WIPERS ONLY WORK ON HIGH WATER POURS ON MY FOOT WHEN IT RAINS HAS TO IN TO SHOP AGAIN TOMMROW GAYLORD MICH

NHTSA complaint #11299292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2008 Buick Enclave Blackshear, GA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

BLACK MOLD FOUND IN VEHICLE, RAIN LEAKED THRU SUNROOF, FOUND FLOOR BOARDS SOAKED IN WATER, MOLD AND MOISTURE PRESENT ON THE DASH, SEATS, AIR CONDITIONING VENTS, AND ALL OVER THE INTERIOR. BACK DOOR LIFTGATE DOESN'T WORK. WAS NOT INFORMED BY SELLER OF HEALTH DANGERS OF THIS VEHICLE, NOR DID HE INFORM US THAT IT HAD BEEN WRECKED BEFORE.

NHTSA complaint #11296772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Buick Enclave problems