2010 Buick Enclave Problems: Steering (272 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2010 Buick Enclave is Steering (42% of 272 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 272 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2010 Buick Enclave?
114 of 272 filings named Steering (42% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (54 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2009 has 218 reports on file; this year has 272. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Steering 114 complaints · 41.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 5
- Fires 1
- Injuries 6
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 114 | 41.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 54 | 19.9% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 25 | 9.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 17 | 6.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 7 | 2.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 7 | 2.6% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 6 | 2.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 5 | 1.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 4 | 1.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 42 | 15.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 15V415000 was reported 688 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V246000 was reported 2,446 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V782000 was reported 2,628 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V375000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V118000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V266000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V415000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V246000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V782000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ19003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA20002 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags and Body / frame.
-
Recall campaign 10V375000
Safety recall 10V375000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT AS INTENDED DURING A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELDS. IF A SAFETY BELT BUCKLE IS DAMAGED, DEALERS WILL REPLACE IT FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 14V118000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
-
Recall campaign 14V266000
Safety recall 14V266000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
- Remedy:
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
-
Recall campaign 15V415000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
-
Recall campaign 21V246000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
-
Recall campaign 21V782000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212349040.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 10 of 272 complaints · page 1 of 11
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I am filing this safety complaint regarding a sudden and dangerous engine failure in a 2010 Buick Enclave CXL purchased from Frankfort Car Outlet on 8/25/2025. On 10/25/2025, while driving on the expressway, the engine suddenly began knocking, lost power, and stalled. This created a serious safety risk to myself and other drivers. The failure occurred only 60 days after purchase and approximately 2,000 miles later, suggesting a pre-existing internal defect that the dealership did not disclose. The dealership has refused to inspect the vehicle, acknowledge the safety risk, or assist in any way. This type of sudden engine failure could pose a serious hazard if similar vehicles have the same issue, and I believe NHTSA should be aware of the potential risk.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The engine and fuel pump system failed while driving the vehicle. It is available upon request to inspect. I just towed it to the shop today on 10/22/25 to get a full inspection. My sister and I were put at risk while driving towards a hill in San Francisco. It was on a busy main road when suddenly the vehicle began to jerk and thud back and forth. While I pushed the gas pedal, I began to question why the vehicle was suddenly reacting this way. In efforts to pull over to the side, a huge smoke fog began to come out of the exhaust pipe. As I tried to reach the curb the car didn’t want to move any further as I pushed on the gas. I put it in park and called the tow truck (receipts below) while there were cars passing me by almost causing an accident. I have looked online to see if there was a problem or recall with this vehicle having the same issue I was having. Come to find out there was a recall issued for certain vehicles only, with the same issue as my vehicle. The vehicle was taken into a local auto shop, where they diagnosed it and inspected it. The reports show it has the same exact issues with the car as those that were recalled. No there were not any warning signs nor failure signals. Due to this reason, I was completely caught off guard.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I purchased a 2010 Buick Enclave from a dealer who did not disclose any major issues with the vehicle. After purchase, I began experiencing significant problems while driving, including difficulty shifting, loss of power, and unstable handling. Concerned for my safety, I took the Buick to a mechanic for inspection. The mechanic verified that: •The wrong transmission had been installed in the vehicle, causing unsafe shifting and performance issues. •The driveshaft was malfunctioning, which affects the stability and control of the SUV. •No warning or check engine lights were on •CV axel bolts were zip tied closed Because of these defects, the mechanic told me the vehicle is not safe to drive. These problems were never disclosed to me at the time of sale, and I would not have purchased the vehicle had I known.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The timing chain broke and my transmission needs to be replaced.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Bad timing chain at 141,000 miles
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The engine was built with the same components as the 2008/2009 models and they have been recalled, the oil drains out of the engine rapidly and causes engine to seize and had to be replaced.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Car was running just fine had its oil changed new tires added and it just stopped running. Got it checked with a car technician and he stated it’s the engine.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE LOCKS ON THE DOORS WILL SUDDENLY LOCK, UNLOCK, LOCK AND UNLOCK. AFTER THAT THE ENGINE SLOWS WAY DOWN LOSING POWER, THEN IT WILL BE OKAY TO GIVE IT MORE GAS AND IT SPEEDS UP. THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES THIS HAPPENED, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER AND STAHLED.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When the driver seat is moved the service air bag light comes on. When you move the seat again the light goes off.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2010 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact stated that the ECM warning light had remained illuminated. Additionally, there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered water and mold under the carpet and electrical components submerged in the water. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,000.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2010 Buick Enclave?
Owners named Steering most often — 114 of 272 reports (42%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2010 Buick Enclave?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2010 Buick Enclave?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.