2012 Buick Enclave Problems and Recalls (131 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2012 Buick Enclave is Body / frame (16% of 131 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 131 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2012 Buick Enclave?
21 of 131 filings named Body / frame (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Airbags (18 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2011 has 208 reports on file; this year has 131. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Body / frame 21 complaints · 16.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 9
- Fires 0
- Injuries 25
- 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 21 | 16.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 18 | 13.7% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 14 | 10.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 14 | 10.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 10 | 7.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 9 | 6.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 7 | 5.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 4 | 3.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 3 | 2.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 48 | 36.6% | 2 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 14V118000 was reported 342 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V415000 was reported 754 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V246000 was reported 2,921 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V782000 was reported 3,103 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 12V151000 | |
| 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 Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Body / frame.
-
Recall campaign 12V151000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- IF THIS OCCURS, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.
-
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 131 complaints · page 1 of 6
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving, the vehicle suddenly and without warning experienced a severe, dangerous loss of acceleration. The dashboard immediately displayed a "Reduced Engine Power" warning message along with a "Service StabiliTrak" light, forcing the vehicle into an immediate electronic fail-safe "limp mode." This sudden, drastic reduction in engine power severely restricts the vehicle's ability to maintain safe roadway speeds, accelerate from a stop, or merge safely into traffic, posing an immediate rear-end collision hazard to myself and other motorists. Furthermore, the defect simultaneously disables critical active safety systems by shutting down the StabiliTrak and Traction Control networks. A diagnostic scan revealed code P2138 (Accelerator Pedal Position Sensors 1-2 Correlation Not Plausible). Investigation reveals that this is a widespread, systemic safety defect caused by design flaws in the vehicle's body. Rainwater and moisture from clogged factory sunroof drains or cowl seams leak directly down into the interior cabin wall, pooling into the primary instrument panel-to-body wiring harness block (X218 connector) in the driver's side footwell. This water intrusion causes green corrosion on the delicate pins, short-circuiting the 5-volt reference sensor circuit for the throttle controls while the vehicle is in motion. General Motors is fully aware of this exact defect and has documented it internally via Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) #10-00-89-017H (and related GM TSBs). Because this defect causes unexpected, immediate engine failure and disables traction safety networks while driving, it constitutes a severe safety hazard that should be escalated to a mandatory safety recall.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While sitting at a traffic light my engine runs rough, then it dies
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Transmission needs replacing
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Fuel pump, throttle body, and High pressure fuel pump. Car makes door lock noises and’s completely cuts off while driving over 20 times now on highway and all. Have gotten several things repaired in addition to these listed things and after repairing car works fine for a few months then needing to be replaced again. No codes are being given other then abs, traction control warning and stabilitrak
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Steering wheel airbag warning. Seat belts fraying. The underneath welding for the support bar, potentially the rear axel, came unwelded.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The tailgate lifts up and then slams down violently
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My car has shut off multiple times , electrical shorts, intermittent no start, intermittent misfires all the time but randomly , injector codes even when replaced and injectors are good , yes come check out my vehicle no shops can find out what's the problem practically the whole front end has been replaced and problems still happening it is congruent with a recall but shows nothing from vin
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When pulling onto a county road with traffic the transmission kept slipping and the engine would rev higher. It took a lot longer to get up to speed and the cars behind me had to brake quickly.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Driving along and engine power reduced causing car to slow significantly - like downshifting two gears. Lights / traction control lights came on dash. Errors flashed - "Traction Control Off", "Service Stabilitrak", "Engine Power Reduced" All of this not only caused a slight bit of confusion, but placed us in danger with the flow of traffic. A repair shop replaced the gas pedal, however issue persists. Research indicates the throttle body sensor might be at fault - so we replaced this. Issue persisted, so I spent time online and found a GM TSB indicating a known issue and extending the warranty 10 years or 120K miles for P2138 Code. At this point, this issue persists intermittently, so we do not consider the vehicle safe to drive.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2012 Buick Enclave?
Owners named Body / frame most often — 21 of 131 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2012 Buick Enclave?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, 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 2012 Buick Enclave?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. 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.