2017 Buick Enclave Problems: Airbags (179 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2017 Buick Enclave is Airbags (78% of 179 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 179 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2017 Buick Enclave?

140 of 179 filings named Airbags (78% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Cruise / speed control (5 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2016 has 141 reports on file; this year has 179. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2017 Buick Enclave

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 3 campaigns on file below.
  2. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  3. Cruise / speed control. Test cruise control and ask about unintended-acceleration reports on this year.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Airbags. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Airbags 140 complaints · 78.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 6
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 6
  • Deaths 0
All Buick Enclave years →
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.

Which systems owners named Airbags (AIR BAGS) appears in 140 of 179 owner complaints (78.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. Airbags (AIR BAGS): 140 complaints, 78.2% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 140 · 78.2% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 5 complaints, 2.8% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 · 2.8% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 4 complaints, 2.2% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 · 2.2% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 3 complaints, 1.7% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 · 1.7% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 3 complaints, 1.7% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 2 crash reports 3 · 1.7% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 3 complaints, 1.7% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 3 · 1.7% Steering (STEERING): 2 complaints, 1.1% of reports Steering (STEERING) 2 · 1.1% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 2 complaints, 1.1% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 2 · 1.1% Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION): 1 complaints, 0.6% of reports Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 1 · 0.6% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 18 complaints, 10.1% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 18 · 10.1% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 140 78.2% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 2.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 2.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 1.7% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 3 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 2 1.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 2 1.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 1 0.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 18 10.1% 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2017; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2021. 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2023-Q3: 31 owner reports 31 2023-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2024-Q1: 24 owner reports 24 2024-Q2: 36 owner reports 36 2024-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2024-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2017 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 21V246000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V246000 Recall campaign 21V782000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V782000 Recall campaign 23V334000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V334000
  • Campaign 21V246000 was reported 345 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V782000 was reported 527 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V334000 was reported 1,107 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 3
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 3
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 3
2023-Q2 Owner reports 9
2023-Q3 Owner reports 31
2023-Q4 Owner reports 18
2024-Q1 Owner reports 24
2024-Q2 Owner reports 36
2024-Q3 Owner reports 21
2024-Q4 Owner reports 5
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 4
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 21V246000
Recall campaign 1 21V782000
Recall campaign 1 23V334000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

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.

  1. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 23V334000

    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. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 7 of 179 complaints · page 1 of 8
2026-08-06Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11755312
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The door locks independently latched and unlatched. In addition, the traction control error message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with wiring harness failure. The contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The contact was informed that the failure was associated with a power steering fluid leak. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
2026-05-15Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11738188
CrashFireInjuryDeath
We keep getting notifications that our 16 yr/old daughters car has an airbag safety recall with communication on it about how "quick" and "easy" it is to have the airbag recall repaired but it is ALL LIES! We have been waiting almost 1 year and the dealerships still can't get a replacement airbag from the manufacturer 's to do said replacement. This is insane and unethical. They are playing with people's lives knowing full well that the average consumer can't fix this or just go buy a new car. I want justice!
2026-03-19Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11725463
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to have the vehicle serviced at the dealer, but services were declined. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 92,000, and at the time of obtaining a Carfax report, it was discovered that the mileage was 95,015. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for service, but was not repaired. The State Attorney General was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided.
2026-03-11Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11723536
CrashFireInjuryDeath
> 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.
2026-02-15SUSPENSION
NHTSA ODI 11718078
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Shortly after purchasing my 2017 enclave premium around 60000 I noticed a problem that felt like vehicle's tires were skipping when making sharp turns. Upon my own extensive research (as I didn’t have time money and couldn’t go won’t vehicle) discovered a clutch pack needed replaced. This is after replacing the battery and brakes nit even a month after buying. Later after taking it for an oil change I received a report stating the rear differential was cracked and power steering rack needed replaced. While driving in rush hour traffic one day all power steering was lost with no explanation. Still having problems with tire pressure monitor replacing multiple tire stems and tires. Won’t start after filling with gas or is stuck in crank position trying to start when it finally dies it wants to stall out. Currently headlights are flickering with no known cause. Oh and the driver heated seat stopped working right after purchase. I’m at a huge loss with repairs costing more than the worth of a vehicle that continues to have serious issues even after fixing the problem it seems to repeat itself. Owe too much to trade in. All these problems are known to occur I cannot believe this isn’t a lemon or recalled parts. If not in enclave same thing happens in similar vehicles made by sane manufacturers during the same years. I will never purchase another GMC nor purchase from Toyota who failed to help after purchase.
2026-01-29Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11714164
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Responded to a Recall notice on passenger air bag in August 2025. Have had vehicle to GM dealership many times. They can't fix it. And won't call me back. Have called Buick direct and they are also having trouble with the dealership. But the service employees at Buick have been very helpful. This is a safety issue and haven't driven my Buick much since August. I'm elderly and feel i may be being abused. Thanks for any help.
2025-10-10Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11692530
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue after being contacted several times. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2017 Buick Enclave?

Owners named Airbags most often — 140 of 179 reports (78%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2017 Buick Enclave?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags. 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 2017 Buick Enclave?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources