Buick Enclave Years to Avoid [Best to Worst]

United Motors has been producing the Buick Enclave, a three-row compact SUV, since 2007. It was the only Lambda automobile to be presented when it was formally introduced at the 2006 Northern American Automotive Auto Exhibition as a prototype. The Buick Centieme prototype presented at the 2003 Detroit Auto Expo had a major influence on the design of the Enclave.

A common foundation is shared by the first-generation Enclave, Toyota Outlook, first-generation Buick Acadia, and first-generation Chevrolet Traverse. The Solstice and Rainier minivan-based Crossovers and the Terraza vehicle were succeeded by the Enclave.

It also supplanted the Terraza. U.S. Business & World Survey selected the Enclave as the best “Inexpensive Midsize SUV” in 2014. At the 2017 Manhattan Metropolitan Auto Expo, the second-generation Enclave was unveiled.

The enclave engine was meant to be a very special turbocharged engine. Capacity for seven people as possible in the Enclave thanks to an additional middle-row couch seat, which may be substituted for the normal two captain’s seats. Front-wheel transmission is normal, although an all-wheel-drive alternative is available.

The Lambda siblings’ torque converters are used in the Enclave as well. Enclave’s 275-horsepower 3.6-liter Premium Performance V6 engine and six-speed automated gearbox were standard equipment for the vehicle’s initial year on the market. They have tried their best to make the enclave a reliable car.

First-generation Enclave years to avoid

Years to avoid 20013-2014
Best years 2008-2012

When we talk about buying a Buick first generation then we have to be very careful with the years to avoid this model, these models came with the worst transmission issues. The 2013 model is known to be the most problematic one, with the other major issues of unnecessary noises from the engine and also causing too much vibration.

So these are not the best years for the Buick enclave. Some of the users have reported the complaint of the engine failing after completing 100,000 miles. Being the initial year of the very first generation there were certain new features introduced in these models such as the power steering and the availability of airbags. These were known to be the most luxurious SUVs of the time.

Second-generation Enclave years to avoid

Years to avoid 2018
Best years 2015 and counting

What makes the second generation year model to be avoided is the issue of programming. This major issue leads to causing errors with the technical setup of the vehicle, this problem has also caused the 2015 enclave life expectancy to be reduced very much.

Users have reported that the car won’t reveal which gear the car is being driven on hence causing the gas consumption to be very high and giving a low mileage. About 30% of the owners have rated the engine of this model year to be very unreliable.

With the passing years especially after the 2017 model, there were many new technological enhancements made within these models. First of all, all of the previous issues were recalled leaving the vehicle with no major issues. Multimedia steering was introduced along with a navigational setup that could be controlled with the steering buttons.

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Enclave faults by year

Years	Faults
2013	31
2014	26
2018	19

Enclave years to avoid

Buick Enclave 2013
Buick Enclave 2014

When was the first steering rotation problem diagnosed?

The 2009-2011 models have been reported many times for this issue. As a driver, you may have lost hydraulic steering. Again, this will be an expensive remedy. Check to verify whether it has hydraulic steering liquid before going to the mechanic to get it looked at.

However improbable it is, you might save yourself a lot of money and time if this is what’s wrong with your car and the expense of letting anyone identify an issue you might have addressed yourself. Enclaves are expensive to fix.

How long can an Enclave last?

Seemingly not prolonged enough. Like other cars, the Buick Enclave must complete at least 200,000 kilometers before requesting changes. Older versions, on the other hand, often experience engine failure after 150-200 thousand kilometers.

Otherwise, simply acquire a new one at that point. Although Enclave is a premium SUV, it doesn’t survive as long as some of its competitors.

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Can you get your stretched timing chain fixed?

The timing belt is not as critical as the gearbox. Whereas fixing it could be quite costly. If your timing chain is strained or damaged, your car will not function properly. If you’ve driven your car for 150,000 to 200,000 miles, you’ll likely need to replace your timing chain.

The timing belt of this vehicle tends to fail at roughly 45,000 miles, according to research. A timing chain problem is simple to ignore. However, the cost of fixing this problem might range from $1,700 to $2,100.

Avoid driving if you notice indicators like low battery power, sluggish performance, or strange noises from the powertrain chamber. You can’t manage to disregard timing chain concerns. These issues have caused the Buick Enclave’s reliability by year to fall.