Menu

2013 Buick EnclaveProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 71 owner complaints about the 2013 Buick Enclave, most often about the power train. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-246 the manufacturer reports only 40% of affected cars repaired.

2013 Buick Enclave
68
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years53% below the Enclave median · #11 of 16 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 40%Owner complaints719 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage73kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 4, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2013 Buick Enclave has problems

71 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train141
Engine140
Electrical system121
Electronic stability control (ESC)120
Steering121
Air bags103
Exterior lighting60
Vehicle speed control50
Fuel/propulsion system40
9 other systems152

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2013 Buick Enclave recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

65%repaired · 2023 Q4

Air bags: frontal

Recall 21V-782 · Oct 7, 2021 · 555 vehicles · 361 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

40%repaired · 2023 Q1

Air bags: critical fasteners

Recall 21V-246 · Apr 8, 2021 · 108 vehicles · 43 repaired

Risk. Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

87%repaired · 2015 Q4

Seat belts

Recall 14V-266 · May 20, 2014 · 1,339,355 vehicles · 1,170,021 repaired

Risk. 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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

91%repaired · 2016 Q2

Air bags: side/window

Recall 14V-118 · Mar 17, 2014 · 1,176,407 vehicles · 1,065,180 repaired

Risk. 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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Buick.

Best & worst years

2013 vs. every other Enclave year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Enclave median. How we score

'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2013 Buick Enclave safety ratings

2013 Buick Enclave SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
  • Rollover: 4 stars (15.5% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2013 Buick Enclave, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable FailureEA20002 · closed Aug 30, 2024
    Led to recall 21V-245
  2. Seat Belt Anchor Cable FailureRQ19003 · closed Aug 31, 2020
    No recall
In owners' words

What Enclave owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

No first gear. Engine stalls if car is brought to a halt. On take off, car will stall if given too much throttle. If able to roll from dead stop, it will jerk and hesitate as if in too high of gear or dragging clutch.
Complaint 11718186 · Feb 16, 2026
Check engine light illuminated due to transmission clutch not being adequate in manufacturing. Transmission causes motor to shudder due to clutches slipping. Whether in automatic or manual, when accelerating in low RPM, the entire car begins to shudder instead of downshifting. Transmission has been…
Complaint 11606223 · Aug 2, 2024
This vehicle should have a recall on the transmission upon review the recall numbers NHTSA Recall ID: 14V092000 and NHTSA Recall ID: 09V073000 are not showing up in the system as recalls on the 2013 model. I purchased this vehicle used from a private owner. In April of 2023 the transmission went…
Complaint 11556973 · Nov 27, 2023

Own a 2013 Enclave?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.