The 2011 Buick Enclave only has a half-dozen recalls, but the SUV has amassed nearly 200 consumer complaints focused on everything from airbag service lights malfunctioning and engines stalling to power steering failures and falling liftgates.
Key Points
- Though only six recalls were issued for the 2011 Buick Enclave by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the majority cover serious safety issues like malfunctioning airbags.
- Nearly 200 owners of the 2011 Buick Enclave have filed complaints with the NHTSA, with the most common problems stemming from stalling engines, malfunctioning airbags, and electrical glitches.
- Recalls include those for the driver’s airbag inflator experiencing Takata-esque symptoms, failing liftgate struts, and side-impact airbags needing new wiring and security.
- One investigation into the Enclave’s seat belt anchor cable is also on file with the NHTSA.
- The model year was part of a rough first half of the first-generation Enclave, which arrived a year before both the collapse of the automotive industry and the start of the Great Recession.
Recovering Economy is Part of 2011 Buick Enclave’s Backstory, Which Includes Six Recalls and Nearly 200 Owner Complaints Over Failing Engines, Faulty Airbags
The Great Recession, which made itself known to the world in September 2008, contributed its own pain on the dealership sales floor, though the Enclave itself didn’t suffer as much as other models on sale during the period.
While the auto industry and the global economy were emerging from the darkest years of the recession, the 2011 Enclave would receive the first of six recalls from the NHTSA a few months into production, one concerning loosened wiper arms caused by ice and snow buildup. It wouldn’t compare to the horror to come a decade later, however.
In late October 2021, owners of the entire first generation of the Buick Enclave (2008-2017) received a recall notice concerning the driver’s airbag. Echoing the fiasco wrought by the lingering Takata airbag disaster, the NHTSA warned the driver’s airbag inflator may explode, sending metal shrapnel into the cabin, possibly injuring or killing the driver or other occupants.
Two other airbag issues with the 2011 Buick Enclave include unsecured side-curtain units and bad side-impact wiring connections.
The last two major safety recalls cover cable fatigue and separation in the seat belts (a single investigation for the 2011 model covers this issue, too), and premature wear on the liftgate struts that could lead to the liftgate falling and striking a person loading groceries into the back of the crossover.
Defective Service Lights, Odd Powertrain Problems Among Complaints Over the 2011 Buick Enclave
While six recalls from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are nothing to sneeze at, they’re a small pile compared to the nearly 200 complaints received from owners who have had bad experiences with stalling engines and random service lights activating while driving their 2011 Buick Enclaves.
Related to the airbag issues, about 40 complaints mention the airbag service light popping on whenever the crossover hits a bump in the road.
Another 40 complaints hone in on the powertrain, including violent shaking linked to the transmission’s clutch packs, broken timing chains, and vehicles rolling backwards while placed in park.
Buick Enclave Forum Members Report Odd Transmission Shifts, Mysterious Vibrations
Of course, the NHTSA isn’t the only place where owners share their concerns about the 2011 Buick Enclave. Enclave Forum includes plenty of posts from owners of the 2011 Enclave, such as one from a member who bought their Enclave CXL new.
The Buick owner’s all-wheel-drive model experienced the transmission slamming into gear sooner than expected while accelerating. A Buick service rep suggested a diagnostic test.
Another thread from 2012 concerns the aforementioned shaking issues noted in the NHTSA’s complaints report. The member’s 2011 Enclave experienced severe shaking and vibration while on the road. No one at the dealership could pinpoint the problem, with fellow forum members suspecting it could be the brake rotors and transmission going into overdrive automatically. The dealership said the issue was “normal.” No resolution was posted to the thread.
Shopping for a First-generation Buick Enclave? Pass on the 2011 Model Year for the 2013-2017 Editions
As far as problems are concerned, fortunes would improve for the first-generation Buick Enclave following its facelift for the 2013 model year. By the final model year in 2017, only two recalls (both involving airbags) and 17 complaints would be logged with the NHTSA.
Thus, if a Buick Enclave from the late 2000s through the late 2010s is on your list, it would be wise to forego the models from the Great Recession period — including the 2011 Enclave — for the facelifted models from 2013 through 2017.
Photos: Buick
