2019 Buick ENCLAVE
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2019 Buick ENCLAVE has 64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.6x the segment average of 108. The most common issue is transmission problems (22% of all complaints), specifically: traveling at highway speeds car suddenly shifted itself into neutral and could not be engage back to any drive gears. brakes were inoperable and accelerator was in operable. finally came to a stop by coasting to the shoulder and waiting for speed to drop far enough to get vehicle to go into park.. There is 1 recall issued for this model year. ⚠️ 3 fire reports filed.
64
Total Complaints
1
Recalls Issued
5/5
Safety Stars
0.6x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems(top 5 of 8)
TRANSMISSION
14 complaints- • TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAR SUDDENLY SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL AND COULD NOT BE ENGAGE BACK TO ANY DRIVE GEARS. BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE AND ACCELERATOR WAS IN OPERABLE. FINALLY CAME TO A STOP BY COASTING TO THE SHOULDER AND WAITING FOR SPEED TO DROP FAR ENOUGH TO GET VEHICLE TO GO INTO PARK.
- • WHEN VEHICLE REENGAGING FROM AUTO START/STOP DURING STOPS IN TRAFFIC AND/OR LIGHTS/SIGNS, SLAMMING INTO GEAR AFTER REMOVING FOOT FROM BRAKE, PRIOR TO PUSHING GAS PEDAL. HAPPENS IN HIGHWAY TRAVEL (IF HAVING TO COME TO A STOP) AND CITY TRAVEL. DEALERSHIP REPLACED AUXILIARY FLUID ACCUMULATOR AND ADDED
- • On the morning of October 25, 2021 at approximately 7:05 am, I was fixing to leave to go to work. The carport light was on, so I open the door to my car, slid into the driver’s seat, started the car up and the lights came on. As I was starting to get out of the car to go turn the carport lights of
“TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAR SUDDENLY SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL AND COULD NOT BE ENGAGE BACK TO ANY DRIVE GEARS. BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE AND ACCELERATOR WAS IN OPERABLE. FINALLY CAME TO A STOP BY COASTING TO THE SHOULDER AND WAITING FOR SPEED TO DROP FAR ENOUGH TO GET VEHICLE TO GO INTO PARK.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
When Problems Appear on the 2019 Buick ENCLAVE
Based on 26 owner complaints that included an odometer reading. Median mileage at time of complaint: 23K miles. Most complaints cluster in the 0-30K miles range.
ENGINE
TRANSMISSION
Mileage figures are self-reported by owners in NHTSA complaint filings. Peak bucket = the mileage range with the most complaints for that component; it reflects when owners noticed and reported problems, not necessarily when the fault first occurred.
Recalls (1)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Low theft risk
Low theft rates typically correlate with lower comprehensive-coverage insurance premiums.
Source: NICB Hot Wheels 2025 report + HLDI theft loss studies. Model-year ranking; not all years of this model have identical risk.
Fuel Cost Calculator for 2019 Buick ENCLAVE
Live EIA pricesBased on EPA fuel-economy ratings and EIA weekly retail prices (2026-07-20). Real-world cost varies with driving style, trim/engine, terrain, and traffic.
5-Year Gas Price History
EIA weekly retail data · 2021 → todaySource: US Energy Information Administration weekly retail gasoline prices.
Estimated Insurance Cost for 2019 Buick ENCLAVE
How this estimate is calculated
Coverage assumed: 100/300/100 liability + comprehensive/collision, $500 deductibles. Data sources: NAIC 2024 + HLDI loss studies.
Maintenance & Warranty
Buick New-Vehicle Warranty Coverage
These are the terms for a new Buick. If you're buying a used 2019 ENCLAVE, remaining coverage is usually pro-rated from the vehicle's original in-service date. Not all coverage transfers between owners — check with a Buick dealer for VIN-specific remaining warranty.
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 64 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐TRANSMISSION: TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAR SUDDENLY SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL AND COULD NOT BE ENGAGE BACK TO ANY DRIVE GEARS. BRAKES WERE INOPERABLE AND ACCELERATOR WAS IN OPERABLE. FINALLY CAME TO A STOP BY COASTING TO THE SHOULDER AND WAITING FOR SPEED TO DROP FAR ENOUGH TO GET VEHICLE TO GO INTO PARK.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: NOTE: MILEAGE IS 1240 MILES, JUST PURCHASED THREE MONTHS AGO WITH 54 MILES ON IT AND SHIPPED TO GERMANY (DOD CIVILIAN). WHILE IN EUROPE, I AM USING THE VEHICLES' "METRIC" SETTING (KPH VERSUS MPH), WHICH SWITCHES THE SPEEDOMETER TO READ KPH AND AUTO TUNES THE ENGINE TO THE APPROPRIATE LEVELS TO MATC
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: AFTER THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, IF A DOOR IS CLOSED OR OPENED/CLOSED ANYTHING PLUGGED INTO THE AUX OUTLET WILL SHORT OUT AND RESET (I.E. RADAR DETECTOR WILL REBOOT AS IF POWER SUPPLY WAS INTERRUPTED) AND/OR IF THE FACTORY INSTALLED DVD PLAYERS ARE POWERED ON, THEY WILL TURN OF
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: AFTER THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, IF A DOOR IS CLOSED OR OPENED/CLOSED ANYTHING PLUGGED INTO THE AUX OUTLET WILL SHORT OUT AND RESET (I.E. RADAR DETECTOR WILL REBOOT AS IF POWER SUPPLY WAS INTERRUPTED) AND/OR IF THE FACTORY INSTALLED DVD PLAYERS ARE POWERED ON, THEY WILL TURN OF
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐RECALLS: Verify all 1 recall have been completed — free at any Buick dealer
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Buick ENCLAVE — Year Comparison
How does 2019 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 64
- Recalls
- 1
- Fire reports
- 3
- Crash reports
- 3
- Injury reports
- 5
- Segment avg
- 108
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2019 Buick ENCLAVE