NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 132 owner complaints for the 2012 Buick Enclave.
Recalled components: air bags, body structure, seat belts, and visibility. Most-described problem: liftgate or tailgate problems (17 complaints, 13%). Most-reported area: body structure (24 complaints, 18%; median mileage when it happened: 76,000).
6Safety recalls
132Owner complaints
9Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026
6 safety recalls for the 2012 Buick Enclave
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ENCLAVE. Components: Air bags: frontal; Air bags: frontal, driver side, inflator module. Buick campaign N212349040.
The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles.
The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.
Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010.
In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010.
In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles.
Snow or ice buildup on the windshield or on the wiper may restrict the movement of the wiper arm, causing the wiper arm to loosen and cause the wiper to become inoperative.
Risk: If this occurs, driver visibility could be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper arm nuts, free of charge. The safety recall began on april 20, 2012.
Gm's safety recall campaign number is 12036. Customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, and gmc acadia vehicles currently registered in alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming and the district of columbia.
NHTSA listing: ENCLAVE. Buick campaign 12036.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2012 Buick Enclave; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Outboard front seat belt anchor cable failure
Engineering analysis EA20002Closed Aug 30, 2024 (opened Aug 31, 2020)
On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003.
Recall query RQ19003Closed Aug 31, 2020 (opened May 28, 2019)
On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front… NHTSA's full summary
An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 132 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Enclave. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Liftgate or tailgate problems17 · 13%
Median 93,500 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Airbag warning light or airbag fault8 · 6%
Stalling or shutting off7 · 5%
Loss of power or limp mode7 · 5%
Timing chain or belt problems7 · 5%
Steering rack problems: sticking, play or pulling7 · 5%
Suspension parts (struts, ball joints, control arms)7 · 5%
Most named: body (14); body, hatchback/liftgate (7) · Median 76,000 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
Engine24 · 18%
Median 107,000 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Air bags21 · 16%
Median 75,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Electrical system19 · 14%
Median 66,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Steering17 · 13%
Median 59,500 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Powertrain13 · 10%
Brakes6 · 5%
Unknown or other19 · 14%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Buick Enclave recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2012 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2011 Enclave drew the most (42) and the 2012 drew 16.
Owner complaints
2012: 132 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Buick Enclave
Model year
Complaints
2010
275
2011
212
2012
132
2013
70
2014
292
2015
171
2016
141
2017
179
2018
65
2019
42
2020
59
2021
25
2022
13
2023
21
2024
7
2025
37
2026
2
Safety recalls
2012: 6 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Buick Enclave
Model year
Recalls
2010
6
2011
6
2012
6
2013
4
2014
7
2015
5
2016
4
2017
3
2018
0
2019
1
2020
6
2021
2
2022
1
2023
0
2024
0
2025
0
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 132 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Buick Enclave, the problems described most are liftgate or tailgate problems (17), the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (8), and stalling or shutting off (7). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2012 Buick Enclave safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2012 Buick Enclave earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2012 Buick Enclave?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2012 Buick Enclave. It lists 2 closed ones; the most recent closed on Aug 30, 2024.
How do I check if my Enclave has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Buick dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ENCLAVE.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.