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2010 Buick Enclave problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
38%
101 of 275 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

38% of relevant owner complaints on the 2010 Buick Enclave are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 57% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2010 Buick Enclave have engine problems?

More than most. The pattern is elevated rather than severe. 101 of 275 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Buick Enclave concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (38%), and the largest group is filed under engine (72). For comparison, the 2011 scores 45%. On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
101
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
275
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
6
5 crashes · 6 injuries

Complaints by component

STEERING126 · 46%
ENGINE72 · 26%
POWER TRAIN34 · 12%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23 · 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER18 · 7%
STRUCTURE12 · 4%

The years either side

2010
38%
101 of 275
2011
45%
77 of 212
2012
33%
36 of 132
2013
51%
27 of 70
2014
48%
40 of 292
2015
28%
17 of 171
2016
53%
16 of 141
2017
31%
10 of 179
2018
49%
30 of 65
2019
68%
26 of 42
2020
48%
27 of 59
2021
22%
5 of 26
2022
too few complaints
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2010 Buick Enclave

What one owner reported

ENGINE06/26/20181 INJURED
THE VEHICLE WILL RANDOMLY LOOSE POWER OR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING IT, NO MATTER WHAT SPEED OR WHAT CONDITION. A WARNING ON THE DASH SAYS THAT POWER WAS REDUCED, ALMOST LIKE A SAFETY OR GOVERNOR. IT RANDOMLY DOES IT, THE LOCKS WILL CLICK BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN UNLOCK AND LOCK AND IT WILL SOMETIMES COMPLETELY …

One of 101 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Buick Enclave?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2010 Buick Enclave, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

6 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal21V782000 · Oct 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing…
air bags: critical fasteners21V246000 · Apr 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
structure: body: hatchback/liftgate15V415000 · Jun 2015
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,…
seat belts14V266000 · May 2014
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…
air bags: side/window14V118000 · Mar 2014
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. In the affected vehicles,…
seat belts10V375000 · Aug 2010
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, GMC ACADIA, AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES. THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELD RESTRICTS THE UPWARD…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2010 Buick Enclave? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2010 Buick Enclave

Does the 2010 Buick Enclave have engine problems?

More than most; the pattern is elevated rather than severe. 101 of 275 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Buick Enclave concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (38%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Buick Enclave?

No. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2010 Buick Enclave, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Buick Enclave years are better?

Among the Buick Enclave years we track, the 2021 (22%), the 2015 (28%) and the 2017 (31%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2010 (38%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2010 Buick Enclave?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2010 Buick Enclave has an elevated engine complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing engine work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the engine. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.