2020 Buick Enclave: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
47%
25 of 53 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
47% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2020 Buick Enclave are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 59% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 3 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 45%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN04/21/20241 INJURED
After waiting at stop light with foot on the brake (auto stop not engaged) the light turned green. After releasing brake pedal and the car rolling approx 1 foot , then starting to accelerate, within 1-1/2 seconds the transmission went into park abruptly. The shift lever displayed “Park” and “Parking brake” on the DIC…
POWER TRAIN05/19/2021CRASH1 INJURED
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 Buick Enclave C1. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS WIFE REVERSED OUT OF THE GARAGE HOWEVER HAD TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS. THE CONTACT PLACED THE GEAR IN THE DRIVE AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD CRASHING INTO THE GARAGE DOOR. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS CONTACTED. A…
ENGINE07/13/2026
Front exhaust pipe separated from its mounting bracket causing a consistent rattle. This condition is exactly as described in "N222385510 - Special Coverage Front Exhaust Pipe", released in May 2023. Exhaust components in this vehicle are materially the same as the covered 2021 vehicles and thus this vehicle should b…
Three of 25 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (6)
TIRES
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may …
TIRES
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sier…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2020 Buick Enclave
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
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.
