The Lane Check

Cars › Buick › Enclave › 2021

2021 Buick Enclave problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
22%
5 of 23 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2021 Buick Enclave. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 22% of relevant complaints.

Better than 85% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 3 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 19%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2021 Buick Enclave have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 5 of 23 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Buick Enclave concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (22%). For comparison, the 2020 scores 48%. 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
5
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
26
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
0 crashes · 0 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES7 · 27%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6 · 23%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4 · 15%
SEAT BELTS3 · 12%
STRUCTURE3 · 12%
POWER TRAIN2 · 8%

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 2021 Buick Enclave

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN06/17/2026
The muffler and tail pipe has fallen off 6 times and ive had to get repaired. I believe it is due to the bad torque converter that others have complained about and goggle says that is a likely failure on the buick.

One of 5 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 2021 Buick Enclave?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2021 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.

2 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: side/window: curtain22V210000 · Mar 2022
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse and 2021-2022 Buick Enclave vehicles. The harness connector to the left or right side roof rail air bag may have…
air bags: sensor: frontal impact21V472000 · Jun 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave vehicles. During service by dealers, certain vehicles may have received incorrect air bag calibration software…

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

Checking one particular 2021 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.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2021 Buick Enclave

Does the 2021 Buick Enclave have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 5 of 23 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Buick Enclave concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (22%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2021 Buick Enclave?

No. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2021 Buick Enclave, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Buick Enclave years are better?

The 2021 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Buick Enclave years we track (22%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2021 Buick Enclave?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2021 Buick Enclave shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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.

Check a VIN

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.