Model year 2016 · Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2016 Buick Enclave: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2016 Buick Enclave at 17–18 mpg combined across 2 versions. NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 141 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

4

EPA combined mpg

17–18

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Buick dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2016 Buick Enclave recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 4 safety recalls for the 2016 Buick Enclave, newest first.

Air bags: Frontal: Driver side: Inflator module

NHTSA 23V334000 Reported May 10, 2023
Filed by
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N232404980)
Units affected
995,085 (estimate)
Problem
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. 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.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Frontal: Driver side: Inflator module and 1 more component

NHTSA 21V782000 Reported Oct 7, 2021
Filed by
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N212349040)
Components
Air bags: Frontal: Driver side: Inflator module; Air bags: Frontal
Units affected
555 (estimate)
Problem
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 defect.
Risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Seats

NHTSA 15V833000 Reported Dec 11, 2015
Filed by
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 21930)
Units affected
2,633 (estimate)
Problem
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured November 6, 2015, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a the third row left lower seat frame that may have welds that are not in the correction location.
Risk
If the seat frame is not welded in the correct places, the seat may not perform as intended, and in the event of a crash, the seat occupant could be at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 21930.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Visibility: Windshield wiper/washer: Motor

NHTSA 15V609000 Reported Sep 29, 2015
Filed by
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 15780/15789)
Units affected
29,295 (estimate)
Problem
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield wiper motor may overheat when used.
Risk
A wiper motor that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the wiper cover has been replaced. If weather conditions prevent operation of the vehicle without using the windshield wipers, GM will make arrangements to pick up the vehicle for servicing. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15780.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2016 Buick Enclave fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2016 Buick Enclave EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
Enclave AWD3.6L 6-cylAutomatic 6-spdAll-Wheel DriveRegular15/22/17 mpg$3,950518
Enclave FWD3.6L 6-cylAutomatic 6-spdFront-Wheel DriveRegular15/22/18 mpg$3,700507

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2016 Buick Enclave crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Buick Enclave NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2016 Buick Enclave SUV AWD5 stars5 stars5 stars4 stars15.5%Optional
2016 Buick Enclave SUV FWD5 stars5 stars5 stars4 stars16.9%Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2016 Buick Enclave owner complaints

Owners have filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Buick Enclave, most recently on Aug 31, 2026. 2 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 5 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2016 Buick Enclave complaints
Component named in complaintsMentions
Air bags110
Engine9
Power train9
Electrical system7
Unknown or other7
Seat belts3
Steering3
Fuel/propulsion system2
Structure: Body2
Electrical system: Instrument panel: Speedometer/odometer1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Buick Enclave model years

Buick Enclave by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2027 Enclave21–22 mpg———
2026 Enclave21–22 mpg135/5
2025 Enclave21–23 mpg038—
2024 Enclave20–21 mpg075/5
2023 Enclave20–21 mpg0225/5
2022 Enclave20–21 mpg1145/5
2021 Enclave20–21 mpg2265/5
2020 Enclave20–21 mpg6615/5
2019 Enclave20–21 mpg1445/5
2018 Enclave20–21 mpg0665/5
2017 Enclave17–18 mpg31795/5
2015 Enclave18–19 mpg51715/5

All Buick Enclave years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2016 Buick models

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Buick.