2011 Buick Enclave Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 38 airbag complaints for the 2011 Buick Enclave, 18% of all complaints filed for that year, tied to 10 crashes, 1 fire, and 5 injuries. Median mileage at failure was 55,500. Three related recalls cover driver airbag inflators, side curtain airbag attachment, and wiring harness connections.
- Airbags complaints
- 38
- 18% of 212
- Crashes reported
- 10
- Fires reported
- 1
- Injuries reported
- 5
- Median mileage
- 55,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Front airbags failed to deploy during moderate-to-severe frontal or side-impact collisions, leaving occupants to strike the steering wheel or dash.
- Airbags did not deploy in rear-end or being-rear-ended crashes even at speeds around 40-50 mph.
- Airbag warning light illuminated intermittently while parked or driving, sometimes followed by a dealer-installed module replacement that did not resolve the issue.
- A crash into a deer caused the vehicle to catch fire, and the airbags failed to deploy.
- One owner reported the vehicle was taken to the dealer five times for the same unresolved airbag warning light problem.
When 2011 Buick Enclave airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Dec 7, 2011, latest Nov 14, 2023.
Airbags recalls for the 2011 Buick Enclave
- NHTSA 21V782000Oct 7, 2021Airbags555 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
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.
- NHTSA 21V246000Apr 8, 2021Airbags108 vehicles
Air bags:critical fasteners
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.
Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 14V118000Mar 17, 2014Airbags1,176,407 vehicles
Air bags:side/window
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, 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.
Remedy: 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.
Airbags complaints by Enclave model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2011 Buick Enclave?
- NHTSA lists 38 airbag complaints for the 2011 Buick Enclave, which is 18% of the 212 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Are there airbag recalls for the 2011 Buick Enclave?
- Yes. NHTSA lists three related airbag recalls: campaign 21V782000 for a driver airbag inflator that may explode, campaign 21V246000 for side curtain airbags that may not be properly attached, and campaign 14V118000 for wiring harness connections affecting airbag deployment.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up on the 2011 Enclave?
- The median mileage at failure among reported airbag complaints is 55,500 miles.
- Did the 2011 Enclave airbag issues cause any crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data links the 2011 Enclave's airbag complaints to 10 crashes, 1 fire, and 5 injuries.
- Is the airbag complaint rate for 2011 higher than other Enclave years?
- The 2011 Enclave's 18% share of complaints tied to airbags is lower than the 2014-2017 model years, which range from 61% to 81%, but higher than 2010, 2018, 2019, 2020, and other later years.