2012 Buick Enclave Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 21 airbag complaints for the 2012 Buick Enclave, 16% of all complaints filed for that year. These include 6 crashes and 9 injuries, with a median failure mileage of 75,000 miles, and three related airbag recalls have been issued.
- Airbags complaints
- 21
- 16% of 132
- Crashes reported
- 6
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 9
- Median mileage
- 75,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Airbags failed to deploy during side-impact or front-end crashes at various speeds, sometimes leading to injuries.
- The 'service air bags' warning light illuminates intermittently while driving or stopped, staying lit for several seconds at a time.
- Passenger presence module or airbag sensor failures trigger warning lights and can disable passenger-side airbag deployment.
- Owners report the airbag warning light coming on after routine driving with no clear cause, later diagnosed as sensor or module problems by the dealer.
- Some owners cite GM recall notices referencing seat belt pretensioner and center airbag non-deployment risks tied to the same warning light issue.
When 2012 Buick Enclave airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 9, 2013, latest Mar 8, 2025.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 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 the 2012 Buick Enclave have?
- NHTSA lists 21 airbag-related complaints for the 2012 Buick Enclave, making up 16% of all 132 complaints filed for that model year.
- Are there airbag recalls for the 2012 Buick Enclave?
- Yes. Three recalls cover airbag issues: a driver's airbag inflator that may explode during deployment, side curtain airbags that may not be properly attached, and wiring harness resistance that can prevent airbag or pretensioner deployment.
- Have airbag problems caused crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data tied to this complaint category shows 6 crashes and 9 injuries reported for the 2012 Buick Enclave.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for airbag complaints on the 2012 Buick Enclave is 75,000 miles.
- What do owners say happens with the airbags?
- Owners describe airbags failing to deploy in crashes, warning lights illuminating unexpectedly, and dealers replacing sensors or modules tied to airbag readiness.