YearToAvoid

2014 Buick Enclave Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

100/100

#1 most-complained of 16 Enclave years

The 2014 Buick Enclave ranks worst of 16 model years, with a Complaint Index of 100 and 292 NHTSA complaints, most tied to Airbags. It carries 7 recalls and is rated Avoid relative to other Enclave years.

Complaints
292
Recalls
7
Crashes / fires
9 / 3
Injuries / deaths
17 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
18.5
16.5 city / 23 hwy

Top 2014 Buick Enclave problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags205 (70%)
  2. Electrical System30 (10%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain21 (7%)
  4. Engine18 (6%)
  5. Other13 (4%)
  6. Seat Belts11 (4%)
  7. Steering11 (4%)
  8. Brakes10 (3%)
  9. Structure & Body9 (3%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (2%)

What owners report

  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed collisions, including T-bone and train-track crashes.
  • Some describe the vehicle shifting unexpectedly into reverse after being placed in park, leading to low-speed crashes.
  • Several complaints describe smoke or burning odors coming from the engine bay, in one case with an abnormal noise and pressure change at 35 mph.
  • One owner reported a sudden hard left turn and uncontrollable spin without driver input, resulting in a crash.
  • A fire was reported coming from a front passenger vent at very low mileage, with the dealer unable to identify an internal cause.
  • One driver reported the vehicle losing power on the highway with hard braking and swerving.
2014 Buick Enclave complaints: complaints filed per quarter382014 Q12015 Q42017 Q32019 Q12020 Q32022 Q22024 Q12025 Q3
347 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2023 Q4 (38).

2014 Buick Enclave recalls

7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 23V334000May 10, 2023Airbags995,085 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 7 recalls for the 2014 Buick Enclave →

2014 Buick Enclave fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16.5 MPG
Highway
23 MPG
Combined
18.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,500
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2014 compared with other Enclave years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2012Caution73132618.5
2013Good4769418.5
2014Avoid100292718.5
2015Caution60171518.5
2016Caution53141417.5

All Buick Enclave years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Buick Enclave reliable?
Among Enclave model years, 2014 has the highest Complaint Index (100) and ranks worst out of 16 years tracked, so it is rated Avoid relative to other Enclave years.
What problems does the 2014 Buick Enclave have?
NHTSA data shows 292 complaints for the 2014 Enclave, with Airbags the top problem area at 70% of complaints (205 total), followed by Electrical System (10%) and Transmission & Powertrain (7%).
Does the 2014 Buick Enclave have a recall?
Yes, NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2014 Enclave, including three separate airbag recalls covering driver airbag inflators and side curtain airbag attachment, plus recalls for electrical modules, seat belts, and transmission shift cable adjusters.
How does 2014 compare to other Enclave years?
2014 has a Complaint Index of 100, higher than every other tracked year; for comparison, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024 are rated Best with Complaint Indexes of 20, 7, 0, and 13 respectively.
At what mileage do 2014 Enclave problems typically show up?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 60,592.5 miles across all complaints for the 2014 Enclave, with airbag-related complaints having a higher median of 87,750 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.