2018 Buick Enclave: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
64 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Buick Enclave's year to avoid is 2014, an AVOID at 30 on 292 complaints, of which 205 are in the Air Bags category; the 2025 car is also an AVOID at 48, but on 36 complaints and low evidence. The years to buy are 2013 (83 on 69 complaints) and 2018 to 2024, where scores run from 77 to 92 on between 7 and 64 complaints a year. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: a year the record favours — 64 complaints, score 89/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave: the years to avoid, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 64 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 8.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
After two transmission flushes and being told by a Buick dealership's service technicians that nothing is wrong with the vechile's transmission, it has now failed completely at ~90k miles.
Exhaust leak from broken front exhaust pipe. This has been a known defect in this make/model however the year of my vehicle was not included in the extended repair window and should have been. The exhaust leak was identified by the dealership when the vehicle was taken in for other maintenance. I had to pay for the repair myself and would like to be reimbursed due to this being a manufacturer known defect with the ex…
The air conditioning system failure prevents proper windshield defogging, significantly reducing visibility in humid or rainy conditions. Additionally, cabin temperatures become excessively high, causing driver fatigue and impaired concentration. This creates an unsafe driving condition and increases the risk of a crash
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 20 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Service Brakes21 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Power Train15 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine13 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System9 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other8 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System4 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Buick Enclave years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Buick Enclave?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (21 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Buick Enclave a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 89/100, computed from 64 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Buick Enclave's most common problem?
21 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Buick Enclave sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Buick Enclave cost to run per year?
About $5,042 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,210 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Buick Enclave really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 64 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 64 NHTSA complaints on record (8.0/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (9.3/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems