2016 Buick Envision: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
19 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 19 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 1.9
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The lane assists and cruise control does not work and the GM dealership here in Southern Pines, NC can't fix it. They are sending the car back on the street with a 19-year-old girl behind the wheel of a car with electrical issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving RPM’s bouncing. Upon acceleration experienced delay and hesitation Hesitation in acceleration causing safety issue when entering traffic’s and passing other vehicles Full transmission replacement was needed and completed
GM is out of control . I have a front passenger control arm assembly in the shop for 2 months. No update on service part because they have changed the part number as the 2016 is unsafe. I need my service part or a new car . It's unsafe to drive and GM will not provide any update on ETW because there is a safety issue with this part. They already killed over 100 people from the ignition switch problem. Cruise d…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V516000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Buick Envision vehicles manufactured February 4, 2016, to April 25, 2016. The Tire and Loading Information label may display the incorrect maximum weight information. |
| 16V922000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Buick Envision vehicles manufactured January 19, 2016, to March 18, 2016. The the master cylinder brake lines may crack and leak brake fluid. |
| 17V404000 | Equipment | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Buick Envision vehicles. An accessory NSV Universal Tablet Holder may have been installed incorrectly onto the front seat head restraints, preventing the head restraint posts from fully engaging in the seat back. |
| 17V412000 | Structure | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Buick Envision vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement headliner as part of a repair. |
| 18V358000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure… |
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 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,450
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.
- Electrical System4 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes4 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Engine4 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Suspension3 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
- Unknown Or Other3 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electronic Stability Control (Esc)2 complaints · typical job: Yaw sensor or ESC module replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$660–$1,560
Other Buick Envision years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Buick Envision?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (4 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Buick Envision a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 86/100, computed from 19 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Buick Envision's most common problem?
4 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Buick Envision sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 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 2016 Buick Envision cost to run per year?
About $5,555 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,778 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.
Does the 2016 Buick Envision have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Buick Envision, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 07/07/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Buick Envision 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.
Thin evidence — 19 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 19 NHTSA complaints on record (1.9/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (4.8/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality