Buick Enclave vs Mazda CX-9: which is more reliable?
The Mazda CX-9 is clearly ahead of the Buick Enclave on the federal record: 84/100 against 73/100 across every model year we score.
The record, side by side
Buick Enclave
- 15 model years scored
- 1,457 owner complaints on record
- about 12 complaints per year on the road
- 45 recall campaigns, 32 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (92/100) · worst 2014 (30/100)
Mazda CX-9
- 11 model years scored
- 885 owner complaints on record
- about 7 complaints per year on the road
- 19 recall campaigns, 13 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (93/100) · worst 2012 (50/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Enclave against CX-9
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Enclave | CX-9 | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48 AVOID | — | — |
| 2024 | 91 BUY | — | — |
| 2023 | 90 BUY | — | — |
| 2022 | 90 BUY | 93 BUY | -3 |
| 2021 | 87 BUY | 86 BUY | +1 |
| 2020 | 77 BUY | 93 BUY | -16 |
| 2019 | 92 BUY | 83 BUY | +9 |
| 2018 | 89 BUY | 57 CAUTION | +32 |
| 2017 | 51 CAUTION | 89 BUY | -38 |
| 2016 | 67 CAUTION | 81 BUY | -14 |
| 2015 | 58 CAUTION | 90 BUY | -32 |
| 2014 | 30 AVOID | 88 BUY | -58 |
| 2013 | 83 BUY | — | — |
| 2012 | 72 BUY | 50 CAUTION | +22 |
| 2011 | 60 CAUTION | 65 CAUTION | -5 |
What owners actually complain about
Buick Enclave
- Air Bags — 634 complaints
- Engine — 164 complaints
- Electrical System — 157 complaints
Mazda CX-9
- Engine — 302 complaints
- Service Brakes — 284 complaints
- Power Train — 87 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Enclave's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the CX-9's in Engine. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Buick Enclave — avoid: 2014, 2025.
Mazda CX-9: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020….
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Buick Enclave prices at about $44,100 and a Mazda CX-9 at about $34,200 — the Mazda CX-9 is roughly $9,900 less, and they return 21.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Buick Enclave or the Mazda CX-9 more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Mazda CX-9 scores 84/100 against the Buick Enclave's 73/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The Mazda CX-9 carries about 7 complaints per year on the road against 12 for the Buick Enclave.
Which Buick Enclave and Mazda CX-9 years should I avoid?
Buick Enclave: 2014, 2025. Mazda CX-9: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Buick Enclave and the Mazda CX-9?
The largest complaint group on the Buick Enclave is Air Bags (634 complaints); on the Mazda CX-9 it is Engine (302).
Is the Buick Enclave or the Mazda CX-9 cheaper to own?
A recent used Buick Enclave prices at about $44,100 and a Mazda CX-9 at about $34,200, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.