Buick Enclave vs Mitsubishi Outlander: which is more reliable?
The Buick Enclave is ahead of the Mitsubishi Outlander on the federal record, 73/100 against 68/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
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)
Mitsubishi Outlander
- 14 model years scored
- 1,105 owner complaints on record
- about 14 complaints per year on the road
- 67 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2012 (88/100) · worst 2022 (34/100)
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 Outlander
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 | Outlander | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48 AVOID | 76 BUY | -28 |
| 2024 | 91 BUY | 74 BUY | +17 |
| 2023 | 90 BUY | 62 CAUTION | +28 |
| 2022 | 90 BUY | 34 AVOID | +56 |
| 2021 | 87 BUY | — | — |
| 2020 | 77 BUY | 85 BUY | -8 |
| 2019 | 92 BUY | 83 BUY | +9 |
| 2018 | 89 BUY | 76 BUY | +13 |
| 2017 | 51 CAUTION | 77 BUY | -26 |
| 2016 | 67 CAUTION | 34 AVOID | +33 |
| 2015 | 58 CAUTION | 38 AVOID | +20 |
| 2014 | 30 AVOID | 87 BUY | -57 |
| 2013 | 83 BUY | 84 BUY | -1 |
| 2012 | 72 BUY | 88 BUY | -16 |
| 2011 | 60 CAUTION | 79 BUY | -19 |
What owners actually complain about
Buick Enclave
- Air Bags — 634 complaints
- Engine — 164 complaints
- Electrical System — 157 complaints
Mitsubishi Outlander
- Power Train — 256 complaints
- Electrical System — 156 complaints
- Engine — 145 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Enclave's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the Outlander's in Power Train. 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.
Mitsubishi Outlander — avoid: 2015, 2016, 2022.
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 Mitsubishi Outlander at about $40,800 — the Mitsubishi Outlander is roughly $3,300 less, and they return 21.0 against 27.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Buick Enclave or the Mitsubishi Outlander more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Buick Enclave scores 73/100 against the Mitsubishi Outlander's 68/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Buick Enclave and Mitsubishi Outlander years should I avoid?
Buick Enclave: 2014, 2025. Mitsubishi Outlander: 2015, 2016, 2022. 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 Mitsubishi Outlander?
The largest complaint group on the Buick Enclave is Air Bags (634 complaints); on the Mitsubishi Outlander it is Power Train (256).
Is the Buick Enclave or the Mitsubishi Outlander cheaper to own?
A recent used Buick Enclave prices at about $44,100 and a Mitsubishi Outlander at about $40,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.