Buick Enclave vs Toyota 4Runner: which is more reliable?
The Toyota 4Runner is ahead of the Buick Enclave on the federal record, 78/100 against 73/100 — 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)
Toyota 4Runner
- 14 model years scored
- 817 owner complaints on record
- about 11 complaints per year on the road
- 62 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (90/100) · worst 2025 (44/100)
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 4Runner
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 | 4Runner | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48 AVOID | 44 AVOID | +4 |
| 2024 | 91 BUY | 90 BUY | +1 |
| 2023 | 90 BUY | 80 BUY | +10 |
| 2022 | 90 BUY | 79 BUY | +11 |
| 2021 | 87 BUY | 87 BUY | +0 |
| 2020 | 77 BUY | 90 BUY | -13 |
| 2019 | 92 BUY | 74 BUY | +18 |
| 2018 | 89 BUY | 78 BUY | +11 |
| 2017 | 51 CAUTION | 89 BUY | -38 |
| 2016 | 67 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2015 | 58 CAUTION | 71 BUY | -13 |
| 2014 | 30 AVOID | 76 BUY | -46 |
| 2013 | 83 BUY | 84 BUY | -1 |
| 2012 | 72 BUY | 70 BUY | +2 |
| 2011 | 60 CAUTION | 57 CAUTION | +3 |
What owners actually complain about
Buick Enclave
- Air Bags — 634 complaints
- Engine — 164 complaints
- Electrical System — 157 complaints
Toyota 4Runner
- Air Bags — 238 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 122 complaints
- Electrical System — 79 complaints
Both nameplates have Air Bags as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Buick Enclave — avoid: 2014, 2025.
Toyota 4Runner — avoid: 2025.
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 Toyota 4Runner at about $40,800 — the Toyota 4Runner is roughly $3,300 less, and they return 21.0 against 22.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Buick Enclave or the Toyota 4Runner more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Toyota 4Runner scores 78/100 against the Buick Enclave's 73/100, 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 Toyota 4Runner years should I avoid?
Buick Enclave: 2014, 2025. Toyota 4Runner: 2025. 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 Toyota 4Runner?
The largest complaint group on the Buick Enclave is Air Bags (634 complaints); on the Toyota 4Runner it is Air Bags (238).
Is the Buick Enclave or the Toyota 4Runner cheaper to own?
A recent used Buick Enclave prices at about $44,100 and a Toyota 4Runner at about $40,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.