Buick Enclave vs Volkswagen CC: which is more reliable?
The Buick Enclave and the Volkswagen CC are level on the federal record — 73/100 against 76/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.
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)
Volkswagen CC
- 7 model years scored
- 604 owner complaints on record
- about 5 complaints per year on the road
- 33 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (89/100) · worst 2012 (36/100)
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 CC
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.
What owners actually complain about
Buick Enclave
- Air Bags — 634 complaints
- Engine — 164 complaints
- Electrical System — 157 complaints
Volkswagen CC
- Air Bags — 279 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 119 complaints
- Engine — 119 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.
Volkswagen CC — avoid: 2012.
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 Volkswagen CC at about $21,800 — the Volkswagen CC is roughly $22,300 less, and they return 21.0 against 25.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Buick Enclave or the Volkswagen CC more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Volkswagen CC scores 76/100 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 Volkswagen CC years should I avoid?
Buick Enclave: 2014, 2025. Volkswagen CC: 2012. 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 Volkswagen CC?
The largest complaint group on the Buick Enclave is Air Bags (634 complaints); on the Volkswagen CC it is Air Bags (279).
Is the Buick Enclave or the Volkswagen CC cheaper to own?
A recent used Buick Enclave prices at about $44,100 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.