GMC Acadia vs Buick Enclave: which is more reliable?
The Buick Enclave is ahead of the GMC Acadia 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
GMC Acadia
- 15 model years scored
- 4,249 owner complaints on record
- about 39 complaints per year on the road
- 50 recall campaigns, 28 safety-critical
- best year 2023 (87/100) · worst 2017 (36/100)
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)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Acadia against Enclave
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 | Acadia | Enclave | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56 CAUTION | 48 AVOID | +8 |
| 2024 | 81 BUY | 91 BUY | -10 |
| 2023 | 87 BUY | 90 BUY | -3 |
| 2022 | 86 BUY | 90 BUY | -4 |
| 2021 | 75 BUY | 87 BUY | -12 |
| 2020 | 81 BUY | 77 BUY | +4 |
| 2019 | 49 AVOID | 92 BUY | -43 |
| 2018 | 53 CAUTION | 89 BUY | -36 |
| 2017 | 36 AVOID | 51 CAUTION | -15 |
| 2016 | 77 BUY | 67 CAUTION | +10 |
| 2015 | 74 BUY | 58 CAUTION | +16 |
| 2014 | 51 CAUTION | 30 AVOID | +21 |
| 2013 | 84 BUY | 83 BUY | +1 |
| 2012 | 76 BUY | 72 BUY | +4 |
| 2011 | 79 BUY | 60 CAUTION | +19 |
What owners actually complain about
GMC Acadia
- Power Train — 1,017 complaints
- Electrical System — 949 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 759 complaints
Buick Enclave
- Air Bags — 634 complaints
- Engine — 164 complaints
- Electrical System — 157 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Acadia's complaints concentrate in Power Train, the Enclave's in Air Bags. 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
GMC Acadia — avoid: 2017, 2019.
Buick Enclave — avoid: 2014, 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 GMC Acadia prices at about $40,800 and a Buick Enclave at about $44,100 — the GMC Acadia is roughly $3,300 less, and they return 21.0 against 21.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the GMC Acadia or the Buick Enclave more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Buick Enclave scores 73/100 against the GMC Acadia'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 GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave years should I avoid?
GMC Acadia: 2017, 2019. Buick Enclave: 2014, 2025. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the GMC Acadia and the Buick Enclave?
The largest complaint group on the GMC Acadia is Power Train (1,017 complaints); on the Buick Enclave it is Air Bags (634).
Is the GMC Acadia or the Buick Enclave cheaper to own?
A recent used GMC Acadia prices at about $40,800 and a Buick Enclave at about $44,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.