Hyundai Santa Fe vs Buick Enclave: which is more reliable?
The Buick Enclave is ahead of the Hyundai Santa Fe on the federal record, 73/100 against 67/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Hyundai Santa Fe
- 11 model years scored
- 3,748 owner complaints on record
- about 62 complaints per year on the road
- 39 recall campaigns, 18 safety-critical
- best year 2012 (90/100) · worst 2025 (35/100)
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: Santa Fe 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 | Santa Fe | Enclave | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35 AVOID | 48 AVOID | -13 |
| 2024 | 56 CAUTION | 91 BUY | -35 |
| 2023 | 70 BUY | 90 BUY | -20 |
| 2022 | 74 BUY | 90 BUY | -16 |
| 2021 | — | 87 BUY | — |
| 2020 | — | 77 BUY | — |
| 2019 | — | 92 BUY | — |
| 2018 | — | 89 BUY | — |
| 2017 | 36 AVOID | 51 CAUTION | -15 |
| 2016 | 84 BUY | 67 CAUTION | +17 |
| 2015 | 87 BUY | 58 CAUTION | +29 |
| 2014 | 81 BUY | 30 AVOID | +51 |
| 2013 | 78 BUY | 83 BUY | -5 |
| 2012 | 90 BUY | 72 BUY | +18 |
| 2011 | 86 BUY | 60 CAUTION | +26 |
What owners actually complain about
Hyundai Santa Fe
- Engine — 1,901 complaints
- Power Train — 493 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 407 complaints
Buick Enclave
- Air Bags — 634 complaints
- Engine — 164 complaints
- Electrical System — 157 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Santa Fe's complaints concentrate in Engine, 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
Hyundai Santa Fe — avoid: 2017, 2025.
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 Hyundai Santa Fe prices at about $40,800 and a Buick Enclave at about $44,100 — the Hyundai Santa Fe is roughly $3,300 less, and they return 23.0 against 21.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe or the Buick Enclave more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Buick Enclave scores 73/100 against the Hyundai Santa Fe's 67/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Hyundai Santa Fe and Buick Enclave years should I avoid?
Hyundai Santa Fe: 2017, 2025. 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 Hyundai Santa Fe and the Buick Enclave?
The largest complaint group on the Hyundai Santa Fe is Engine (1,901 complaints); on the Buick Enclave it is Air Bags (634).
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe or the Buick Enclave cheaper to own?
A recent used Hyundai Santa Fe 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.