Toyota Highlander vs Buick Enclave: which is more reliable?
The Buick Enclave is ahead of the Toyota Highlander on the federal record, 73/100 against 65/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Toyota Highlander
- 11 model years scored
- 2,349 owner complaints on record
- about 27 complaints per year on the road
- 39 recall campaigns, 24 safety-critical
- best year 2016 (86/100) · worst 2020 (37/100)
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: Highlander 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 | Highlander | Enclave | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 82 BUY | 48 AVOID | +34 |
| 2024 | — | 91 BUY | — |
| 2023 | — | 90 BUY | — |
| 2022 | — | 90 BUY | — |
| 2021 | — | 87 BUY | — |
| 2020 | 37 AVOID | 77 BUY | -40 |
| 2019 | 40 AVOID | 92 BUY | -52 |
| 2018 | 45 AVOID | 89 BUY | -44 |
| 2017 | 56 CAUTION | 51 CAUTION | +5 |
| 2016 | 86 BUY | 67 CAUTION | +19 |
| 2015 | 78 BUY | 58 CAUTION | +20 |
| 2014 | 79 BUY | 30 AVOID | +49 |
| 2013 | 80 BUY | 83 BUY | -3 |
| 2012 | 85 BUY | 72 BUY | +13 |
| 2011 | 84 BUY | 60 CAUTION | +24 |
What owners actually complain about
Toyota Highlander
- Power Train — 461 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 363 complaints
- Electrical System — 306 complaints
Buick Enclave
- Air Bags — 634 complaints
- Engine — 164 complaints
- Electrical System — 157 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Highlander'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
Toyota Highlander — avoid: 2018, 2019, 2020.
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 Toyota Highlander prices at about $40,800 and a Buick Enclave at about $44,100 — the Toyota Highlander is roughly $3,300 less, and they return 25.0 against 21.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Toyota Highlander or the Buick Enclave more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Buick Enclave scores 73/100 against the Toyota Highlander's 65/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Toyota Highlander and Buick Enclave years should I avoid?
Toyota Highlander: 2018, 2019, 2020. 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 Toyota Highlander and the Buick Enclave?
The largest complaint group on the Toyota Highlander is Power Train (461 complaints); on the Buick Enclave it is Air Bags (634).
Is the Toyota Highlander or the Buick Enclave cheaper to own?
A recent used Toyota Highlander 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.