Is the Kia Telluride more reliable than the Buick Enclave?

No. The Enclave comes out well ahead. It has 2.6 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 23.3 for the Telluride. The Telluride's gap comes from repeated windshield cracks, blank instrument clusters, and engines that burn oil, which are more frequent and often start early.

Which has more recalls, the Telluride or the Enclave?

The Telluride has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across six model years for the Telluride, against 10 across nine model years for the Enclave. The Enclave's record is shorter and spread over more years of production.

Which Buick Enclave years should I avoid?

Avoid 2019 and 2020, the weakest years in owner complaints. The 2023 model is a safer target, since it is among the strongest years and followed the 2022 refresh. The 2026 model also ranks well, but it has had little time to collect complaints.

Does the Kia Telluride have engine problems?

Some owners report them. Complaints describe heavy oil consumption, blue exhaust smoke, and no low-oil warning before the engine stalled or seized. Several owners needed a new engine, and some say Kia denied coverage over missing service records. A cracked plastic oil filter housing was also reported.

Which has the more dangerous complaints, the Telluride or the Enclave?

Both have crash-linked complaints. The Telluride's power train has 5, mostly rollaway in Park. The Enclave has 3 in power train, including a surge forward into a garage door, and 3 in service brakes, including a near-collision. Rollaway is the Telluride's clearest hazard.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Buick Enclave vs Kia Telluride: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Buick Enclave

Good

Kia Telluride

Good

The Buick Enclave beats the Kia Telluride on reliability by a wide margin. Owner complaints per vehicle sold run far lower. The Telluride's windshield cracks, blank instrument clusters, and oil-burning engines open the gap, and its recall list is much longer.

How Do the Buick Enclave and Kia Telluride Generations Compare?

Most of what you will find on the used market for the Telluride comes from a single generation, which launched for the 2020 model year and ran through 2025. A refresh arrived for 2023, so 2020 to 2022 are pre-refresh cars, and 2020 and 2021 are its weakest years. The Enclave's second generation ran from 2018 to 2024, with a refresh for 2022. Its weakest years, 2019 and 2020, came early in that run. A third generation began with 2025. The 2026 model ranks among the strongest, but it has had little time to collect complaints, so 2023 is the better-proven pick.

Verdict

The Buick Enclave is more reliable than the Kia Telluride, scoring 76/100 vs 66/100.

Reliability favors the Buick Enclave by a large margin. Owners filed far fewer complaints about it per vehicle sold, and its federal recall list is much shorter. The Kia Telluride still stands well, but its complaints include repeated windshield cracking, blank instrument clusters, and engines that burn oil until they fail. The Enclave has real problems too, such as a liftgate that opens by itself and grinding brakes, but they are reported far less often. The Enclave is the safer bet.

Key Differences

1Buick Enclave has 20.7 fewer complaints per 10k sold
2Buick Enclave has 17 fewer total recalls
3Buick Enclave scores 10 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

3Buick Enclave

—

0Kia Telluride

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint Rate

Buick Enclave vs Kia Telluride: Which Is More Reliable?

Buick Enclave vs Kia Telluride at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Buick Enclave	Kia Telluride
Reliability Score	76/100	66/100
Years Tracked	9	6
Total Recalls	10	27
Complaints per 10k Sold	2.6	23.3
Year Wins	5	1

What Are the Common Problems With the Buick Enclave and Kia Telluride?

Early, repeated failures define the Telluride's complaints. Windshields crack from tiny impacts or none, and instrument clusters go blank while driving. Some engines lose a quart or more of oil and then fail. Rollaway in Park is its most serious power train hazard, with 5 crash-linked complaints. The Enclave's complaints are fewer and more scattered: a liftgate that opens on its own, a transmission that slams into park, and grinding brakes within the first 1,000 miles. Service brakes are a crash-linked area for the Enclave, with 3, and not one of the Telluride's main problem areas. A broken exhaust bracket also raises fume worries on the Enclave.

Buick Enclave vs Kia Telluride common problem areas comparison
Component	Buick Enclave	Kia Telluride
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.3Very Low	4.4Average
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	4.2Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	2.8Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	2.5Low
ENGINE	0.3Very Low	1.9Low
POWER TRAIN	0.4Very Low	1.7Low
STRUCTURE	—None	1.6Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.4Very Low	0.3Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.7Very Low
SUSPENSION	—None	0.6Very Low
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	0.2Very Low
AIR BAGS	—None	0.1Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

How Does Buick Enclave vs Kia Telluride Reliability Compare by Year?

Buick Enclave vs Kia Telluride year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Buick Enclave	Kia Telluride	Edge
2025	77/1000R / 31C	78/1002R / 32C	Kia Telluride
2024	77/1000R / 7C	69/1004R / 180C	Buick Enclave
2023	79/1000R / 17C	68/1005R / 161C	Buick Enclave
2022	76/1001R / 12C	63/1006R / 280C	Buick Enclave
2021	75/1002R / 21C	63/1004R / 280C	Buick Enclave
2020	68/1006R / 48C	55/1006R / 667C	Buick Enclave

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Buick Enclave scored 79/100 and the 2024 Kia Telluride scored 69/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Buick Enclave vs the Kia Telluride?

Pick the Enclave if you want the lowest chance of trouble. Its complaint rate is far below the Telluride's, and its recall list is shorter. Target 2023, which stands among its strongest years and came after the 2022 refresh. Avoid 2019 and 2020, its weakest years. Before buying, test the power liftgate, listen for grinding under braking, and check the exhaust for rattles or a strong smell. Pick the Telluride only if its features matter more to you than the record, and be ready for extra checks. Look at 2023 to 2025, since 2020 and 2021 are its weakest years. Ask for the oil service history, because owners said Kia denied some engine claims over missing records. Check that the windshield is free of cracks, and confirm the instrument cluster stays lit on a long test drive. Make sure the Park position holds on a slope.

Buick Enclave vs Kia Telluride: Common Questions

Is the Kia Telluride more reliable than the Buick Enclave?: No. The Enclave comes out well ahead. It has 2.6 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 23.3 for the Telluride. The Telluride's gap comes from repeated windshield cracks, blank instrument clusters, and engines that burn oil, which are more frequent and often start early.
Which has more recalls, the Telluride or the Enclave?: The Telluride has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across six model years for the Telluride, against 10 across nine model years for the Enclave. The Enclave's record is shorter and spread over more years of production.
Which Buick Enclave years should I avoid?: Avoid 2019 and 2020, the weakest years in owner complaints. The 2023 model is a safer target, since it is among the strongest years and followed the 2022 refresh. The 2026 model also ranks well, but it has had little time to collect complaints.
Does the Kia Telluride have engine problems?: Some owners report them. Complaints describe heavy oil consumption, blue exhaust smoke, and no low-oil warning before the engine stalled or seized. Several owners needed a new engine, and some say Kia denied coverage over missing service records. A cracked plastic oil filter housing was also reported.
Which has the more dangerous complaints, the Telluride or the Enclave?: Both have crash-linked complaints. The Telluride's power train has 5, mostly rollaway in Park. The Enclave has 3 in power train, including a surge forward into a garage door, and 3 in service brakes, including a near-collision. Rollaway is the Telluride's clearest hazard.

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How we score the Buick Enclave and Kia Telluride

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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