Is the Toyota Highlander more reliable than the Buick Enclave?

No, the Enclave has a slight edge, and both models rate good. The Enclave has far fewer owner complaints per vehicle sold and far fewer recalls. The Highlander's record includes costly transmission failures and air bag non-deployment reports, which are not among the Enclave's main problem areas.

Which has more recalls, the Highlander or the Enclave?

The Highlander has far more. Federal recall records show 66 across its 9 model years, against 10 for the Enclave. One Highlander recall, 23V720000, covers a front bumper cover that detaches, and owners often report waiting months for the repair part.

What is the most common problem with the Toyota Highlander?

Power train complaints lead, at 485. Owners describe a high-pitched whine under acceleration that grows until the transmission fails. Reports cluster just past the 60,000-mile warranty, and dealers quote $8,500 to $10,000 for replacement. Some owners wait months for a backordered unit.

What goes wrong with the Buick Enclave?

Electrical complaints lead, mainly a power liftgate that opens by itself while parked or driving. Owners also report transmissions that slam into park or jerk, brakes that grind within the first 1,000 miles, and a cracked front exhaust bracket. One dealer quoted $1000 for that exhaust fix.

Which Enclave and Highlander years should I avoid?

Avoid Enclave years 2020 and 2019, its weakest, and Highlander years 2024 and 2021. For the Enclave, 2023 is among the stronger years. The newest 2025 and 2026 cars of both models have had little time to collect complaints, so their clean records are not yet proof.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Buick Enclave

Good

Toyota Highlander

Good

Reliability favors the Buick Enclave slightly over the Toyota Highlander, mainly because it has far fewer recalls and complaints. Each still rates good. The Highlander's transmission failures and reports of air bags not deploying widen the gap.

How Do the Buick Enclave and Toyota Highlander Generations Compare?

Most used Highlanders you will see belong to the fourth generation, which began with the 2020 model year and runs through 2026. The 2018 and 2019 years are from the third generation, and a fifth generation arrives for 2027. On the Enclave side, 2018 through 2024 make up the second generation, which received a refresh for 2022. The third generation began with 2025. Cars from 2025 and 2026 are new enough that their light complaint counts reflect limited time on the road, not a proven record.

Verdict

The Buick Enclave is more reliable than the Toyota Highlander, scoring 76/100 vs 73/100.

Slightly ahead on reliability is the Buick Enclave, and the lead is small because both models rate good. The Enclave has far fewer recalls and far fewer owner complaints per vehicle sold. Its main problem areas also leave out air bags and structure, which are two of the Highlander's biggest. The Highlander carries a heavier record: a long recall list, transmission failures just past the warranty, and air bag reports with many crash links. The Enclave's weak spots, a liftgate that opens on its own and early brake grinding, are real but not as heavy.

Key Differences

1Buick Enclave has 56 fewer total recalls
2Buick Enclave has 3.2 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Buick Enclave scores 3 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

3Buick Enclave

—

0Toyota Highlander

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint Rate

Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander: Which Is More Reliable?

Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Buick Enclave	Toyota Highlander
Reliability Score	76/100	73/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	10	66
Complaints per 10k Sold	2.6	5.8
Year Wins	7	2

What Are the Common Problems With the Buick Enclave and Toyota Highlander?

Expensive and dangerous failures dominate the Highlander's record: a whining transmission that ends in replacement, a forward surge while braking at low speed, a front bumper cover that detaches at highway speed, and front impacts with no air bag deployment. Air bags carry 41 crash-linked complaints, the most of any area on either car. The Enclave's reports are fewer and milder: a liftgate that opens by itself, a transmission that slams into park or jerks, brakes that grind within the first 1,000 miles, and a cracked exhaust bracket. Its steering reports, where assist cuts out mid-turn, are rare but serious.

Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander common problem areas comparison
Component	Buick Enclave	Toyota Highlander
POWER TRAIN	0.4Very Low	1.5Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.3Very Low	0.8Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.4Very Low	0.5Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	0.4Very Low
ENGINE	0.3Very Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	—None	0.5Very Low
AIR BAGS	—None	0.5Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	0.3Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	0.1Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None

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

How Does Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander Reliability Compare by Year?

Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Buick Enclave	Toyota Highlander	Edge
2026	81/1000R / 0C	84/1000R / 0C	Toyota Highlander
2025	77/1000R / 31C	76/1008R / 40C	Buick Enclave
2024	77/1000R / 7C	67/10016R / 198C	Buick Enclave
2023	79/1000R / 17C	73/10013R / 140C	Buick Enclave
2022	76/1001R / 12C	74/1007R / 186C	Buick Enclave
2021	75/1002R / 21C	70/1006R / 403C	Buick Enclave
2020	68/1006R / 48C	71/1008R / 269C	Toyota Highlander
2019	75/1001R / 38C	70/1003R / 414C	Buick Enclave
2018	75/1000R / 60C	72/1005R / 242C	Buick Enclave

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Buick Enclave scored 79/100 and the 2022 Toyota Highlander scored 74/100 — 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 Toyota Highlander?

Pick the Enclave if you want the lower-risk record and can live with annoyances. Its complaints are far fewer, and the most common are a liftgate that opens while parked and brakes that grind early. Target 2023, one of its strongest years, and avoid 2020 and 2019, its weakest. Before you buy, test the liftgate and brakes, and check the exhaust for a rattle or strong smell. Pick the Highlander if you want a hybrid option and will accept more risk. Budget for the transmission, since owners report whining that ends in an $8,500 to $10,000 replacement just past 60,000 miles. Avoid 2024 and 2021, its weakest years. The newest years, 2025 and 2026, look strong, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so do not treat them as proven. Confirm that recall 23V720000 on the bumper cover was completed on any car you consider.

Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander: Common Questions

Is the Toyota Highlander more reliable than the Buick Enclave?: No, the Enclave has a slight edge, and both models rate good. The Enclave has far fewer owner complaints per vehicle sold and far fewer recalls. The Highlander's record includes costly transmission failures and air bag non-deployment reports, which are not among the Enclave's main problem areas.
Which has more recalls, the Highlander or the Enclave?: The Highlander has far more. Federal recall records show 66 across its 9 model years, against 10 for the Enclave. One Highlander recall, 23V720000, covers a front bumper cover that detaches, and owners often report waiting months for the repair part.
What is the most common problem with the Toyota Highlander?: Power train complaints lead, at 485. Owners describe a high-pitched whine under acceleration that grows until the transmission fails. Reports cluster just past the 60,000-mile warranty, and dealers quote $8,500 to $10,000 for replacement. Some owners wait months for a backordered unit.
What goes wrong with the Buick Enclave?: Electrical complaints lead, mainly a power liftgate that opens by itself while parked or driving. Owners also report transmissions that slam into park or jerk, brakes that grind within the first 1,000 miles, and a cracked front exhaust bracket. One dealer quoted $1000 for that exhaust fix.
Which Enclave and Highlander years should I avoid?: Avoid Enclave years 2020 and 2019, its weakest, and Highlander years 2024 and 2021. For the Enclave, 2023 is among the stronger years. The newest 2025 and 2026 cars of both models have had little time to collect complaints, so their clean records are not yet proof.

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How we score the Buick Enclave and Toyota Highlander

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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