Most common Buick warranty defects
Buick’s US lineup is now all crossovers: the Envista, Encore GX, Envision and Enclave. Its recent repeat-repair complaints center on automatic transmissions in the Enclave, digital instrument displays and rearview cameras in the small turbocharged models, and module software across the range. Many Buick defects are intermittent, such as a screen that goes dark or a transmission that slips only when warm. A claim often depends on whether those events made it onto a repair order.
2025–2026 Enclave transmission and electronics problems
The third-generation Enclave arrived for 2025 with a 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder and eight-speed automatic in place of the old V6 and nine-speed. Consumer Reports rated the 2025 Enclave’s reliability below average and named the transmission and in-car electronics as major trouble spots, as reported by Jalopnik. The same report described a GM service bulletin on certain 2025 models with a damaged turbine shaft seal in the torque converter. Owners reported gear slippage, rough or delayed shifts and transmission fluid leaks, often with a Service Engine Soon light and code P2817. Torque converter work generally means removing the transmission, so these visits can keep your Enclave off the road for some time. If the same symptoms return after the bulletin repair, that second visit is the one to document closely.
ModelsEnclave (2025–2026)Enclave Sport TouringEnclave Avenir
Nine-speed transmission and start-stop issues in the 2020–2024 Enclave
The previous-generation Enclave paired a 3.6L V6 with GM’s 9T65 nine-speed automatic. In 2021 GM published a transmission replacement pilot program (bulletin 20-NA-136) covering 2018–2021 Enclaves and related GM crossovers under 18 months and 18,000 miles. When an internal fault was confirmed, dealers were directed to replace the transmission assembly instead of repairing it, to shorten repair times. Separately, recall 20V-668 covered 2019–2020 Enclaves (and other GM models) whose start-stop transmission accumulator endcap could be missing bolts. On 2021–2022 Enclaves, recall 22V-210 replaced roof-rail air bag connectors that might keep the curtain air bags from deploying. If your Enclave had solenoid or valve body work before a full transmission replacement, the order of those repairs matters.
ModelsEnclave (2020–2024)Enclave Avenir
Encore GX and Envista blank displays and rearview cameras
The Encore GX and Envista rely on a digital cockpit, and both have had display and camera recalls. Recall 23V-744 covered 60,154 2024 Encore GX, Envista and Chevrolet Trax models whose virtual cockpit software could blank the instrument display at startup or while driving. The fix was a software update delivered over the air or by a dealer. In August 2026 GM filed recall 26V-539 for 306,511 vehicles, including 2024–2025 Envistas and 2024–2026 Encore GXs, whose rearview camera screen could show a distorted or blank image. GM’s first owner letters warned of the risk and said a second letter would follow once parts were available. A camera or display that keeps failing while you wait for parts is a defect that affects both safety and use.
ModelsEncore GX (2024–2026)Envista (2024–2025)
Encore GX brake boost and transmission service actions
Earlier Encore GX models had problems of their own. Recall 20V-588 covered 2020–2021 Encore GXs (and a few other GM models) with contamination in the electronic brake boost sensor connection, which could interrupt communication and reduce brake assist. Dealers replaced the brake boost module. In June 2024, GM Authority reported a service update (N242446290) for certain 2024 Encore GXs still in dealer inventory, with either the CVT or the nine-speed automatic. Retaining rings inside the transmission were out of specification, and the clutch piston housing had to be replaced before sale. Encore GX owners with a hard or long brake pedal, or a transmission that slips or flares, should ask the dealer to check for open campaigns at every visit. Our article on the brake boost recall has more.
ModelsEncore GX (2020–2024)
Envision module and warning-light software faults
The current Envision, sold in the US since the 2021 model year, has mostly had software-related recalls rather than mechanical ones. Recall 21V-421 covered 2021 Envisions (along with several other GM models) whose communications gateway module could mishandle a lost signal and fail to light the air bag warning lamp correctly. Recall 22V-903 updated body control module software on 2021–2023 Envisions whose daytime running lights stayed on with the headlights. A software problem in a gateway or body control module can show up as unrelated warnings, dead accessories or lights that act on their own. Write down every warning message, take a photo of the instrument cluster, and ask that each one be recorded even if the dealer clears the codes.
ModelsEnvision (2021–2026)Envision Avenir
Signs your Buick may be a lemon
- Your Enclave slips or leaks fluid again. A 2025 or newer Enclave keeps slipping, shifting late or leaking transmission fluid after the torque converter repair.
- A second transmission repair on an older Enclave. Your 2020–2024 Enclave’s nine-speed had solenoid or valve body work and still shudders, flares or sets codes.
- Your Envista or Encore GX cluster goes black. The digital instrument display blanks out or reboots after the over-the-air or dealer software update.
- The backup camera image is blank or distorted. Your Encore GX or Envista camera keeps failing while you wait for recall parts.
- Warning lights with no clear cause. An Envision keeps showing air bag, lighting or system warnings that the dealer clears without finding a fix.
Buick models we see
Lemon law claims can involve any Buick still under factory warranty, including:
- Enclave
- Enclave Avenir
- Envision
- Encore GX
- Envista
- Encore (through 2022)
What Buick’s warranty means for a claim
Buick’s new-vehicle limited warranty runs 3 years or 36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and 5 years or 60,000 miles on the powertrain, whichever comes first. Corrosion coverage runs 3 years or 36,000 miles, and rust-through coverage for an actual hole in a body panel runs 6 years or 100,000 miles. Buick also covers the first maintenance visit in the first year. Transmission repairs on an Enclave, Encore GX or Envista can fall under the longer powertrain term after bumper-to-bumper coverage ends. Your state’s lemon law sets its own time and mileage limits, so report problems early and in writing.
Buick dealers often handle display, camera and module problems with software, and some updates arrive over the air with no visit at all. Save the update notice and record the date. For intermittent faults, take a photo or video of the warning or blank screen, because “could not duplicate” is a common result when the problem isn’t happening at the dealer. When a recall remedy is waiting on parts, as with the 2026 rearview camera campaign, ask the dealer to note your complaint and the parts delay on a repair order.
Buick recalls and problem reports
No Buick articles match that exact combination — but that does not mean you do not have a claim. Repeat repair attempts, days out of service, and warranty status matter more than whether a recall exists.
A recall is not a claim
An open recall on your Buick is not, by itself, a lemon law case — and a recall that has already been repaired does not mean you don’t have one. Recalls are safety campaigns run by the manufacturer; lemon law claims turn on how your specific vehicle has performed under warranty. What matters is the record: how many times you brought the vehicle in for the same problem, how many days it has spent out of service, and whether the defect substantially impairs its use, value, or safety while covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
A Buick that has been back to the dealer repeatedly for one persistent issue can qualify with no recall on file, while a vehicle with three open recalls may not qualify at all if each was repaired on the first visit. Repair-attempt and days-out-of-service thresholds vary from state to state, so the same facts can play out differently depending on where you bought or registered the vehicle. Keep every repair order — the paper trail is the case.
Who handles your Buick claim
Lemon Law Group Partners is a law firm dedicated to lemon law. Jason S. Hegedus founded it in 2012 after years as a defense attorney for a major automaker in Michigan, and he has litigated lemon law claims since the late 1990s. That background shows us how manufacturers evaluate and defend claims — and we use it for consumers.
Your Buick case is handled by a team of more than twenty attorneys, paralegals and case managers. We collect and review your repair orders, deal with the manufacturer and its lawyers, and pursue a buyback, replacement or cash settlement where your state’s law allows. No attorney’s fees unless we recover.
Jason S. HegedusManaging Partner & FounderFrequently asked questions about Buick lemon law claims
Is my 2025 Enclave a lemon if the transmission was repaired once?
One repair usually isn’t enough by itself. The pattern after it is what matters. The 2025 Enclave has a GM bulletin for a torque converter seal that can cause slipping, harsh shifts and fluid leaks. If your Enclave goes back for the same symptoms, or spends a long stretch at the dealer, keep every repair order and note each day it was out of service.
My Envista’s screen went blank. Does a software update count as a repair?
Yes. Recall 23V-744 fixed the 2024 Envista and Encore GX instrument display with a software update, often over the air. If the display blanks again after the update, report it to the dealer and make sure it is written up. Each documented recurrence after a fix strengthens a pattern. A phone video of the dark cluster, with the date and mileage, helps when the screen works fine at the dealer.
Buick says my backup camera parts aren’t available yet. What should I do?
Recall 26V-539, filed in August 2026, covers distorted or blank rearview camera images on 2024–2026 Encore GX and 2024–2025 Envista models. GM’s first owner letters said a second notice would follow when parts were ready. In the meantime, report each failure to the dealer, ask that it be documented, and keep the recall letters. Time spent waiting on a defect repair can matter.
Does Buick’s warranty cover a transmission replacement on my Enclave?
Transmission defects fall under Buick’s 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, and under bumper-to-bumper coverage in the first 3 years or 36,000 miles. On 2018–2021 Enclaves, GM’s nine-speed pilot program directed dealers to replace the whole transmission once an internal fault was confirmed on qualifying low-mileage vehicles. Keep every record from before and after any replacement.
Are Buick claims different because Buicks share parts with Chevrolet and GMC?
Your claim is about your own Buick’s repair history, and it is made against General Motors. Shared platforms mean shared recalls. The Envista and Encore GX display and camera recalls also include Chevrolet models, and the nine-speed pilot program covered the Enclave alongside the Traverse and Acadia. Recalls that cover several brands can help show GM knew about the defect.
Think your Buick might be a lemon?
If your Buick has been in the shop repeatedly for the same warranty problem, or has sat out of service for weeks, tell us what happened. The review is free, and there are no attorney’s fees unless we recover for you.
Lemon Law Group Partners PLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Buick or any other vehicle manufacturer. All trademarks, service marks, and brand names are the property of their respective owners and are used solely to identify the vehicles at issue.
