Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Buick Enclave owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that a message indicating that the front passenger's side seat belt was not buckled and that the front passenger's side air bag was enabled was displayed, even though the front passenger's side seat was not occupied. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Complete "FAILURE" to remedy a life and death recall situation now for six months. This is considered an incident to me as there is not a single person of whom I wrote to or spoke to that has any clue or estimate of when this dangerous air bag recall will be remedied. This includes CEO Mary Barra, Cust Care VP John Roth, their administrative phone response personnel, and numerous employees at Tasca GMC Buick in Palm Harbor Florida. My notification letter states "we are concerned about your safety and continued satisfaction with our products". I repeat: MAY RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH" !! Does this sound like Buick is concerned for my safety as well as my vehicles occupants ? …
In June of 2023 I received a safety recall from GM on my 2016 Buick Enclave concerning a defect in the airbag system. I contacted my local GM dealer and they said the hadn't received the replacement parts yet and that I would be notified when they were available. I checked again in January 2024 and still had no parts. I called again today, July 29, 2024 and received the same answer. I then contacted GM Buick Customer Assistance and was told that the parts were being released in waves to different regions of the country and I would be notified when they were available for my vehicle. It seems to me that their supplier is not placing urgency on manufacturing these parts, which in my opinion is very negligent on their part. Hopefully there have not been any injuries or deaths while waiting to receive repair parts for the vehicles affected by this defect.
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that a dump truck had struck the front driver's side of the vehicle while in a parking a lot. The contact stated that it was a minor collision; however, the incident had increased her concerns regarding the air bags safety recall because the contact believed she could have been injured had the air bags been deployed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
GM still does not have a remedy for the open recall of my vehicle but has determined that it is unsafe. I called today to several GMC/Buick dealers as well as the manufacturer. They refuse to provide a timeline of when any remedy will be available. It has been more than 11 months and I am afraid that something bad will happen as my vehicle has been deemed unsafe. Is there a way to request payment for my vehicle or even an equivalent replacement as a repair is not available and has no timeline? I do not want to continue driving an unsafe vehicle. Thanks, [redacted]
I am writing to express my alarm as to the length of time it is taking to resolve a safety recall ([redacted]) on my 2016 Buick Enclave. The recall was issued in May of 2023 and 10 months later, still no fix. It gives me great pause to be driving this vehicle whose driver's front airbag could shoot projectiles into the cabin if deployed. It even states in my recall letter that this could be deadly. Recalls need to be resolved in a timely manner, and I do not feel that a 10 month wait is timely. Sincerely, [redacted]
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs as the recall notice was received several months ago. The local dealer was notified of the recall notice and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms part not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025.
Air bags › Frontal
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022.
Airbag complaints in other Enclave years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2016 Buick Enclave?
NHTSA has 110 complaints about the air bags of the 2016 Buick Enclave, 78% of the model year's 141 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Buick Enclave airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-334 (inflator module, May 10, 2023); NHTSA recall 21V-782 (frontal, Oct 7, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Buick Enclave airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 127,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.