Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Buick Enclave owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, and at various speeds, while the brake pedal was depressed, there was an abnormally loud high-pitched grinding or squeaking sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that the noise was loud enough that pedestrians would turn and look at his vehicle when he depressed the brake pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where the sound was being emitted and could not repair the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly began to drive sluggishly before coming to a stop. The brake warning light had illuminated and the message service ABS system was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the ABS computer had lost its program and needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 52,000.
The Electronic Parking Brake has had multiple apparent malfunctions and one complete failure. On several occasions the parking brake failed to disengage completely with multiple warning dash lights illuminating. One such incident apparently self-corrected after being left parked overnight our semi-heated garage, with another incident only partially disengaged the parking brake with warning lights indicating a parking brake malfunction, and after driving two to three miles returning home the right rear brake was baking hot. The latest malfunction was a complete failure of the parking brake to engage at all, with the warning lights again illuminating and would be an obvious danger while parking. The vehicle is just over four years old and was two-and-a-half months out of warranty at the time of failure, and had/has 5,121 miles. …
Passenger side rear electronic parking brake wire clip failed, wire is rubbing against the rear cv boot. This caused a short that led to defective ABS control module that had to be replaced for anti-skid and anti-roll for this SUV. It also affected the transmission alert system. Related Bulletins: https://s3.amazonaws.com/shop-ware-prod-attachments/2ce2615fbf6158c020eb7ddbba19c956d5c9cf33.pdf?1678982217 https://s3.amazonaws.com/shop-ware-prod-attachments/df15af6513bb2265bc07179efd733f06e355fe8a.pdf?1678916531 From Shop: "Continued working with the electronic parking brake system Used GM Techline connect to attempt to reprogram the EBCM because of the programming error DTC. After programming we also performed the module configuration procedure and although e removed the programming error, the system is still reporting a failure with the LEFT parking brake circuit. …
Several times I have been stopped at a red light, and my parking break will come on without me engaging it. I was almost hit by other vehicles the last time my vehicle did this. People were blasting their horns and speeding around me because I was unable to move my vehicle. Because I had not manually engaged my parking break, my vehicle would not allow me to disengage the parking break until after it finally read that I engaged it. It took me 10 minutes of having to turn my car off and back on and trying to engage the parking break manually before the vehicle finally noticed it was engaged and would allow me to disengage my vehicle so that I could move it out of the way. This has now happened 3 separate times in the last month. It is an extremely dangerous situation and is making me become nervous to drive my own vehicle.
The car has an auto-stop feature however at times, when the car is stopped, the entire electrical and engine shuts down even while the car is in drive. The driver must restart the car and put the car into park and then back into drive. When the car restarts, several lights/messages turn on including "Service Transmission" and the "Service Parking Brake" message and parking break light. This is a safety and hazard issue as it has happened while in traffic on the freeway when at a standstill.
While on free way transmission stopped functioning properly after exit unable to move vehicles in gear. Dealer said it was a computer programming issue. Another instance 9 months later care emergency break would not dis engage even after shutting vehicle off and restarting several times that transmission would stop shifting soon received messages dealer said it was a computer programming error .
The brake system ABS module/sensor malfunctions- yes it is available for further inspection. Safety is an issue due to the ABS indicator light on. Yes, the problem/issue has been confirmed by a dealership. No inspections have occurred other than the dealership. The only warning is the light indicator for the brakes, parking ABS.
The brake issue raised its ugly head again. The vehicle has operated fine since the original incident even with the front-end damage. Yesterday, one week after the original incident it occurred again. Cold start leaving a restaurant turned out of parking lot on to side street. Traffic was stopped at a light and I pulled into the left turn lane. Going very slow, haven't even traveled 200 feet. Put pressure on brake pedal to stop and no response, the car keeps rolling forward as I applied extreme brake pressure. At that point I hit the emergency parking brake button and the car stopped just as I hit the rear end of the car in front of me. Thankfully there was no damage to his car. I restarted the car and we pulled off the road into a parking lot to exchange information. Everything operated fine. Left the scene and headed home. …
Cold start, ac unit on, engine at high idle speed. Put car in reverse to back out of the garage. Stepped on the brake pedal and the car kept rolling. Pumped the brake peddle and applied extreme pressure, car did not slow down. Panicked that I would hit a wall, I dropped the car from reverse to drive. Still on high idle, the car would not stop even with extreme pressure applied to the brake pedal. Car continued forward and hit a cabinet in my garage causing considerable front-end damage. Every thing happened so quickly, I couldn't understand what happened at the time. The only thing I could think of was that I must have done something wrong. Restarted the car and all functions were fine. The damage did not affect the operation of the vehicle. I drove to the dealer and I'm waiting for an estimate to repair the damage.
Brake complaints in other Enclave years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2018 Buick Enclave?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the brakes of the 2018 Buick Enclave, 32% of the model year's 66 complaints. The component named most often is antilock › abs warning light (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Buick Enclave brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2018 Buick Enclave. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2018 Buick Enclave brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 23,000 miles, and 60% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes 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.