Seat Belt complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 29% | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2021 | 3 | 12% | 90,000 miles |
| 2020 | 3 | 5% | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 5% | 43,000 miles |
| 2018 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2017 | 4 | 2% | 33,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 2% | 130,000 miles |
| 2015 | 6 | 4% | 55,000 miles |
| 2014 | 11 | 4% | 50,000 miles |
| 2013 | 3 | 4% | 13,000 miles |
| 2012 | 3 | 2% | 65,000 miles |
| 2011 | 5 | 2% | 37,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 1% | 147,000 miles |
| 2009 | 7 | 3% | 110,000 miles |
| 2008 | 6 | 1% | 65,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2021 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the contact and her daughter inside the vehicle, her daughter's seat belt became extremely tight. The seat belt failed to unlatch, forcing the contact to cut the seat belt to remove her daughter from the seat. The contact believed that the seat belt had malfunctioned. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Passenger side seatbelt latch gets stuck so when trying to buckle it doesn't go in, you have to try multiple times. Get a notification on dashboard every once in a while saying seatbelt or airbag issue contact dealer. Warning light (air bag and seatbelt system) lights up. My safety is put at risk as I am pregnant and not sure whether the seatbelt will buckle or not while I'm in the passenger seat. I have not taken this In to be looked at yet.
We were driving our Buick Enclave on I 94 expressway near merriman road near detroit metro airport when we hit a construction zone. We slowed down to 15 MPH when car behind hit us going full highway speed. There were 4 people in the car. 2 of the people (the driver and passenger behind the driver) did not have the shoulder seat belt hold. The driver hit the steering wheel and the passenger hit the back of the drivers seat. The airbag did not deploy. The answer from GM was a simple 'well it should have'. We bought the car with 13000 miles from todd wendell in westland michigan. They said when they certify a used car they do not check seat belts. They said they would check on that a week ago and call back (they did not). Called back 4 days ago and no return call. GM said they were going to look at the car but never did. I am about ready to send title to aaa and the car will be gone. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Buick Enclave. While driving 25 MPH and making a left turn, another vehicle pulled out and crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the driver's side seat belt failed to lock. The contact sustained head injuries that required medical attention. No injuries were reported in the other vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body repair shop where it was awaiting diagnosis. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000. Updated 05/30/17
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.
Child became entrapped in 3rd row seatbelt, seatbelt was unable to be released from locked position and it wrapped so tight around the child his airway was cut off, it wouldn't come from around him, and had to be cut off.
The contact owns a 2015 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that upon inspection it was discovered that the vehicle was leaking engine oil. Additionally, the second-row driver's side seat belt buckle had fractured and was inoperable. No further information was available. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 270,000,
I was in a car accident on 10/31/2023. the air bags did not deploy and the seat belt (Pretensioners) did not engage as a result of this high impact force. Esis- General Motors inspected the vehicle and provided the crash data retrieval report, attached. There were no problems prior to the accident.
Related recalls (3)
Seat belts
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles…
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available.
Seat belts
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet traverse, Buick enclave, GMC acadia, and Saturn outlook vehicles. The second row seat side trim shield restricts the upward rotation of the safety belt buckle when the seat back is returned to a seating position after being folded flat.
Remedy: Dealers will modify the second row seat side trim shields. If a safety belt buckle is damaged, dealers will replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on August 18, 2010.
Seat belts › Rear/other › Buckle assembly
GM is recalling 16,667 my 2009 Buick enclave, Chevrolet traverse, GMC acadia, and Saturn outlook vehicles for failing to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the safety belt buckles in the second and third rows, and replace them if necessary. The recall began on November 26, 2008.
NHTSA investigations
Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform)…
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM).
Frequently asked questions
Which Buick Enclave years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2014 (11), 2009 (7), 2008 (6), 2015 (6) and 2011 (5) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 2014.
Is there a recall for Buick Enclave seat belt problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 14V-266 (seat belts, May 20, 2014); 10V-375 (seat belts, Aug 12, 2010); 08V-615 (buckle assembly, Nov 24, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Buick Enclave seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles; 48% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the rear/other › buckle assembly (1 mentions), followed by the front › warning light/devices (1).
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.