CASCADA

Buick Cascada Problems

What actually breaks on the Buick Cascada — 51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across 2016–2019, sorted by model year and by system, with what owners wrote in their own words.

NHTSA owner complaints · 51 reports · 30 builds · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Quick answer

Owners have filed 51 complaints on the Buick Cascada, covering 2016–2019. The system named most often is Structure (13 reports). Worst years by volume: 2016, 2017, 2018; cleanest: 2019, 2018, 2017. On average the car was 6.1 years old when the problem happened.

What breaks on Buick Cascada

Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 51 Cascada complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.

Structure 25% 13 Read
2019 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2019 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that the convertible top rear glass had significantly detached from the top cover material. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the entire convertible top needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the…

2019 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2019 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that the rear windshield was separating from the convertible top plastic frame. The contact stated that the rear glass was pushing upward and out of the frame. The contact had called a dealer and discussed the failure and was advised that the manufacturer had…

2019 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2019 Buick Cascada. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed during a rainstorm, water started entering the vehicle through the rear windshield. The contact stated that the rear windshield was separating from the seal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the…

Engine 22% 11 Read
2018 Buick Cascada

Camshaft cover recall on exact model car for different year model, recall doesn’t cover this years model, however, I have the same issue

2018 Buick Cascada

PCV Failure at 62,000 miles. GM extended warranty on 2016 models that demonstrated this problem. Appears to be a design flaw and often fails again after repair. $2000 + job to repair

2018 Buick Cascada

Vehicle is a 2018 requiring valve cover replacement due to an issue that was recalled on previous years, most recently 2016. Extended warranty was offered for these repairs. TSB Special Coverage N192291620 – Camshaft Cover Replacement (later superseded by N232395320). This should be reviewed for additional recalls

Engine And Engine Cooling 12% 6 Read
2018 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2018 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a whistling sound coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the intake manifold was faulty and needed to be…

2018 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2018 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the air intake valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired.…

2017 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2017 Buick Cascada. The contact stated while driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the knock combustion vibration control system had failed. The dealer determined that…

Visibility/wiper 8% 4 Read
2019 Buick Cascada

I am reporting the malfunction and separation of the rear window from the cover. This is a safety issue as there is the potential for it to come off while driving and possibly causing an accident. It started small, but has grown to almost 12 inches. I have not yet found anyone who has the capacity (or desire) to fix…

2018 Buick Cascada

17-NA-216 was originally issued in in 2017 updated in 2019 to include 2018 model. Back windshield detaches from canvas/folding top. Was concerned primarily about safety of my child who drives car that windshield would completely fly off when driving. I replaced the folding top cover per bulletin. GM refused to…

2017 Buick Cascada

The rear window of this car has separated and when I contacted the manufacturer they indicated a service bulletin was issued but they are not liable for the repair. The window has become more and more separated and I'm using glue to hold it on but it's becoming undrivable due to the risk of it separating while on the…

Electrical System 8% 4 Read
2017 Buick Cascada

The front collision alert doesn't work at all. It is supposed to light up and make a sound to warn that you are approaching another car to fast, it doesn't. The indicator that lights up green to show that there is a car in front of you should turn amber if you get to close, it doesn't. This is an option that I bought…

2016 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2016 buick cascada (na). When the contact started the vehicle, the front camera experienced a failure and several safety features were disabled in the vehicle. The dealer diagnosed that a sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.…

2016 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2016 buick cascada. While driving various speeds, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and/or shut completely off. The vehicle was returned to ed morris auto blvd (10133 us hwy 19, port richie, fl) on fifteen separate occasions for the same failure. During the service visits, the battery and turbo…

Visibility 6% 3 Read
2016 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2016 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that the rear windshield separated from the convertible top making it difficult to secure the top of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the window and top of the vehicle needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been…

2016 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2016 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that the rear windshield glass had begun to separate from the convertible top headliner. The contact attempted to repair the failure by using epoxy glue, but the failure returned over time. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where she was provided a quote…

2016 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2016 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that when his wife entered the vehicle, the rear passenger’s side window automatically rolled down when the vehicle was started. The contact was unable to confirm if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA…

Power Train 4% 2 Read
2019 Buick Cascada

The contact owns a 2019 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle lost motive power. In addition, the transmission and engine failure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle…

2018 Buick Cascada

Chirping sound from under hood took to GM dealer, they changed the belt and transitioned and was still chirping. Now say it is pvc/camshaft cover

Fuel/propulsion System 2% 1 Read
2017 Buick Cascada

The component is the PCV and manifold. Cracks develop in the PCV pressure regulator and manifold creating a situation where excess air was drawn into the engine intake. This caused the engine to run rough and unpredictable. This is a known defect and the 2016 model with the same engine was recalled. The recall,…

Cascada years to avoid — and the clean ones

Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.

FIG.02·Buick Cascada complaints by model year
Model yearComplaintsTop systemCrashesFires
20195Power Train,engine
201810Engine
201715Electrical System,unknown Or Other
201621Electrical System
ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

The same model year, different builds

Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.

FIG.03·Buick Cascada complaints by production series
MeasureValue
Distinct production series30
Average complaints per series1.7
Worst single series5 complaints
Average age at failure6.1 years
ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints + ForCar

A model average of 1.7 hides a worst series at 5. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.

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How we count

Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.

A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.

Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.

Frequently asked questions

What are the worst years for the Cascada?

By complaint volume, 2016, 2017, 2018 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.

Which Cascada years are the cleanest?

2019, 2018, 2017 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.

How many complaints does the Buick Cascada have?

51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2016–2019. Of those, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire.

Are these complaints verified?

No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.

Can I check complaints for one specific car?

Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.

Owner complaints from NHTSA, published as filed and unverified. Age at failure computed by ForCar from incident date and model year; production series grouped by the first 11 VIN characters. Last updated Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.