Owners have filed 221 complaints on the Buick Envision, covering 2016–2025. The system named most often is Electrical System (47 reports). Worst years by volume: 2017, 2022, 2023; cleanest: 2025, 2020, 2024. 8 reports describe a crash, 2 a fire. On average the car was 3.0 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Buick Envision
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 221 Envision complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 47 Read
Computer screen display frequently goes very dim and sometimes completely out several times there has been no display showing when we were backing up plus the warning beeper didn't come on. We have had 2 minor accidents when we were backing up because of the failure of the computer screen and warning beeper. I have…
Brakes failed while coming to a stop causing me to crash into the back of someone. Also all dash and radio and shifter lights went out and came back on at the same time brakes failed. Brake issue still not fixed by GM Buick
I had just left the driveway at my in-laws house, which is approx. An hour and 45 minutes from my home. Within moments, randomly, the sun roof popped open, as if someone had hit a remote. It would not close, and after trying for a bit, decided to drive home and we would address it there. When I hit the open road, the…
Service Brakes 33 Read
My 2025 Buick Envision with 10,000 miles on it has squeaky brakes. My previous 2023 Envision had the same problem, Brakes check out ok, but squeak persists
While driving for approximately 2 1/2 hours with cruise set at 78. I did need to brake on occasion and then resume speed. For no apparent reason the car suddenly braked. Speed dropped to about 50 and then immediately resumed speed. No one was hurt. Things in the back seat pushed forward. I don’t know if it has…
I was driving ~72 MPH on the interstate and my car suddenly downshifted and the dash read “Speed limited to 62 MPH”. I took the nearest off ramp and the brakes completely failed. The dash initially read “service transmission” and “service breaks”. After restarting the Buick Envision, the MyBuick App diagnostics stated…
Power Train 27 Read
11/25/25 driving at a slow speed, the transmision was in drive. The transmission slipped out of drive into neutral. The car stop. I put the car in drive and continued to the final destination. 3 days later it happened again. Transmition went from drive to 1 st gear. I stopped the car. I put the car in drive. I…
On 12/18/2025 at approximately 5:00 pm, during rush hour traffic, while driving 60 mph on the expressway, my car automatically downshifted to drive1, the engine revved up significantly and the car reduced power and had sluggish acceleration. It did not come out of Drive 1 until I was able to get off the expressway and…
Description of Safety Defect: While operating the vehicle at approximately 25-30MPH and make a right turn, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total loss of power/engine stall, accompanied by a "Check Engine" light and a "Reduced Engine Power" notification. This resulted in a near-collision on a public roadway. The…
Steering 16 Read
“Loss of vehicle stability” “Feels like wheels may detach” “Ride height abnormal” “Unresolved after multiple repairs” “Safety risk”
The contact owns a 2023 Buick Envision. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, the brakes failed to immediately activate while depressing the brake pedal. The contact attempted to steer the vehicle to prevent crashing into the vehicle in front and became aware…
The customer service recall caused the battery to drain in which caused all electrical functions to malfunction. My breaks locked up while I was driving. My abs light came on, transmission light, collision, check engine, and steering wheel light came on. It was multiple incidents, but with my breaks locking up is the…
Engine 14 Read
Prior to the first oil change which is recommended at 7500 miles, I check the oil and there was NO oil present on the dip stick...none, not a drop. I had to add 1 3/4 quarts to get it in the accepted range. We took the car for its normal 7500 mile oil change and informed the dealer, upon inspection and oil change they…
The vehicle was taken in for the oil level not registering on the dip stick 5235 miles on the odometer, they said it was 2 quart oils low. They said they would do an oil consumption test and to bringv it back in 2000 miles. We took it back with an odometer reading of 7451 and it was again 2 quarts oils low. There is…
Same as in the other two complaints. At one year and approximately 5000 miles I personally did the first oil change. Car was approximately 3 quarts low on oil after draining the oil for the oil change. Filled up to manufacturers recommendation. Two months later and approximately 1000 miles on the car, the car was 1…
Suspension 10 Read
The contact owns a 2021 Buick Envision. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the contact heard a popping sound coming from the front end of the vehicle, and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the front driver’s and passenger’s side ball…
Severe shuddering while driving. Sometimes on a smooth roadway and sometimes when crossing over a patched pothole. Shuddering continued until slowed to stop. When starting to go again car did not shudder until next incident
The problem started in the past year (2024-2025) with severe shuddering while driving over 35-40 mph and going over a patched pothole or other irregularity in the road. The shuddering would continue until I slowed to stop. It is quite alarming & feels like the car is falling apart and is more difficult to manuever…
Air Bags 8 Read
The contact owns a 2020 Buick Envision. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph when the contact was struck by a semi-trailer which resulted in the side air bag not deploying. A police report was taken the contact sustained broken ribs on the left side and sought medical treatment. The vehicle was towed…
2019 buick enclave. Consumer writes in regards to issues with airbag/airbag system. *ld
April 7, 2020 I am writing to you today to shed some light on how dire a situation gm buick has put me in with regard to a lack of a resolution regarding my 2019 buick. General motors has been unable to produce an airbag part #84548108 for my 2019 buick envision premium since november 27, 2019. My car was t-boned on…
Exterior Lighting 7 Read
The headlight illumination on the 2017 buick envision or inadequate. They are dim and lack distance projection even on bright. We can barely see to get up and down the hill of our driveway. We do not drive at night unless we know the road well. The headlights should be recalled because they will cause accidents and…
The contact owns a 2017 buick envision. The contact stated that the headlights failed to illuminate up to standards. The local dealer (todd wenzel buick gmc of grand rapids, 2727 28th st se, grand rapids, mi, 49512) was made aware of the failure; however, no additional assistance was offered. The manufacturer was also…
Car makes a scrapping sound. Spent 32 days, then 22 days at the garage. At the 32 days torque tube to drive shaft changed. Noise came back. At 22 days buick sent a field rep. To work on envision. Invoice said they loosened & retorque the frame that attaches the rear differential to the unit body of the car. With my…
Envision 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.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2024 | Electrical System,exterior Lighting,unknown Or Other | — | — | |
| 2023 | Back Over Prevention | — | — | |
| 2022 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2021 | Air Bags | 2 | — | |
| 2020 | Air Bags | 2 | — | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | 2 | — | |
| 2018 | Electrical System,air Bags,back Over Prevention | — | — | |
| 2017 | Electrical System | 2 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags,electronic Stability Control (esc),service Brakes | — | — |
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.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 158 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.4 |
| Worst single series | 6 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 3.0 years |
A model average of 1.4 hides a worst series at 6. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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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 Envision?
By complaint volume, 2017, 2022, 2023 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 Envision years are the cleanest?
2025, 2020, 2024 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Buick Envision have?
221 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2016–2025. Of those, 8 describe a crash and 2 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.