Buick has 286 recall campaigns across 23 models. A defect is admitted 4.44 years after the car was built on average, and 36.6% of campaigns come five years or later.
What gets recalled on a Buick
By number of separate campaigns, not by cars affected — one campaign can cover a million vehicles or a thousand.
| System | Campaigns | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10.8% | |
| Air Bags | 10.5% | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8.7% | |
| Electrical System | 8.7% | |
| Seat Belts | 8.4% | |
| Steering | 7.7% | |
| Exterior Lighting | 6.6% | |
| Visibility | 4.9% |
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year they were announced, so we can measure how quickly Buick acts once a defect exists.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average gap | 4.44 years | Between the car being built and the defect being admitted |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 36.6% | Share of campaigns on cars already well used |
| Campaigns on record | 286 | Across 23 models, 1981–2026 |
Across all brands the average is 3.79 years. Faster is better, but a low figure can also mean a young line-up — read it next to the number of campaigns.
Buick recalls by model
23 Buick models have campaigns on record. The gap between them is wider than the brand average suggests: on the Envision a defect is admitted in 0.5 years, on the Skyhawk it takes 11 — the same company, the same paperwork, 10.5 years of difference.
| Model | Campaigns | Years covered | Most recalled system | Avg gap before admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buick Regal | 1981–2020 | Engine and engine cooling | 5.1 yrs | |
| Buick Century | 1981–2005 | Seat belts | 4.2 yrs | |
| Buick Skylark | 1981–1998 | Fuel system, gasoline | 5.7 yrs | |
| Buick Enclave | 2007–2026 | Air bags | 4 yrs | |
| Buick LeSabre | 1981–2005 | Fuel system, gasoline | 4.4 yrs | |
| Buick LaCrosse | 2005–2019 | Suspension | 3.9 yrs | |
| Buick Riviera | 1981–1999 | Fuel system, gasoline | 6.2 yrs | |
| Buick Park Avenue | 1991–2005 | Fuel system, gasoline | 1.5 yrs | |
| Buick Encore | 2013–2026 | Air bags | 0.9 yrs | |
| Buick Electra | 1981–1990 | Fuel system, gasoline | 5.5 yrs | |
| Buick Roadmaster | 1990–1996 | Equipment | 3.1 yrs | |
| Buick Skyhawk | 1981–1990 | Fuel system, gasoline | 11 yrs | |
| Buick Verano | 2012–2017 | Air bags | 3.4 yrs | |
| Buick Rainier | 2004–2007 | Visibility | 5.7 yrs | |
| Buick Rendezvous | 2001–2007 | Air bags | 1.8 yrs | |
| Buick Envision | 2016–2026 | Equipment | 0.5 yrs | |
| Buick Lucerne | 2006–2011 | Electrical system | 2.9 yrs | |
| Buick Reatta | 1988–1991 | Fuel system, gasoline | 5.1 yrs | |
| Buick Terraza | 2005–2007 | Steering | 3 yrs | |
| Buick Encore GX | 2020–2026 | Equipment | 0.3 yrs | |
| Buick Cascada | 2016–2019 | Visibility | 0 yrs | |
| Buick Envista | 2024–2026 | Electrical system | — | |
| Buick Somerset | 1985–1987 | Fuel system, gasoline | 20 yrs |
Check your own car
Buick has 286 campaigns on record across 23 models, but none of them covers a whole model — only a production range inside it, sometimes a few weeks of assembly. So the 286 figure says nothing about any particular Buick: checking the VIN narrows those 286 down to the handful that touch one car, and shows whether the free fix was already carried out on it.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Every manufacturer files recalls; what differs is how many and how fast — see where Buick stands among all makes on record →
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does Buick have?
286 campaigns across 23 models. On its own the number reflects how many models a brand sells — the response time says more.
Is Buick slow to admit defects?
On average a Buick defect is admitted 4.44 years after the car was built, against about 3.79 years across all brands. 36.6% of campaigns come five years or later.
Does a recall mean the car is unsafe?
It means a specific fault was found in a specific production range and must be fixed free of charge. A brand with many campaigns is not automatically worse — sometimes it simply reports faster.
How do I check my own Buick?
By VIN. Campaigns cover production ranges, so the model alone does not tell you whether your car is affected.
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