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Buick Recalls by VIN

Paste the VIN of any Buick below to see every recall for its model and year. Every one of the 287 NHTSA campaigns across 23 Buick models is listed underneath — including how long Buick takes to admit a defect: 4.42 years on average.

NHTSA campaigns · 287 campaigns · 23 models · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Buick has 287 recall campaigns across 23 models. A defect is admitted 4.42 years after the car was built on average, and 36.3% 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.

FIG.01·Buick — what gets recalled
SystemCampaignsShare
Fuel System, Gasoline3110.8%
Air Bags3010.5%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic258.7%
Electrical System258.7%
Seat Belts248.4%
Steering227.7%
Exterior Lighting196.6%
Visibility144.9%
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

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.

FIG.02·Buick — how fast defects are admitted
MeasureValueWhat it means
Average gap4.42 yearsBetween the car being built and the defect being admitted
Admitted 5+ years later36.3%Share of campaigns on cars already well used
Campaigns on record287Across 23 models, 1981–2026
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar, computed from NHTSA campaign numbers

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.

FIG.03·Buick recalls by model
ModelCampaignsYears coveredMost recalled systemAvg gap before admission
Buick Regal841981–2020Engine and engine cooling5.1 yrs
Buick Century371981–2005Seat belts4.2 yrs
Buick Skylark331981–1998Fuel system, gasoline5.7 yrs
Buick Enclave292007–2026Air bags4 yrs
Buick LeSabre281981–2005Fuel system, gasoline4.4 yrs
Buick LaCrosse252005–2019Suspension3.9 yrs
Buick Riviera171981–1999Fuel system, gasoline6.2 yrs
Buick Park Avenue151991–2005Fuel system, gasoline1.5 yrs
Buick Encore132013–2026Air bags0.9 yrs
Buick Electra121981–1990Fuel system, gasoline5.5 yrs
Buick Roadmaster121990–1996Equipment3.1 yrs
Buick Skyhawk121981–1990Fuel system, gasoline11 yrs
Buick Verano112012–2017Air bags3.4 yrs
Buick Rainier102004–2007Visibility5.7 yrs
Buick Rendezvous102001–2007Air bags1.8 yrs
Buick Envision92016–2026Equipment0.5 yrs
Buick Lucerne62006–2011Electrical system2.9 yrs
Buick Reatta61988–1991Fuel system, gasoline5.1 yrs
Buick Encore GX42020–2026Equipment0.7 yrs
Buick Terraza42005–2007Steering3 yrs
Buick Envista22024–2026Back over prevention1.5 yrs
Buick Cascada12016–2019Visibility0 yrs
Buick Somerset11985–1987Fuel system, gasoline20 yrs
ROWS 23·SOURCE NHTSA + ForCar

Check your own car

Buick has 287 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 287 figure says nothing about any particular Buick: decoding the VIN narrows those 287 down to the recalls for one model and year. Whether the free fix was already carried out on that exact car, NHTSA's own VIN lookup or any Buick dealer can tell you.

FIG.05·How to check a recall by VIN
StepWhat you get
Enter the VIN aboveEvery recall for that model and year, straight from NHTSA
Check the repair statusNHTSA's own VIN lookup or a dealer shows if this car was fixed
Book at any franchised dealerRecall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar

Every manufacturer files recalls; what differs is how many and how fast — see where Buick stands among all makes on record →

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Everything on Buick
Fuel economy31 mpg bestReliabilityEvery model rankedCommon problems21,659 complaintsCheck a VINBy production runCargo space20 models measuredDimensionsSize and weightWhat yours is worthValuation by modelInsurance costPer model, per stateWindow stickersOriginal Monroney labelsDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout the brand25 models tracked

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does Buick have?

287 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 4.42 years after the car was built, against about 3.79 years across all brands. 36.3% 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.

Recall campaigns from NHTSA, published as filed. Years elapsed before admission computed by ForCar from the campaign number, which encodes the year it was announced. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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