Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander
Head-to-head reliability comparison from 10,015real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.
Which is more reliable, Buick Enclave or Toyota Highlander?
Verdict from 10,015 NHTSA complaints
Toyota Highlander wins this comparison overall. Toyota Highlander comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 80% lower complaint rate. The Buick Enclave edges ahead on crash-involvement rate and fire-involvement rate.
Head-to-Head Metrics
Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.
Toyota Highlander wins by 80%
Buick Enclave wins by 130%
Buick Enclave wins by 20%
Toyota Highlander wins by 23%
NHTSA Crash Test Ratings
Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.
Buick Enclave
2025 model yearToyota Highlander
2025 model yearSource: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.
Complaint Rate per 10K Sold — Year by Year
Lower line = fewer complaints relative to vehicles sold that year. Crossovers reveal which model improved (or got worse) over generations.
Most Reported Problems
Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.
Year-by-Year Head-to-Head
Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.
| Year | Buick Enclave | Toyota Highlander | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 174.3 | 48.0 | Highlander |
| 2009 | 67.2 | 21.4 | Highlander |
| 2010 | 64.6 | 29.4 | Highlander |
| 2011 | 48.5 | 22.5 | Highlander |
| 2012 | 28.1 | 18.8 | Highlander |
| 2013 | 17.8 | 21.9 | Enclave |
| 2014 | 55.4 | 10.7 | Highlander |
| 2015 | 35.4 | 15.2 | Highlander |
| 2016 | 29.2 | 7.2 | Highlander |
| 2017 | 41.0 | 16.4 | Highlander |
| 2018 | 16.7 | 13.6 | Highlander |
| 2019 | 12.3 | 24.4 | Enclave |
| 2020 | 16.4 | 15.1 | Highlander |
| 2021 | 5.7 | 20.2 | Enclave |
| 2022 | 5.9 | 11.5 | Enclave |
| 2023 | 5.3 | 11.5 | Enclave |
| 2024 | 4.2 | 4.9 | Enclave |
| 2025 | 14.1 | 0.9 | Highlander |
Frequently Asked Questions
Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.
Which is more reliable, the Buick Enclave or the Toyota Highlander?
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Toyota Highlander wins this comparison overall. Toyota Highlander comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 80% lower complaint rate. The Buick Enclave edges ahead on crash-involvement rate and fire-involvement rate. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Should I buy a Buick Enclave or a Toyota Highlander?
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On reliability data alone, the Toyota Highlander is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.
What problems do the Buick Enclave and Toyota Highlander share?
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Top complaints for the Buick Enclave: Airbags, Steering Defects, Engine Problems. Top complaints for the Toyota Highlander: Transmission / Drivetrain, Electrical Faults, Brakes. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Buick Enclave or the Toyota Highlander?
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Across all model years, the Buick Enclave has 3,230 NHTSA complaints and the Toyota Highlander has 6,785. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Toyota Highlander has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/buick/enclave/vs/toyota/highlander
Which is safer in a crash, the Buick Enclave or the Toyota Highlander?
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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Buick Enclave 4.3% vs Toyota Highlander 9.9% — the Buick Enclave has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.
Does the Buick Enclave or the Toyota Highlander have more fires?
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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Buick Enclave 1.00% vs Toyota Highlander 1.20%. The Buick Enclave has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/buick/enclave and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/toyota/highlander
What years of the Buick Enclave are worse than the Toyota Highlander?
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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/buick/enclave/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/toyota/highlander/{year}.
Where does this Buick Enclave vs Toyota Highlander comparison data come from?
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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Related Reliability Comparisons
Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Enclave or Highlander also look at:
Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI
A model average can't see the car you're buying.
Even the Toyota Highlander has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Deep-dive into either model: