Used 2019 Buick Enclave Essence 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 9A) Consumer Reviews
Used Enclave for sale
Transmission Whine
Steve Jones, Houston, TX, 01/22/2020
updated 01/27/2025
Buick Enclave Essence 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
20 of 20 people found this review helpful
I took delivery of my 2019 Enclave in Nov 2019 and like it a lot. However, it developed a transmission whine shortly after delivery. I took it to my dealer and the service manager went for a ride with me. He acknowledged the noise and said he heard it in other Buicks. wondered if it might be the torque converter and he mentioned another possibility that I can not remember. He told me he would contact the GM rep and get back in touch. A few days later I received a call telling me that the noise is considered acceptable as other cars with this transmission also make this noise... That is ridiculous. No new car should make transmission noise, especially a Buick which is classified as a luxury SUV and is the reason I purchased it. I contacted the dealership owner who said he would look into it and get back with me. Haven't heard from him yet. It looks like the run around has begun. Jan 2021 - After a year of ownership, I still haven't got the transmission whine resolved. I've been back to the dealer 4 times but get the same response. It's operating within acceptable parameters. I follow a website called GM Authority that is all things GM. There was an article about a GM pilot program to repair/replace many GM cars with this transmission. My Buick met the age and mileage criteria. I phoned them and as a first step, I brought my Buick back to the dealer with a copy of the article and another test drive. They did not seem familiar with the program but said they would contact GM. After several more emails and phone calls, a GM customer service advisor contacted me and advised that there was no such program and that my transmission was operating properly. I guess the moral of this story is, if you have this transmission in your GM car and it makes a whining noise, it's normal. Jul 2023 - I've driven about 58,000 miles and the whine has persisted. The whine exists in the lower 3 gears when pulling from a stop. I've become used to the noise but the car has performed very well otherwise. It has proven to be a reliable, comfortable, and quiet cruiser and I've averaged just over 23 mpg since new. I'm generally light on the throttle and use the cruise all the time even at speeds as low as 30 mph. Everything in the car works well and is easy to use. The only other issue of mention is that I've sometimes had some issues with the wifi connection. Sporatically it will not connect or will quit in areas where I know the signal exists. I spoke to and On-Star rep about the problem and it improved considerably but still cuts out from time to time. Overall, far fewer problems than other cars I've read about. After 5 years the transmission whine is still there in the first few gears but overall the Buick has been a very good car. It's comfortable, quiet, has lots of space, the tech has been bulletproof, and the car drives very well. Maintenance costs have been low and except for the transmission whine, I've had no issues after 78,000 miles and it's still a good looking car.
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Best SUV
OB, Freehold, NJ, 03/31/2019
Buick Enclave Essence 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
Entire family loves enclave. we had a 2010 and put 177000 miles which we replaced with 2019 essence trim - we always lease to buy as u will know during lease if a problem comes. It gives a lot for its price compared to competitors. Before getting 2010 enclave we had BMW X5. We sold x5 at 135000 miles. To be honest X5 cost way more in maintenance above 120000 miles than enclave. We liked enclave better
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LEMON
Ann Salge, Bossier City, LA, 10/30/2018
updated 11/01/2021
Buick Enclave Essence 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
44 of 53 people found this review helpful
I purchased a 2019 buick enclave about 3 months ago. My 3rd Buick enclave. This 2019 has left me stranded twice now and noboby knows whats wrong or how to fix.
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Smooth ride and great handling.
Steve Downey, Memphis, TN, 08/01/2019
Buick Enclave Essence 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
The best things about the new Enclave are outside and especially the interior styling. The interior is not cluttered and the fit and trim is great. the Transmission is smooth and all negative about the reverse on the stick it silly. It takes one time putting in reverse and you have mastered it. Super quiet on the road. Infotainment is the best. Essence has most what you need if you don't want to spend on every bell and whistle. Yes there are a few little short cummings like no light in the glove box. But the pluses out weight nit picking some small things as a lot of reviews seem to do. The LED head lamps are great and boy I can finally see at night. The V6 give you plenty of power i don't need to go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. I was most surprised by the drive and handling. It really hides the bumps and rocks that I was use to feeling in another 2017 Buick I had. You must check the Enclave. I think you will be surprised and roomy is what I need at 6'4.
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Disappointed in the seats and several other things
Carol W, Brooksville, FL, 01/16/2020
updated 07/29/2020
Buick Enclave Essence 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
9 of 13 people found this review helpful
My 2019 Enclave is my 3rd one. Now wishing I had kept my 2015 Enclave a bit longer. The seats in the 20154 and my 2008 were extremely comfortable. Now they have changed the seats so they are way to hard! Very uncomfortable for me. And I'm told nothing to be done about it. Update: After a year and 17,000 miles, the seats are still hard and uncomfortable. I can no longer charge my cell phone if the engine is shut off. Was able to in my 2008 and 2014. That was a great feature when we lost house power due to a storm. The left third row seat is very difficult to pull back up once it was put down to afford more cargo space. Sorry GM, you are ruining what was once a really nice car. UPDATE 7/29/20 Just returned from a 2500 mile round trip and found the seats on a long drive are even worse than I thought as they caused me substantial back pain. Unless you like hard seats, I do not recommend this car!
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