Best Buick Years to Buy by Model
The best Buick years to buy: the 2017 LaCrosse, 2023 Enclave, 2020 Encore and 2015 Verano — the cleanest federal complaint records for each model. Years to skip include the 2008 Enclave and 2011 Regal. Based on 5,823 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Buick models, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · How we rate model years
Best Buick years, model by model
| Model | Best years | Years to skip | Years on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buick LaCrosse | 201520162017 | 20082010201120122013 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Buick Enclave | 20212023 | 20082009201020112014 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Buick Regal | No standout year yet | 201120122013 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Buick Encore | 2020 | 2019 | 13 (2013–2025) |
| Buick Verano | 2015 | None rated avoid | 14 (2012–2025) |
| Buick Lucerne | No standout year yet | 20082009 | 18 (2008–2025) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history; counts behind them are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The cleanest year for each Buick model
2017 Buick LaCrosse: 34 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2015, 2016 and 2017 · Best LaCrosse years →
2023 Buick Enclave: 18 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2021 and 2023 · Best Enclave years →
2020 Buick Encore: 19 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best Encore years →
2015 Buick Verano: 58 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best Verano years →
Years to skip, in detail
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Buick years to buy?
By model: LaCrosse 2015, 2016 and 2017; Enclave 2021 and 2023; Encore 2020; Verano 2015. Each matches that model's own best-years page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
Which Buick years should I skip?
By model: LaCrosse 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; Enclave 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014; Regal 2011, 2012 and 2013; Encore 2019; Lucerne 2008 and 2009. The full breakdown is on the Buick years-to-avoid page.
Which Buick models have no years to avoid?
The Verano — no model year of it rates "avoid" in current federal data.
How are the best Buick years chosen?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road and compared with the rest of that model's own history; the lowest rates among years with enough road time earn "best". Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.