Which is more reliable, Kia or Buick?
Buick comes out ahead: Kia 3.32 vs Buick 1.38 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Kia owners filed 2.4× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Buick owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Kia vs Buick at a glance
| Kia | Buick | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 3.32 | 1.38 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.29 | 0.10 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #16 | #3 |
| Models covered | 10 | 6 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 4,737,776 | 1,280,762 |
| Owner complaints | 15,719 | 1,768 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 91.4% | 83.9% |
| Top complaint areas | Engine 52.1% · Electrical system 12.2% · Powertrain / transmission 9.9% | Air bags 27.3% · Engine 21.2% · Electrical system 14.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 148 (13.0 million) | 48 (112,635) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Kia's count is driven most by 2016–2017 Sorento complaints about engine and powertrain / transmission (2,074, 13.2% of Kia's complaints). Other models with rates above Kia's overall 3.32: Optima (4.25), Telluride (4.56), Soul (3.80).
- Buick's count is driven most by 2015–2017 Enclave complaints about air bags and electrical system (492, 27.8% of Buick's complaints). Other models with rates above Buick's overall 1.38: Regal (1.95), Verano (1.90).
Kia vs Buick complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia | 5.34 | 5.39 | 4.12 | 2.04 | 1.88 | 3.18 | 2.58 | 1.75 |
| Buick | 1.93 | 1.78 | 1.93 | 1.08 | 0.93 | 1.20 | 0.67 | 0.72 |
What Kia and Buick owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Kia
- Engine52.1% · 8,188
- Electrical system12.2% · 1,916
- Powertrain / transmission9.9% · 1,562
- Fuel / propulsion6.5% · 1,015
- Lighting6.1% · 963
- Body structure5.4% · 844
Buick
- Air bags27.3% · 482
- Engine21.2% · 375
- Electrical system14.9% · 263
- Powertrain / transmission12.3% · 218
- Brakes10.3% · 182
- Steering7.1% · 125
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Subcompact SUVs: Kia Soul vs Buick Encore
The Buick Encore has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Kia Soul 3.80 vs Buick Encore 0.97 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (72% and 40.2% of complaints).
Kia Soul
3.80 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,132 complaints / 825,073 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2019
- Years to avoid:
- 2012–2016, 2020, 2021
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 72% · Powertrain / transmission 10.2% · Electrical system 8.1%
Three-row SUVs: Kia Sorento vs Buick Enclave
The Buick Enclave has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Kia Sorento 5.35 vs Buick Enclave 1.88 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Sorento's most-cited area is engine (47.7%); the Enclave's is air bags (51.8%).
5.35 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,168 complaints / 778,652 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2009, 2020
- Years to avoid:
- 2011–2017
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 47.7% · Powertrain / transmission 12.2% · Electrical system 11.6%
Buick Enclave
1.88 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 704 complaints / 374,828 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2021, 2023
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2011, 2014
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 51.8% · Engine 11.1% · Electrical system 10.1%
Compact cars: Kia Forte vs Buick Verano
The Kia Forte has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Kia Forte 1.47 vs Buick Verano 1.90 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Forte's most-cited area is engine (46.7%); the Verano's is electrical system (32.2%).
Kia Forte
1.47 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,167 complaints / 792,731 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2020, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 46.7% · Electrical system 13.7% · Powertrain / transmission 10.8%
Midsize cars: Kia Optima vs Buick Regal
The Buick Regal has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Kia Optima 4.25 vs Buick Regal 1.95 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Optima's most-cited area is engine (61.2%); the Regal's is brakes (21.8%).
Kia Optima
4.25 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,711 complaints / 637,247 sold, MY 2015–2020 NHTSA
- Too few sold to rate:
- 2021
- Better years:
- 2009, 2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2011–2016
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 61.2% · Electrical system 13.2% · Powertrain / transmission 8.1%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Which is more reliable, Kia or Buick?
Buick comes out ahead: Kia 3.32 vs Buick 1.38 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Kia owners filed 2.4× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Buick owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Kia or Buick?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Kia logs 0.29 per 1,000 sold and Buick 0.10. Those are 9% of Kia's complaints and 7% of Buick's.
Where do Kia and Buick rank overall?
Kia ranks #16 and Buick #3 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Kia and Buick owners complain about most?
Kia: engine (52.1%), electrical system (12.2%), powertrain / transmission (9.9%). Buick: air bags (27.3%), engine (21.2%), electrical system (14.9%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Kia or Buick?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 148 Kia recall campaigns covering 13,045,671 vehicles and 48 Buick campaigns covering 112,635. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Kia Soul more reliable than the Buick Encore?
The Buick Encore has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Kia Soul 3.80 vs Buick Encore 0.97 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 825,073 and 507,859 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Soul: 2012–2016, 2020, 2021. Years to avoid on the Encore: 2019.
Is the Kia Sorento more reliable than the Buick Enclave?
The Buick Enclave has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Kia Sorento 5.35 vs Buick Enclave 1.88 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 778,652 and 374,828 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Sorento: 2011–2017. Years to avoid on the Enclave: 2008–2011, 2014.