BuickEnclave2018Overview/buick/enclave/2018/base/
AWD platform

2018 Buick Enclave

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2018 Enclave.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic 9-spd

The 2018 Buick Enclave is an all-wheel-drive SUV that routes power through an automatic 9-speed transmission, with its engine calling for 6.0 quarts of 5W-30 or 0W-30 oil and returning an EPA-estimated 20 mpg combined. For this model year, owner feedback totals 64 complaints—concentrated in the service brakes—yet the Enclave logged zero recalls. This places the 2018 edition well below the nameplate’s 2008 peak of 536 complaints, reflecting a mature phase in the model’s history before later years saw even fewer issues.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020192018

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 0W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy17/25/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 94R · 730 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731742. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 94R · 730 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP255/55R20OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731742
Engine air filter23321606
Spark plug12681660
Battery88864542
Front wiper blades84580859 alt 84580856
Serpentine belt12647764
Thermostat12681133
Cabin air filter13508023

Diagrams

Power distribution wiring8 sheets

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 9-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length204.3 in
Overall width78.7 in
Overall height70.1 in
Wheelbase120.9 in
Curb weight4614 lb
Track (front / rear)67.3 / 66.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)58/42

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined17 / 25 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainAll-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Enclave of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.6–7.2 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.60 sec — 2018 Avenir
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2018Avenir 3.6L V66.60 sec15.20 sec310 hpAWD
2018Avenir 3.6L V67.00 sec15.40 sec310 hpAWD
2018Avenir 3.6L V67.20 sec15.60 sec310 hpAWD
2016Premium 3.6L V67.90 sec16.30 sec288 hpAWD
2020Essence ST 3.6L V66.60 sec15.10 sec310 hpAWD
2022Avenir 3.6L V66.50 sec15.00 sec310 hpAWD
2013Premium 3.6L V68.50 sec16.70 sec288 hpAWD
2011CXL-2 3.6L V68.40 sec16.50 sec288 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-30 / 0W-30 engine oil, Use Dexron LS Gear oil Part number 88862624 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidUse DEXRON(R)-VI GM P/N 89020661
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity5.3-6.3
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilUse Dexron LS Gear oil Part number 88862624
Differential Gear Oil Capacity0.8 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · 0W-30
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt
Power Steering FluidEPS

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs89.0 inch lbs. ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)43.0 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)16.0 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)30.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts18 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub173.0 Do not re-use old hub nut. ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub173.0 Do not re-use old hub nut. ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap.037 - .043 in
Spark Plug Torque13 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity7.80-7.90 oz
Standard BCI Group Number94R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance730 cca

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50.0-100.0
RPM43.0-58.0 @ Idle rpm
Engine Compression140

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 53; Rear: 30
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.063; Rear: .827
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishFront: 1.102; Rear: .866
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationFront: .001; Rear: .002
Maximum Rotor Runout.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt Torque — tightening sequence 1 stages

Prep Front: Step 1: 111, Step 2: Final pass tighten 15-30 degrees · Rear: Step 1: 74

2Final pass tighten 15-30
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 4 stages
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2Back off 360 degrees360 degrees
318.0 ft. lbs.18 ft. lbs
4110.0
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 150 degrees. Use new bolt.74 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Inner bolts

115.0 ft. lbs.15 ft. lbs
280 degrees; Outer bolts80 degrees
111.0 ft. lbs.11 ft. lbs
2110.0 degrees; Side bolts110 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
260.0 degrees60 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 97,500 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil Life Monitor (inspect)
Every 22,500 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2018 Buick Enclave sits at a notable inflection point in its generation's federal record: complaints dropped to 64 that year—down sharply from 178 in 2017 and the lowest since 2013—while recalls fell to zero, matching only 2023 across the entire span. This follows a decade-long arc from a 2008 peak of 536 complaints and 6 recalls, through a 2014 resurgence (290 complaints, 7 recalls), to this relative trough. TSBs remained elevated at 1,025, suggesting ongoing technical service bulletins for dealer-level repairs rather than mandatory recalls. The top complaint areas—Service Brakes (13), Power Train (9), and Engine (6)—reflect typical aging concerns but at modest volumes, and crash-related complaints (5) with zero fire reports indicate no systemic safety anomalies. Compared to the 2020 rebound (54 complaints, 6 recalls), 2018 represents the cleanest regulatory profile of the generation. The 2018 model year is a favorable buy within this generation, as it captures the lowest complaint count before the recall activity resurged in 2020.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1025
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
64
Owner complaints
5 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 64 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes13
Power Train9
Engine6
Unknown Or Other5
Power Train,Engine3
Fuel/Propulsion System2
Structure2
Suspension,Fuel/Propulsion System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1025 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U2026-01-08Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G2025-11-20Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Enclave. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Fuse box & wiring diagrams

Interactive fuse-box and wiring references for this vehicle, searchable by circuit.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2018 Enclave take?

6.0 qt of 5W-30 meeting GM Dexos 1 specification or equivalent. Where temperatures fall below -20 degreesF, GM recommends using 0W-30 oil meeting GM Dexos 1 specification., per the factory manual.

Does the 2018 Enclave have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Enclave get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 25 highway / 20 combined mpg.