BuickEnclave2018Overview/buick/enclave/2018/base/
FWD 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 a front-wheel-drive SUV paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, with EPA fuel economy rated at 17/25/20 mpg across city, highway, and combined driving. Its 6.0-quart oil capacity supports recommended viscosities of 5W-30 or 0W-30, reflecting a service-friendly powertrain profile. Within the Enclave's complaint history spanning 2008 through 2026, the 2018 model year registers 64 owner reports led by service brake concerns and carries zero recalls—a sharp contrast to the 2008 high-water mark of 536 complaints. That positioning places the Enclave firmly on the improved end of its long-term reliability arc, consistent with the broader decline to just 1 reported issue by 2026.

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

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 model sits at the low‑point of the Enclave’s complaint and recall curve, with only 64 complaints, zero recalls and no investigations—far below the early‑generation peaks of 536 complaints and six recalls in 2008 and the modest rebound in 2014‑2016. From 2008 through 2017, complaints generally declined but recalls hovered between three and eight per year; 2018 breaks this trend by eliminating recalls entirely and dropping complaints to the smallest figure in the dataset. Subsequent years continue the downward trajectory, reaching a record low of seven complaints and no recalls by 2024, indicating that the 2018 vehicle benefits from the generation’s overall improvement in reliability. The top complaint categories for 2018—Service Brakes (13), Power Train (9), Engine (6) and “Unknown/Other” (5)—are modest in absolute numbers, and there were only five crash‑related complaints and no fire complaints. **Takeaway:** 2018 is one of the cleanest years in the Enclave’s history, making it a strong candidate for a used purchase.

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.

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.