Airbags, brakes, and powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The luxury-focused 2019 Buick Envision has been a popular choice among drivers looking for a compact SUV. The automaker claims that it is “exceptionally refined,” but many defects continue to cause problems. This vehicle suffers from malfunctioning air bags, defective service brakes and a deficient powertrain.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2020 2022
Buick let customers down with their faulty air bags.
Here is one NHTSA complaint that will blow your mind. “I am writing to you today to shed some light on how dire a situation GM Buick has put me in with regard to a lack of resolution regarding my 2019 Buick. General Motors has been unable to produce an airbag part #84548108 for my 2019 Buick Envision Premium since November 27, 2019. My car was T-boned on the passenger side of my 2019 Buick by another driver while I was traveling on a main road. He was issued a ticket for failure to yield. I am a registered nurse at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York.
I cannot be without a vehicle to take care of my family and get to my job as an intensive care nurse at WMC in Westchester County New York. For the first 3 months, GM has used the UAW strike as an excuse for not having the available parts for my vehicle. Now they are using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse for not producing the part. No one at GM knows more than I about how the coronavirus has affected our daily lives. GM refuses to provide me with the replacement part or a loaner vehicle! They have offered a rental car arrangement where I would be charged $240.00 per month. This is totally unacceptable, they are taking food off of my table. In addition they refuse to put a hold on my loan from GM Financial! It is now 5 months that I have not gotten my car repaired.”
Five months without a car, but still having to pay for it, all because GM doesn’t have the part. How disgraceful is that? Sadly, there is no talk of the part shortage in the communications, probably because GM is trying to hide the issue. Maybe the company should work on creating a logistics system that is “exceptionally refined” so customers can get back on the road.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Air Bags | |
| Tires | |
| Electrical System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Power Train | |
| Structure:body:door | |
| Tires:tread/belt | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly |
Stopping the vehicle before an accident occurs is one way to prevent the air bags from ever deploying, but this system doesn’t seem to work correctly either.
Here is another NHTSA complaint. “While driving the vehicle, the service ‘Brake Assist” light came on. I put my foot on the brake and had no brakes, then had limited brakes when slowly pumping the pedal went to the floor. That warning went off and the malfunction indicator lamp came on. I then had about 85% brakes. This has happened three times. The dealer and GM cannot find the problem. The first time I was on a highway. The 2nd time I was on a street in town and the 3rd time I had just pulled out of a driveway in a subdivision, after the car had not moved from Friday to Sunday.”
There are multiple problems occurring with the braking system. Service Bulletin #PIT5696 illustrates the issue. It states that the brake controller is setting false codes alerting drivers to issues that don’t exist. Considering the word refined means “developed or improved,” it’s safe to say that the Envision has a long way to go yet.
The harassing company pays our fees.
The powertrain of any vehicle needs to be reliable in order to allow customers a smooth-shifting experience.
Here’s an Edmunds complaint that talks about how defective the Envision powertrain is. “Faulty transmission. When shifting from Park or from Reverse, it will intermittently ‘clunk.’ Clunk can be small or can shake the car. Have been to dealer & left it there for them to drive. Naturally, it won’t do it while they have it. Waiting it out until it gets more frequent.”
Again, Buick has talked about countless powertrain problems and doesn’t seem to know the resolution with many of them. Service Bulletin #PIP5697D is an example. This communication states that DTC P0747 can shut down the engine while the vehicle is in Park or Neutral. Of course, one solution would be for customers to keep moving and never stop. With the defective brakes, that might be more possible than one thinks.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Buick pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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