2016 Buick Envision Owner Complaints

WHEN I PUSH THE PUSH-START BUTTON, THE VEHICLE MAKES A GRUNTING NOISE, BUT IT DOES NOT START. ALL THE LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON INCLUDING THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT." IT HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES. IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, AND ONCE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE TO A DEALER; HOWEVER, AFTER THE VEHICLE IS THOROUGHLY CHECKED, THEY DON'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. APPARENTLY, THERE IS NO TRACE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE MEMORY OF THE VEHICLE. ON 5 OCTOBER, I WAS READY TO GO TO WORK, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, THE SERVICE MANAGER TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE SPEND THE NIGHT AT THIS DEALER, BUT WHEN THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT THE FOLLOWING DAY, IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 4357. ON 20 NOVEMBER 2017, I DROVE TO WORK, AND AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS, I NEEDED TO RUN AN ERRAND, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ONCE AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSER DEALER. WE ARRIVED AT ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE THEY CLOSED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE MECHANIC TOOK A LOOK AT THE VEHICLE, BUT HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 5359. GM DID CALL THIS DEALER AND OFFER SOME TYPE OF SUPPORT TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM; HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. SINCE IT HAS BEEN FOUR TIMES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS LEFT ME STRANDED, I DON'T FEEL SAFE. I DO NOT HAVE PICTURES, BUT I DO HAVE SMALL VIDEO CLIPS OF THE LAST TWO INCIDENTS.

12/5/2017

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WE HAD HAD SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAT WERE ONLY FIXED AFTER THE EVENT OCCURRED, AT WHICH TIME THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT SOFTWARE UPDATES WERE AVAILABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS WE HAD. ONE INVOLVED THE DISPLAY SCREEN/BACK-UP CAMERA WHICH WAS VERY DARK AND DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE DAYTIME, OBSERVED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE IN 2017 - A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. THE OTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED LAST WEEK, WHEN THE CAR DIED AFTER STARTING IT, AS I WAS TRYING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE CURB - ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE. IF SOFTWARE UPDATES ARE AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THESE SORTS OF ISSUES, WHY AREN'T OWNERS BEING INFORMED BEFORE HAVING TO EXPERIENCE THEM? SHOULDN'T THESE SORTS OF ISSUES BE THE SUBJECT OF RECALLS?

8/8/2018

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR MY DASHBOARD COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN. THE SCREEN WENT COMPLETELY BLACK NO RADIO,CLOCK,DASH DISPLAY. STOPPED, TURN CAR OFF AND RESTARTED STILL DID NOT TURN BACK ON DASH BOARD OR AND RADIO/ NAVIGATION SCREEN. WAITED TILL NEXT DAY TRIED AGAIN STILL NOT SUCCESSFUL BOTH SCREEN COMPLETELY BLACK.

6/14/2020

Buick Envision 2016 Mileage - 58315 One owner The car has had three events over the last year where it would not start. After the car is driven for awhile and after it's parked and turned off, it will not start. Everything in the car will function (windows, radio, door locks) but there seems to be a disconnect between the key-fob and the device that communicates with it. There is never a warning light or other indication this is about to happen. We tried to jump the car but it has no effect. If we wait twenty to forty minutes it will start on its own. On the third failure, we had the car towed to the dealership where it was purchased. When the car was unloaded from the tow truck it started. The dealership service department ran diagnostics but the error codes were not helpful. They kept the car for ten days and could not duplicate the error.

10/3/2022

JULY 2016 CHOSE 2016 BUICK ENVISION FOR FORWARD COLLISION ALERT AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM - APRIL 2017 GOT A LETTER FROM GM STATING "ENVISION CATALOG INADVERTENTLY STATED THAT FORWARD COLLISION ALERT AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGES THE VEHICLE BRAKES. IT DOES NOT ENGAGE YOUR BRAKES." WHEN WE CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER - FOUR PEOPLE LATER - WE WERE TOLD THAT GM WAS NOT PREPARED TO ADD THE FEATURE WE WERE LEAD TO BELIEVE WE HAD, WHICH WAS THE MAIN REASON WE CHOSE THIS VEHICLE IN THE FIRST PLACE. OUR GM CUSTOMER CASE NUMBER IS 299-450-8712 AND THE 4TH PERSON WE SPOKE WITH WAS KATRINA AT 1-866-790-5600 EXTENSION 5911824. [YES THE CAR IS 'SAFE' TO DRIVE BUT 'NO' IT DOES NOT HAVE THE ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURE AS PRESENTED. TRUTH IN ADVERTISING IS IMPORTANT. WE WOULD NOT HAVE SELECTED THIS VEHICLE LAST YEAR IF WE HAD KNOWN THE 'TRUTH' THEN.

6/28/2017

EVERY SAFETY SYSTEM. ABS, STABILITY CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL, AWD, AIR BAGS FAULT MESSAGES AND SERVICE LIGHTS ARE ON. VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR ON 7/11/2017 AND STILL AT DEALERSHIP TODAY (40 DAYS LATER) WITH NO KNOWN RESOLUTION.

8/18/2017

WHEN I PUSH THE PUSH-START BUTTON, THE VEHICLE MAKES A GRUNTING NOISE, BUT IT DOES NOT START. ALL THE LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON INCLUDING THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT." IT HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES. IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, AND ONCE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE TO A DEALER; HOWEVER, AFTER THE VEHICLE IS THOROUGHLY CHECKED, THEY DON'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. APPARENTLY, THERE IS NO TRACE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE MEMORY OF THE VEHICLE. ON 5 OCTOBER, I WAS READY TO GO TO WORK, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, THE SERVICE MANAGER TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE SPEND THE NIGHT AT THIS DEALER, BUT WHEN THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT THE FOLLOWING DAY, IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 4357. ON 20 NOVEMBER 2017, I DROVE TO WORK, AND AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS, I NEEDED TO RUN AN ERRAND, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ONCE AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSER DEALER. WE ARRIVED AT ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE THEY CLOSED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE MECHANIC TOOK A LOOK AT THE VEHICLE, BUT HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 5359. GM DID CALL THIS DEALER AND OFFER SOME TYPE OF SUPPORT TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM; HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. SINCE IT HAS BEEN FOUR TIMES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS LEFT ME STRANDED, I DON'T FEEL SAFE. I DO NOT HAVE PICTURES, BUT I DO HAVE SMALL VIDEO CLIPS OF THE LAST TWO INCIDENTS.

12/5/2017

ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2016, I LEASED A NEW 2016 BUICK ENVISION, SOLELY TO GET UPDATED SAFETY TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS NOT ON MY 6-YEAR OLD BUICK REGAL. I HAD SEEN THE ENVISION AT CAR SHOWS, HAD PICKED UP SALES LITERATURE THERE AND AT LOCAL DEALERSHIP, PLUS RECEIVED ONLINE INFORMATION. THIS VEHICLE WAS ADVERTISED AS HAVING FRONT END COLLISION ALERT WITH AUTOMATIC BRAKING. IN APRIL 2017, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BUICK/GM THAT MY VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTO BRAKING AND THERE HAD BEEN AN ERROR IN THEIR SALES PRODUCTS. I IMMEDIATELY WROTE TO THEM. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER I RECEIVED A CALL OFFERING ME 1 YEAR OF ONSTAR, 1 YEAR EXTENSION OF WARRANTY, OR $1500 ACCESSORIES CERTIFICATE. I EXPLAINED THAT I DON'T USE ONSTAR, THE EXISTING WARRANTY RUNS THE LENGTH OF MY LEASE, AND THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR $1500 ACCESSORIES ON A FULLY-LOADED $48000 CAR. SO I WROTE ANOTHER LETTER, TO WHICH THERE WAS NO RESPONSE UNTIL I FILED A CLAIM WITH THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. AGAIN I WAS OFFERED THE SAME 3 SELECTIONS FOR MY "INCONVENIENCE". THIS ISN'T AN INCONVENIENCE. IT COULD BE A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION. THE FRONT END BRAKING WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE. IT SEEMS FALSE ADVERTISING REQUIRES MORE THAN A LETTER.

1/18/2018

GM USES A SEPARATE CONTROL ARM BUSHING CONNECTOR FOR VARIOUS MODELS SUCH AS BUICK ENVISION. THIS CONNECTOR IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN! THE CONTROL ARM BUSHING CONNECTOR MUST USE A RIGID ONE-PIECE STRUCTURE THAT IS SUBJECTED TO VERY LARGE FORCES AND THEREFORE MUST BE OF A RIGID, HIGH STRENGTH AND TOUGH STRUCTURE.THE GM'S SPLIT-TYPE CONTROL ARM BUSHING CONNECTOR CONSISTS OF TWO BOLTS INSERTED INTO A HOLLOW BUSHING, AND THE CONNECTOR AND THE OUTER BUSHING ARE VULCANIZED TO FORM THE CONTROL ARM BUSHING ASSEMBLY.THE CONTROL ARM ARM CONNECTOR HAS A CIRCULAR BLOCK THRUST DESIGN ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENDS.THE SLEEVE OF THE CONTROL ARM BUSH PRESS-FIT INTO THE CONTROL ARM CONSTITUTES A CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY STRUCTURE.THIS DESIGN WAS BORN AROUND 2013, AND IT WAS USED BY GM IN 2014 FOR A VARIETY OF PRODUCTION MODELS.THE PROBLEM WITH THIS STRUCTURE IS THAT WHEN A LARGE LOAD IMPACT IS APPLIED TO THE WHEEL, THE CONTROL ARM BUSHING WILL RECEIVE LONGITUDINAL AND LATERAL FORCES, AND THE INNER SLEEVE OF THE CONNECTOR PART MAY BE SQUEEZED UNDER THE BOLTS AT BOTH ENDS. PLASTIC DEFORMATION CAUSES THE CONNECTOR TO FAIL.ACCORDING TO PROFESSIONAL DATA, THE ULTIMATE STRENGTH OF THE CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY SHOULD REACH ABOUT 80000N, AND THE STRENGTH OF THE CONTROL ARM BUSHING CONNECTOR IS HIGHER. HOWEVER, THE STRENGTH OF THE SEPARATE CONTROL ARM BUSHING CONNECTOR IS LESS THAN 40,000N WILL FAIL.THE STRUCTURE ADOPTED ON BUICK ENVISION, WHERE HUNDREDS OF CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS FAIL IN CHINA, WAS ALSO EXPORTED TO THE UNITED STATES.ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, THERE ARE SEVERAL MODELS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE ADOPTED THIS UNSAFE DESIGN ONE AFTER ANOTHER! INCLUDING LACROSSE, CHEVROLET MALIBU, ETC.THESE MODELS ARE NEW AFTER 2015.ACCORDING TO THE CASE STUDY, THE STRENGTH OF THE GM CONTROL ARM IS LOWER THAN THE NORMAL RANGE, WHICH HAS A GREAT IMPACT ON SAFE DRIVING AND ENDANGERS DRIVING SAFETY! *TT *TR

6/7/2018

Unsafe driving condition. Control arm assembly front passenger. Car in the dealer for a month. GM has no service parts and refuses to give update on availability. Dealer states unsafe to drive and I have seen multiple complaints for this issue.

1/10/2024

2 HOURS AFTER SUNRISE OR 2 HOURS BEFORE SUNSET, IF DRIVING ON A SUNNY DAY AND DRIVE INTO TREE SHADOWS, BOTH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE INTELLILINK SYSTEM DISPLAYS GO COMPLETELY DARK. THIS IS WITH NO EXTERNAL LIGHTS ON (WHY SHOULD THEY BE ON A BRIGHT SUNNY MORNING OR EVENING?). RETURNING TO SUNLIT STRETCHES DO NOT MAKE THE PANELS GO BRIGHT AGAIN. YOU HAVE TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTART THE CAR TO BRING THE PANELS BACK TO DAYLIGHT INTENSITY. YOU HAVE TO STARE AT THE DARK PANELS FOR 5 SECONDS TO SEE IF YOU CAN READ ANYTHING, WHICH YOU CANNOT, AND THIS IS MAKING FOR EYES-OFF-THE-ROAD-TIME VERY DANGEROUS. MADE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT 2/22, BUT ONLY THE SALESMAN AND SERVICE WRITER LOOKED AT CAR IN THE SERVICE LANE AND STATED NOTHING WRONG. THE CAR DID NOT ENTER THE SERVICE BAYS AT ALL, BUT ONLY 1 SERVICE REQUESTED SO FAR.THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES; 2/22, 4/16, AND 5/11/17. I SAW ON A BUICK ENVISION TROUBLE WEB PAGE WHERE 1 PERSON WITH SAME PROBLEM SAID THEY FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS, BUT NO REFERENCE TO WHERE THEY FOUND IT OR THE BULLETIN ITSELF. I AM STILL LOOKING AND AM GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER SERVICE APPOINTMENT, BUT IN PERSON THIS TIME AND NOT VIA THE DEALER'S WEB PAGE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION.

5/17/2017

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

9/25/2017

EVERY SAFETY SYSTEM. ABS, STABILITY CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL, AWD, AIR BAGS FAULT MESSAGES AND SERVICE LIGHTS ARE ON. VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR ON 7/11/2017 AND STILL AT DEALERSHIP TODAY (40 DAYS LATER) WITH NO KNOWN RESOLUTION.

8/18/2017

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR MY DASHBOARD COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN. THE SCREEN WENT COMPLETELY BLACK NO RADIO,CLOCK,DASH DISPLAY. STOPPED, TURN CAR OFF AND RESTARTED STILL DID NOT TURN BACK ON DASH BOARD OR AND RADIO/ NAVIGATION SCREEN. WAITED TILL NEXT DAY TRIED AGAIN STILL NOT SUCCESSFUL BOTH SCREEN COMPLETELY BLACK.

6/14/2020

EVERY SAFETY SYSTEM. ABS, STABILITY CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL, AWD, AIR BAGS FAULT MESSAGES AND SERVICE LIGHTS ARE ON. VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR ON 7/11/2017 AND STILL AT DEALERSHIP TODAY (40 DAYS LATER) WITH NO KNOWN RESOLUTION.

8/18/2017

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WE HAD HAD SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAT WERE ONLY FIXED AFTER THE EVENT OCCURRED, AT WHICH TIME THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT SOFTWARE UPDATES WERE AVAILABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS WE HAD. ONE INVOLVED THE DISPLAY SCREEN/BACK-UP CAMERA WHICH WAS VERY DARK AND DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE DAYTIME, OBSERVED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE IN 2017 - A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. THE OTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED LAST WEEK, WHEN THE CAR DIED AFTER STARTING IT, AS I WAS TRYING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE CURB - ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE. IF SOFTWARE UPDATES ARE AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THESE SORTS OF ISSUES, WHY AREN'T OWNERS BEING INFORMED BEFORE HAVING TO EXPERIENCE THEM? SHOULDN'T THESE SORTS OF ISSUES BE THE SUBJECT OF RECALLS?

8/8/2018

The contact owns a 2016 Buick Envision. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at slow speeds in a parking area and attempting to stop with the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V922000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 105,000.

11/9/2023

While driving RPM’s bouncing. Upon acceleration experienced delay and hesitation Hesitation in acceleration causing safety issue when entering traffic’s and passing other vehicles Full transmission replacement was needed and completed

9/8/2024

The lane assists and cruise control does not work and the GM dealership here in Southern Pines, NC can't fix it. They are sending the car back on the street with a 19-year-old girl behind the wheel of a car with electrical issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

10/2/2025

The lane assists and cruise control does not work and the GM dealership here in Southern Pines, NC can't fix it. They are sending the car back on the street with a 19-year-old girl behind the wheel of a car with electrical issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

10/2/2025