Reliability is one of the most important factors for most people making a car purchase. One of the ways the automotive world assesses various brands’ and models’ reliability is through the JD Power US Vehicle Dependability Study, a valuable resource that is published yearly. In the 2026 study, Buick has continued its two-year second-place run, also earning first place among mass-market brands.
Buick has only four models in its lineup, and the only one that is built in the US is also the one with the highest number of NHTSA complaints for 2025, suggesting its overall reliability is slightly lower than that of its foreign-built siblings.
Buick’s Place In The JD Power Ranking And The Impact Of Non-US Production
2024 – 2026 Buick Encore GX exteriorBuick
The start of car production outside the US has had a positive effect on Buick, helping the brand weather the storm of the 2008 financial crisis and expanding its global reach. It has also had an effect on the brand’s overall reliability: the start of Buick’s venture in China and, later, Korea has resulted in the production of several models with good reliability profiles. This has helped the brand build a good reputation with a new generation of consumers, and consistently propelled it to the top of JD Power rankings. Today, the models in the brand’s lineup with the best reliability record are built abroad.
2024 – 2026 Buick Encore GX exteriorBuick
Within the current decade, Buick has consistently made it into the top five. In 2020, it earned third place overall, and first among mass market brands. The following year, it dropped to fifth place.In 2022, things picked back up when Buick made second place overall (but not first in mass-market, a title that went to Genesis).
2023 saw the brand go back to fourth place, just behind Kia (which also took first in mass-market brands). In 2024, Buick was back on the podium behind Lexus and Toyota. The past two years have seen Buick on a streak, getting both second place overall and first place among mass market brands.
The Envision And Encore GX: American Brand, Foreign Manufacturing
2026 Buick Envision front 3/4 angle in red while drivingBuick
Two models from Buick’s lineup made it into the study’s top three models in their respective segments. One is the Envision, which got second place in the Compact SUV category; the other is the Encore GX, which got second place (in a tie with the Hyundai Venue) in the Small SUV category.
The Envision, a compact crossover, was introduced in 2014 on the Chinese market before making its way to the US for the 2016 model year. Built in China since 2014, the Envision has had years of production refinement that may explain its best-in-lineup record of just 7 NHTSA complaints.
The Envision is built in China, at the GM-SAIC Jinqiao plant. However, Buick is looking to move production of the model to the US in the near future: the current Envision’s replacement, which may simply be a new generation with the same nameplate or may even be sold under a different name, will be produced in Missouri when launched in 2028.
2024 – 2026 Buick Encore GX exteriorBuick
The Encore GX is a subcompact crossover, which was released for the 2020 model year as a larger version of the now-defunct Encore. Unlike the Envision, it is still in its first generation, although it underwent a facelift in 2024. There are two engine options on offer: a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder producing 137 hp, or a 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder producing 155 hp. The latter is also available with AWD, while the former is only offered with FWD. The Encore GX is built in Korea, at the GM Korea Bupyeong-gu plant in Incheon.
There are only two other models in Buick’s lineup for 2026: the Envista (also built in Korea) and the Enclave, the only Buick currently assembled in the US. The Enclave is built at the Lansing Delta Township plant in Michigan. Although all four models’ reliability record is quite good, it is interesting that the only US-built model is also the one with the highest number of complaints.
But how exactly does the JD Power study measure this — and what does the broader industry data reveal about where reliability is heading?
What Is The JD Power US Vehicle Dependability Study, And What Else Did It Reveal?
2025 Aston Martin Vanquish CarPlay UltraJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
We looked at the 2025 model year for all four models, and the Enclave had 35 complaints attached to it. Not far behind are the Envista (with 27 complaints), the Encore GX (with 13 complaints), and lastly the Envision with just seven complaints. None of the models are affected by a recall.
The JD Power US Vehicle Dependability Study analyzes the reliability and long-term durability of vehicles from a variety of categories. It is carried out primarily using customer feedback, gathering data from owners of three-year-old vehicles (this year’s study, for example, looks back at cars, SUVs, and trucks from 2023).
The type and number of problems experienced during the preceding 12 months of ownership are taken into account; JD Power consolidates this large amount of data into a single number for each model: PP100 (problems per 100 vehicles). This helps get a good idea of a vehicle’s reliability at a glance; the numbers for each of an automaker’s models are averaged out to produce a figure for the brand as a whole.
2017 Honda Accord with CarPlayHonda
The 2026 study produced a few interesting findings about how vehicle reliability is changing and what the biggest problem areas are. The data points to a downward trend in reliability, largely related to the increasing complexity of automotive technology.
Compared to the 2025 study, which showed an average of 202 problems per 100 vehicles, this year’s study raised that figure by two, going up to 204 PP100. Advanced infotainment systems, over-the-air updates, and mobile-phone integration were identified as some of the main problem areas. Of the top five industry issues identified in the study, four are connected to mobile-phone integration (Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity, built-in Bluetooth systems, wireless charging, and OEM app connectivity, which produce a combined 24.2 PP100).
A few vehicle categories have also been identified as having an increased potential for reliability issues: the premium segment is lagging behind mass-market vehicles, while in terms of powertrain, plug-in hybrids are the most problematic (followed by battery electric vehicles, other types of hybrids, and gas-powered vehicles).
The Only Brand That Beat Buick In The Overall Ranking
2026 Lexus RX 350 Premium AWD logo badge grilleLexus
Only one brandmanaged to overtake Buickin the JD Power ranking:Lexus, which obtained both first place overall and first place in the Premium Brands category. Aside from Buick, Lexus is the only other brand to consistently make it into the top five during the current decade.
Lexus is Toyota’s high-end sub-brand, first launched in 1989 as an attempt on Toyota’s part to expand into the American high-end market. Lexus’ debut was, to an extent, a direct response to the launch of Acura, Honda’s own luxury marque, three years earlier. Lexus’ first model was the LS 400, a luxury full-size sedan that onlywent out of productionthis year. Soon, the brand expanded its lineup with the ES 250 (a midsize sedan based on the Toyota Camry) and, later, the SC (a sporty coupe).
2026 Lexus RX 500h F Sport PerformanceLexus
Lexus’ good reputation did not take long to build, as the brand carried forward Toyota’s association with reliability and added an extra dimension of luxury. Not only does the brand achieve consistently high results in the Vehicle Dependability Study (even higher than Toyota itself); Lexus’ models typically get high JD Power Quality and Reliability scores, as well as low numbers of complaints and recalls.
Today, Lexus’ lineup has come a long way since the late 80s, growing to include a variety of SUVs, sedans, and coupes with both combustion-powered and electrified powertrains. What hasn’t changed, however, is its commitment to reliability and durability that has helped build its solid reputation across the decades.
Sources: Buick, JD Power
