2020 Buick Envision problems
The Buick Envision is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by General Motors and marketed under the Buick brand since 2014. It is exclusively manufactured in China by the SAIC-GM joint venture, supplying the Chinese and North American markets.
Concept
The Envision was first introduced in 2011 as a design concept. It was a small crossover with two large scissor doors opening upward. The concept was a plug-in hybrid with advanced technology such as a solar roof and head-up display. The waterfall grille made it to the production version of the Envision.
First generation (2014)
The Envision was first introduced in China in August 2014, also known by its Chinese name, “Ang Ke Wei” (昂科威). It went on sale in China on October 20.
The Envision debuted in the U.S. at the North American International Auto Show on January 11, 2016, sharing the segment with a second generation GMC Terrain and the Chevrolet Equinox. It went on sale in the United States in the summer of 2016, making it the first Chinese-built GM vehicle to be sold in America. It was initially offered with all-wheel drive, and subsequently with optional front-wheel drive for model year 2017.
The North American version of the Envision features two powertrains: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 197 hp (147 kW) and 192 lb⋅ft (260 N⋅m) torque, and a turbo-charged 2-liter four-cylinder engine SAE certified at 252 hp (188 kW) and 260 lb⋅ft (353 N⋅m) torque. Both were initially paired with a third-generation six-speed transmission. For the 2016 model year, the Envision was only available in Premium I and Premium II trim levels, with the 2.0L turbo engine, seven active safety technologies, and OnStar/Intellilink connectivity. The trim levels expanded to five for the 2017 model year.
In addition to the larger engines offered in North America, Chinese buyers also have the option of a turbocharged 1.5-liter unit.
Trim levels for the first generation Envision were known as the 20T and 28T.
Social links
Common 2020 Buick Envision problems
The 2020 Buick Envision is a compact SUV that has received positive feedback for its spacious interior and standard safety options. However, there are some common problems that owners have reported, which include:
- Airbag Problems: Some owners have reported issues with the airbags in the 2020 Buick Envision. This is a serious concern that could potentially compromise the safety of the vehicle's occupants.
- Transmission Problems: Transmission problems have also been reported by owners of the 2020 Buick Envision. This can affect the vehicle's performance and may require costly repairs.
- Electrical Accessories: Owners have reported issues with various electrical accessories in the 2020 Buick Envision, including cruise control, clocks, warning lights, and body control modules. These problems can affect the overall functionality and reliability of the vehicle.
- Reliability: The 2020 Buick Envision has received mixed reviews when it comes to reliability. Some owners have reported experiencing problems with the vehicle, while others have not had any issues.
It is important to note that these common problems are based on owner reports and may not reflect the overall reliability of the 2020 Buick Envision. Prospective buyers should do their own research and thoroughly inspect any vehicle before making a purchase.
Does Buick Envision have transmission problems?
If you don't routinely and consistently change your fluids at least every 30,000 miles or so, you may find that your Buick Envision transmission will swiftly slip.
Is Buick Envision a reliable car?
Generally, though, the Buick Envision is a reliable compact SUV; any issues you encounter should not be life-threatening or severe (though they may require significant maintenance work). According to iseecars.com, the Buick Envision is the 14th most reliable luxury and small compact SUV overall.
How many miles will a Buick Envision last?
200,000 miles
How long Buicks last is an important barometer of their value and reliability. In fact, they generally last 200,000 miles, or about 13 years, which placed them third overall (and first among luxury brands) in J.D. Power's 2020 vehicle dependability survey.
What should I pay for Buick Envision?
Based on Edmunds analysis of recent prices paid in your area, the Edmunds Suggested Price for the 2023 Buick Envision Preferred base trim is $31,021. The Edmunds Suggested Price for a 2023 Buick Envision is based on recent transactions in your area.
Does Buick Envision have transmission problems?
If you don't routinely and consistently change your fluids at least every 30,000 miles or so, you may find that your Buick Envision transmission will swiftly slip.
Is the Buick Envision a reliable car?
Generally, though, the Buick Envision is a reliable compact SUV; any issues you encounter should not be life-threatening or severe (though they may require significant maintenance work). According to iseecars.com, the Buick Envision is the 14th most reliable luxury and small compact SUV overall.
Is the Buick Envision still made in China?
The Buick Envision is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by General Motors and marketed under the Buick brand since 2014. It is exclusively manufactured in China by the SAIC-GM joint venture, supplying the Chinese and North American markets.
Where is 2020 Buick Envision made?
The General Motors Co. Buick Envision is made in China. Changan Ford Automotive Experience Museum in Shenzhen, China. U.S. auto manufacturers must focus on growing sales in China if they want to sustain profits to succeed elswhere in the world.
2020 Buick Envision car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Buick Envision problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Air bags problems
- Electrical system problems
- Forward collision avoidance problems
- Service brakes problems
- Power train problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2020 Buick Envision vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
2020 Buick Envision complaints
The NHTSA has received 9 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2020 Buick Envision.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-07-28
- VIN: LRBFXCSA0LD
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
- Summary: We have two problems what we would call safety issues. First, all the sound in the vehicle was lost which included safety belt warning alarm, turn signal bells, door open alarms, etc. We were told by the dealership that it was a faulty amplifier. Secondly, the sunroof opened by itself, and is locked in the open position which makes the vehicle undrivable due to weather conditions and makes it an easy target for theft. The vehicle was locked and parked in our driveway when we noticed the sunroof was open. We know this occurred on it's own as we had just washed the vehicle and locked the doors. The next day we found the sunroof open and the doors still locked. This is a computer software issue within the vehicle as these issues occurred within a matter of days of each other. The sunroof opening on its own is a safety issue as a unsecure car is a problem, opening during traveling in a storm is a real threat to driving conditions. During our investigations we have found other cases the same as ours.We have reached out to GMC and we were told no recalls have been issued and to file a complaint with NHTSA and our state Attorney General. Our vehicle has been sitting at the dealership since August 5th, waiting on back ordered parts with no anticipated delivery date for those parts. This is not a dealership issue but rather a manufacturer design defect. Buick has not taken any interest or responsibility for this issue as the vehicle was out of warranty recently. This 2020 vehicle only has 55,000 miles. I have a 60-mile roundtrip commute to my job at a local hospital and have been without a vehicle since July 28th. This issue is not due to any neglect on our part and the cost so far is over $3,000. Buick should be responsible for their design and poor engineering as this has the potential to cause an issue if this happens while the vehicle is moving. The safety bells are an added reminder to buckle up and if they are not working it is a safety issue for those in the vehicle.
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-05-10
- Components: AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS
- Summary: The contact owns a 2020 Buick Envision. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt failed to extend and was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the front driver's side seat belt ratchet was abnormally opened, causing the air bag module to fail. The dealer determined that the front driver's side seat belt assembly and the front driver's side air bag module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,910. The VIN was not available.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-02-01
- VIN: LRBFXCSA3LD
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: Got in the vehicle to start the engine and the instrument cluster stop showing all readings of the gauges would not display the screen blacked out and none of the gauges were working. There were no warnings lamps or nothing out the ordinary the instrument cluster just went out. This is the first time it has ever done this.
AIR BAGS,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-09-30
- VIN: LRBFXCSA2LD
- Components: AIR BAGS,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES
- Summary: The Air Bag, Parking Brake, Traction Control/StabiliTrak/Electonic Stability Control lights all came on while operating my vehicle. The lights did not go off, so I reported to the dealership. They determined it was an internal defect in the Inflatable Restraint Sensing and Diagnostic Module. This was not covered under warranty and appears to be a defect in the module. I believe this to be a serious safety concern and recommend a recall of this issue.
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-08-26
- Number Of Injuries: 1
- VIN: LRBFXCSA1LD
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,POWER TRAIN
- Summary: I put the car into park and I exited the vehicle because I forgot to push the stop button. So I reached accross the driver's seat and push the stop button. When I did this the car began to roll back as if it was in neutral. I did not touch the shift knob. It shifted into neutral on its on. The front down was open at the time. The car should not have moved if the front door was open. The car ended up rolling down a small hill and ran over me.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-04-12
- Number Of Injuries: 1
- Crash: 1
- VIN: LRBFXCSA8LD
- Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
- Summary: The contact owns a 2020 Buick Envision. The contact stated when pulled into a recycling center, the vehicle unattended accelerated, and crashed into a cement wall. The failure occurred within seconds. The contact did not recall any warning lights on the instrument panel. The air bags did not deploy. There were minor injuries to the left-hand upper thumb. The contact also stated his head hit the steering wheel and the right side of the face was swollen, and below the right knee was bruised. There was a medical report from the Orthopedics clinic. There was no police report. The vehicle had damage to the front driver side quarter panel, the entire hood was lifted; however, the left front of the hood was higher up. The other damages were the bumper, lighting system, the front windshield cracked and shattered, and the rear windshield wiper was damaged due to the impact of the crash. The vehicle was drivable. The vehicle has not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,300.
AIR BAGS PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-10-21
- Number Of Injuries: 1
- Crash: 1
- VIN: LRBFX4SX7LD
- Components: AIR BAGS
- Summary: The contact owns a 2020 Buick Envision. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph when the contact was struck by a semi-trailer which resulted in the side air bag not deploying. A police report was taken the contact sustained broken ribs on the left side and sought medical treatment. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and then towed to an insurance lot. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. Consumer contacted the manufacturer and was told no evidence of the airbags not deploying properly.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-09-09
- VIN: LRBFXCSA7LD
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: 2020 BUICK ENVISION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAN BE POWERED OFF AND KEY REMOVED WITHOUT BEING SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL INDEPENDENTLY, ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED.
EQUIPMENT,UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-08-29
- VIN: LRBFX3SX9LD
- Components: EQUIPMENT,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: THE SAFERCAR APP DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE VIN [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Negative 2020 Buick Envision car reviews
Positive 2020 Buick Envision car reviews
-
I really enjoyed my CTS when it was running, but I found it difficult to get in and out of my low-slung 2013 CTS. In addition, I was only getting 16 mpg in town with the 3.0 liter AWD, and the acceleration wasn't very smooth when I hit the gas. I decided it was time for a crossover, so I test drove several models including the Q5, X3, a small Infiniti, Edge, Escape, and the CX5 and MKC were next on my list. I also decided to take a look at the Envision, just to cross it off the list for possible consideration. I drove the Preferred FWD and really liked the ride. The seats were very comfortable, and I especially liked that the head restraints and lumbar support both adjust up and down, and fore and aft. I also love that the outside driver side mirror is auto-dimming, which my CTS didn't have. Additionally, this car has the same turning circle as the CTS. My biggest concern was that the 2.5 liter was said to be underpowered, but I don't find that at all. It has better and smoother acceleration than my CTS had, although it may be because I began to use Premium fuel due to the high compression ratio (11.3:1). The owner's manual says to use 87 octane 'or higher'. I average 20-22 mpg in the suburbs and easily low 30s on the highway. My record driving in western Michigan was 36 mpg on the highway. I think it's well worth the higher price of premium, which is about the same as regular at the corner gas station if you buy it at Costco. Being older, I always heard that the higher the compression ratio, the higher octane fuel needed. This is just a guess, but those who say the 2.5 is underpowered may be experiencing the electronics reducing the power to restrict knocking that may be caused by using 87 octane. Update January 19, 2021 at Edmund's invitation (first, a clarification, my car is a 2018, not 2019.): Unfortunately, I've had some battery/electrical problems crop up. A few months after taking delivery, my car needed to be jumped because the battery had a dead cell. It was replaced under the bumper-to-bumper warranty. I didn't think it was a big deal, just a bad part installed. I also told the service advisor about a weird occurrence.I had an issue with my car where it would occasionally die at stoplights and the dashboard would light up with warning signals. I brought it to the attention of the service advisor who suggested that I simply needed to drive it more and let it learn my driving style. However, the problem persisted and I noticed that the auto start/stop feature was not working properly. Despite mentioning this during an oil change, I was told the same thing - to drive it more. This was frustrating as I have a job and cannot simply drive around aimlessly during a pandemic. Eventually, my car wouldn't start at all and I had to call roadside assistance multiple times. When I reached out to a different Buick dealer, they dismissed my concerns without even looking at the car. It has been a frustrating experience, especially during these difficult times.By the way, I wanted to share that roadside assistance will only provide 3 (or 4?) jumps a month. I called a Chevy dealer to get my Buick serviced and was pleasantly surprised by the great service advisor. He explained what they would do and then asked me where I would like to park. He even asked if this issue happened when parked outside, which it never does. He mentioned that they are seeing more no-starts with people who park in enclosed garages with multiple cars. Apparently, the signals from the electronics continue when parked, and possibly cars are getting confused. They found that my battery had a dead cell, which is the 3rd battery I've had to replace in less than 3 years. No wonder Buick reduced the bumper-to-bumper warranty by a year on new models, as this issue is not covered under the powertrain warranty. On a positive note, my car has been starting without any issues since the last service. Even after being unable to drive for almost 3 weeks, my car started right up. I am grateful to Bredemann Chevrolet in Park Ridge, IL for giving me my car back.
-
After months of searching for an affordable AWD vehicle with the safety technology we desired, we stumbled upon the Buick Envision. Despite not having heard of it before, we decided to take it for a test drive and were immediately impressed. We ended up purchasing the Envision Premium, which had everything we were looking for and more, including a fantastic Bose sound system. We absolutely love the power of the 2.0 turbo engine. While other vehicles may have better reviews from the 'experts', we firmly believe that the best choice is always the one that meets a person's individual wants and needs. For us, the Envision is the perfect fit.
-
The Envision has a lot going for it! It is comfortable, has intuitive and easy-to-use controls, sufficient power, a quiet and smooth gearbox, plenty of space, and lots of useful tech (such as power liftgate, blindside assist, rear cross traffic alert, heated steering, and remote start). All trims come with at least HID headlamps, which makes night driving much better than with halogens. The external design is understated, but by no means unsightly. I can totally understand why this vehicle doesn’t stand out from the crowd. Edmunds criticizes that this vehicle is too pricey to be a normal SUV, but not luxurious enough. However, for a certain segment of buyers, it hits a sweet spot of not being too pricey (or as luxurious) as Lexus and Audi, but much more put together than non-luxury SUVs. Unfortunately for Buick, I haven’t seen an Envision on the road where we live (other than us), but that is quite Ok with us. There are plenty of Encores and Enclaves, but not many Envisions out there. If you want to go full luxury and have the budget for it, skip the Envision. But if you want near-luxury with a fair price that falls in line with where they position this vehicle, it could be the right call for you. As a daily driver, this car does almost everything very well.
-
I purchased my 2020 Envision in September and I'm so glad I did! I absolutely love the luxurious feel of it, the spaciousness, and all the amazing features. It's not too big and not too small - it's just perfect for me.
-
Purchased a 2020 Buick Envision and I absolutely love it! It's so easy to park and has all the latest safety features. Plus, there's plenty of room for five adults and the ride is incredibly smooth. I highly recommend taking one for a test drive to see for yourself how much you'll enjoy it.
Additional sources
More sources of information about 2020 Buick Envision problems:
2020 Buick Envision Reliability - Consumer Reports
What Owners Say ... "After about 6 months subsequent to purchasing this new vehicle, the autostop function stopped working. After multiple (8 or 9) repair ...
2020 Buick Envision Problems | Kelley Blue Book
How reliable is the 2020 Buick Envision? See the most common repairs performed and learn if your vehicle is at risk for major repairs in the next 12 months.
The Most Common 2020 Buick Envision Problems | GetJerry.com
Nov 19, 2022 ... The most common problems to befall the 2020 Buick Envision are vehicle speed control issues, the side airbags not deploying, and an issue with ...
Which Years of Used Buick Envisions Are Most Reliable? - CoPilot
Jul 27, 2023 ... What Are the Most Common Buick Envision Problems? · Dash lighting randomly dimming · Heated seats not working · Incorrect weight printed on the ...
Other years of Buick Envision
Are you having problems with your 2020 Buick Envision?
Doris Gerlach 2025-08-21
The car is experiencing a faulty transmission that intermittently produces a 'clunk' sound when shifting from Park or Reverse. Despite having taken it to the dealer and leaving it there for them to drive, the issue has not been resolved as it did not occur while they had it. However, I am confident that the issue will become more frequent and can be resolved. Overall, I still like the car.
Salvador King 2024-06-22
Seems nice at first, but I wanted to let you know that this car was made in China with 95% Chinese parts. If you're okay with that, then it might be a good fit for you. However, I would recommend getting the extended warranty just in case. Thank you for considering this car!
Shaun Schultz 2024-05-07
The doors do not drain water unless they are opened. So, after a good rain, it's important to remember to open all four doors to let the water drain. Additionally, salt-laden water from road wash is getting into the doors without drainage. We're not sure of the rust implications or the potential for freezing/thawing and other electrical issues that may arise in winter.