10 MOST RELIABLE BUICK ENGINES EVER BUILT

​​​​​​Historically, American cars have not always been the most reliable, with plenty of examples of American brands that have let consumers down, from Ford to Dodge and even Tesla. But, there is one brand that has made consistently reliable vehicles since the 1970s.

That manufacturer's name is Buick. These iconic tri-shield-badged cars have been producing some of the longest-lasting vehicles on the road. Some of the older models can still be seen on the road today, especially if you're looking for them. Did you also know that Buick's actually used to be powered by V8s? Buicks of today are either powered by three-cylinder (like the Buick Envista), four-cylinder (like the newest Enclave) or six-cylinder engines.

Up until the 1980s, they used to have massive displacements in their small block V8s. The final V8 models were the LeSabre Electra and the Estate Wagon. In this list, we're going to go over the top ten most reliable Buick engines to ever hit the market. We'll go all the way back into the 60s and 70s, plus touch on some of the ones from today.

Nailhead V8 Second Generation 401 (400)

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: CarSurvey, Buick)

This massive 6.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 was used mostly in mid-size cars from the 1960s. We found a Buick Wildcat with 73,000 miles. This engine put out an impressive 325 horsepower and an even more impressive 410 pound-feet of torque with a high compression ratio of 10.25 to 1. The name "Nailhead" is derived from the relatively tiny valves with elongated stems that look closer to nails than actual valve stems.

L67 3800 Series II Supercharged V6

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: CarSurvey, Buick)

The Supercharged 3.8-liter V6 kicks off this list with some notable applications, from the Park Avenue Ultra to the early 2000s Regal GS. Could they possibly bring back the Park Avenue? It has an output of 240 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.

This engine first came on the scene in the mid-'90s and was so well revered that it was used up into the mid-2000s in cars like the Pontiac Grand Prix. It was originally naturally aspirated, but consumers wanted a bit more power. Automakers were done putting V8s in their Buicks, so they met them halfway and installed superchargers.

350 V8

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: CarSurvey, Buick)

Aluminum was the way to go for small block V8s, and that's what the norm for the small blocks was up until the final iteration with the 350. This engine is iconic because it was also considered to be the blueprint for Buick's extremely successful 3800 V6. It had decent output numbers for the time too, with 280 total horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque. The highest mileage one we could find was a 1976 Buick LeSabre with over 144,000 miles on it.

LFY V6: 164,969 Miles

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: Buick, J.D. Power, Cars.com)

The second generation Buick Enclave not only received a facelift but also an internal upgrade with the LFY naturally aspirated V6. Whereas the previous generation's V6 only made 288 horsepower, this newer model V6 makes 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque.

Notable features on this engine are a start-stop to help improve fuel economy and General Motor's variable cylinder technology that will shut off half of the engine's cylinders at cruising speeds, again, for overall fuel economy. It has a decent reliability score of 83 out of 100 on J.D. Power, and we found a newer 2018 Enclave with a staggering 165,000 miles on it.

LN3 Naturally Aspirated 3800

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: CarSurvey, Buick)

The LN3 3800 is considered to be the grandfather of all 3800s on the block. It was the original 3.8-liter V6 that helped kickstart the most beloved 6-cylinder ever built. What made it special was that it included a balance shaft that helped with NVH and the longevity of the engine overall. It was also the definition of a lazy V6 because it only cranked out 165 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque.

L36 3800 Series II Naturally Aspirated V6

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: CarSurvey, Buick)

The 3800 engines were so good they were made into three different series, Series I through III. The Series II engine came about in 1995 and is regarded as one of the most reliable engines Buick has ever made. Others dotingly refer to it as a "Lazy V6" for how little horsepower it outputs compared to its sizable compression ratio of 9.4:1.

These engines can be found in a number of Buicks from the LeSabre, the Park Avenue, the Regal, and even the Riviera. The Series II had an updated intake manifold which helped vastly improve emissions. The Series I weighed almost 400 pounds, while the Series II weighed closer to 350 pounds.

Related

LTG I4

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: J.D. Power, Cars.com, Buick)

Now getting into the smaller Buick engines of the modern era, the third generation LTG I4 makes itself known as the more powerful 4-cylinders of the several that have been offered recently. The most notable feature of this engine is that it has a twin-scroll turbocharger and an electronic wastegate like modern BMWs.

This allows the engine to not have a lick of turbo lag when hard acceleration is necessary. The turbocharged inline-4 makes an impressive 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It can be found, most notably, in the latest mid-size Envision SUV and has an impressive J.D. Power reliability score of 85 coupled with a maximum reported mileage of more than 206,000.

B14XFT I4

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: J.D. Power, Cars.com, Buick)

Coming in near the top is the confusingly named B14XFT. This engine was the main feature on one of Buick's most recent models, the Encore. What this subcompact's turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine lacks in power, it makes up for in durability and longevity.

This generation Encore has the highest J.D. Power reliability score of 85 and has one of the highest reported mileages of 229,878. Thanks to knock sensors in the engine, this tiny 4-cylinder can be had with regular gasoline, making it even more economical.

L26 Naturally Aspirated 3800 Series III: 276,915 Miles

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: J.D. Power, Cars.com, Buick)

The Series III is the swan song of the Buick 3800s. It featured powder-coated connecting rods and an aluminum intake manifold. The naturally aspirated version output 200 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque and can be found in the late 2000s LaCrosse and a mid-2000s Lucerne. We found a 2005 Buick LaCrosse on cars.com with 276,915, while the 2007 LaCrosse can be had with an overall J.D. Power reliability score of 84 out of 100.

LY7 V6

Specifications And Reliability

(Sources: J.D. Power, Cars.com, Buick)

One of the more modern engines on our list, the LY7 naturally aspirated V6 engine, was primarily used in the first-generation Enclave. It was used for its massive output and towing capabilities. It had a compression ratio of 11.3 to 1 and an output of 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque.

This engine can be found with a high reliability rating from J.D. Power and you can find some first-generation Enclaves with nearly 300,000 miles on them. This was such a good engine, in fact, that General Motors used it in almost 30 models all across the globe.

Sources: Buick, Cars.com, Carsurvey, J.D. Power

2024-06-30T12:13:18Z dg43tfdfdgfd