CarComplaints.com Notes: Buying the first model year of any vehicle is rarely a good idea. You become a guinea pig for the automaker and they are really not nice to guinea pigs.

The 2008 Enclave has a wide enough range of problems to issue a warning. There's transmission failure under 90k miles, new power steering units costing over $1,300, and enough engine complaints to NHTSA to scare anyone away.

2.1

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,544 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Buick Enclave accessories - exterior problems

accessories - exterior problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2008 Buick Enclave:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2008 Buick Enclave Owner Comments

problem #10

Oct 012019

Enclave

  • 127,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Air bags light stays on rear wiper stop working

- Lake Station, IN, USA

problem #9

Aug 012019

Enclave

  • 180,000 miles
I have had continuous problems over the last year with the stabilitrack system going off and it telling me to service stabilitrack. However, now my transmission is going out and I have a car that I owe way too much for and can't afford to get the transmission fixed. On top of the transmission my ignition only works part of the time. There is no point in replacing the ignition if the transmission is gone. I have already replaced the motor on the windshield wipers but apparently the previous owner had the motor replaced during the recall so I had to pay out of pocket for that. Not to mention spending over $200 just to get my headlight bulb replaced at a shop because its not simple enough to just take the cover off and replace the bulb. This car has been nothing but a money pit. The transmission has been acting a little strange like occasionally not wanting to shift one day and then being fine the next. The other day I was driving and it wouldn't shift, rev"D up to 4000 RPM and wouldn't go over 40 mph. I'm at the point where I can not afford to continue to pay full coverage insurance plus my car payment on a car I cannot drive.

- Red Lodge, MT, USA

problem #8

Mar 242016

Enclave

  • 135,000 miles
I own a 2008 Buick Enclave which was parked stationary in my driveway on March 24th 2016. As I exited my home and attempted to unlock my vehicle I was surprised by a cloud of smoke that was released by the front passenger airbag. It had deployed for no apparent reason. Damaging the dash, radio, and destroying the windshield glass. I immediately contacted GM service department in which they sent out a tow truck to remove my vehicle from my premises and shipped it to a ed rinke Chevrolet service department. Their investigator claims that there was a previous crack in the windshield that caused the 12" of standing water damage on my floorboards and in the airbag sensor module. There was no crack... so after being inconvenienced for almost a month, GM claims that the windshield was an aftermarket product and that they've got no responsibility for the deployment or totaled vehicle damages. The truck was returned today Apr. 19,2016 very inoperable!

- Eastpointe, MI, USA

problem #7

Dec 182014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 92,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Dec. 2014....wipers would stop with no warning...which would cause me not to see were I was driving rain or snow, at the time, no dealer was able to help due to work loads.....so I had it fix from a tech other than a GM tech..(which some GM tech should not be) anyway.....it was the wiper trans was corroded that's was causing the problem...this is a very unsafe problem to have, ....due to not having GM tech work on it I was told they will not reimburse me. Not a happy GM owner (over 50 yrs)...updated 10/15/15

- Maple Grove, MN, USA

problem #6

Dec 192014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 63,100 miles
While braking aggressively during heavy rain, rainwater poured from the passenger side headliner onto the dash. Rainwater has been leaking into the car for the past several weeks. This issue was apparently repaired three (3) prior times in 2008, but has recurred. General Motors has only offered me one free hour of diagnosis time. This is a major safety issue regarding driver visibility, distracting the driver and could effect multiple electrical systems in the vehicles dash due to the introduction of rainwater. The second issue is the vehicle's transmission is failing. Transmission loses power while shifting from 3rd to 4th gear, then abruptly jerks into gear. The car has less than 64,000 miles.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #5

Jul 102008

Enclave 6-cyl

  • miles
I purchased this car on January 20, 2008. I went to get my first oil change, and when I picked up the car and started to drive off every light in the car including the button for the door locks came on. I returned to the to the dealer where I got the oil change and they kept the car for 4 weeks.mind you this was a brand new car, a Buick Enclave, that I purchased out of the stock room on display. I was given a rental car for that period, picked up the car after four weeks, returned back with the same problems and a leak in the roof that I also had to repair. Since that time it has been back and forth to the dealers. I changed dealers and took it to another dealer. They did a good job but time after time I was still having problems. I should not have had the problems after paying $47,000 for this car brand new. I feel I was given a bad deal, and they should have taken this car back because I am having problems to this day. I am smelling smoke like something is burning and I'm afraid to drive this car in fear for my and my daughter's life!! I've had valves changed, cylinder heads changed, seals, gaskets, , bolts, , ignition, coil replacement, ,lift-gate replacement, master cylinder replacement, , replaced steering gear. This car has been nothing but a problem to me. In spite of all this it's a very nice comfortable car, but I got a bad engine, and Buick should have handled this differently instead of fixing it they should have given me a different car. When I park this car in the parking lot and I come back this car front window has no visibility and windows are frosted like something is still running in the car. Since I purchased this car I have been in a rental more than this car. This is a second request was sent old ODI number is 10605243 corrections done.

- West Park, FL, USA

problem #4

Jul 102008

Enclave 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I purchased this car in January 20. 2008, went to get my first oil change, pick up the car start to drive off every light, can on the car including the button for the door locks, return to the to the dealers where I got the oil change and purchase the car. They keep this car for 4 weeks, took the whole engine down on a brand new car this was a brand new buck Enclave, that I purchase out of the stock room on display, was given a rental car for that period, pick up the car after four weeks, return back with the same problems and a leak in the roof also got that repair, back and forth to the dealers. Change dealers and took it to another dealers they did a good job but time after time I was still having problems at paying 47,000 for this car I was giving a bad deal, and they should have taken this car back because I am having problems to this day. I am smelling smoke like something is burning and a little afraid to drive this car in fair for my kid life.I had valve change, cylinder head change, seal, gasket, bolt, ignition coil replacement, liftgate strut replacement, master cylinder replacement, replace steering gear. This car has been nothing but problem to me, and its a very nice comfortable car, but I got a bad engine, and buck should have handle this different instead of fixing and fixing given me a different car. When I park this car in the parking lot and I come back this car front window has not visibility and windows be frosted like something is still running in the car. Since I purchase this car I have been in a rental more than this car. 3. personal information [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- West Park, FL, USA

problem #3

Feb 042013

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 56,341 miles
This is the 8th time+ we've had water enter the car through the closed moon roof. Water drips down through the left and right windshield pillars, flows out of the seatbelt tensioners in the 3rd row and through the headliner onto the inside of the windshield. You can hear a wave of water flowing above the headliner, and when woosh it flows when the car dips to one side or the other. There's has to be electrical issues and rust that's being created by this problem. The dealership says the drain is clogged with leafs, from a moon room that's never been opened. This problem is pervasive for this platform (2007-2012/traverse/acadia/outlook/Enclave) but I don't see any activity from this organization to address this. The last 2 times this happened braking system failed. Warning on the dic: Break assist off and then the red critical failure warning and tones came on while driving. So now I have water on the inside of the windshield and failure of the braking system, while I'm driving. The dealership was unable to pull any error codes, but I recorded the event on my cell phone. Now this is a ntsb issue. Failed brakes and not being able to see out the windshield is a real accident waiting to happen. (note, once the vehicle dried out, the brake failure warning and tones went away.) good thing we live in drought stricken California or we'd probably be dead a long time ago.

- Alamo, CA, USA

problem #2

Jan 012008

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
TL-the contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact state that the vehicle experienced several failures the transmission gear could not be shifted out of first gear, the engine compression failed, the suspension sway bar failed, the traction control failed, and the rear lift gate opened on its own. The dealer replaced the transmission and all other parts that failed however the failures were not corrected. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 117,000.

- La Grange, OH, USA

problem #1

Nov 042013

Enclave

  • 77,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated the sunroof tube failed causing water to penetrate into the vehicle from the sunroof, the sun visor and the windshield. The drivers side carpet and floor had water damage. The manufacturer stated the vehicle was not included in the manufacturers special warranty for the sunroof tube draining. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 77,000.

- Martensdale, IA, USA

Not what you are looking for?