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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
87,930 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Buick Enclave Owner Comments (Page 4 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #11

Nov 152013

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 82,040 miles

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

While driving with my daughter, and dogs from the vet; the car began to slow down and eventually stop. I tried to restart and vehicle turn on lights, ac, radio came on however would not crank. Pedestrians pushed me out of harms way and into a parking lot. Towed to dealer immediately without inspection they said it is engine failure and I would be responsible for over 7000 worth of damage. The car had a full warranty and extended warranty which just recently ended. I am still making payments and had the vehicle less than 1 year.

- Brandon, FL, USA

problem #10

Nov 162013

Enclave

  • 82,040 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration power and failed to restart after it was shut down. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 82,040.

- Brandon, FL, USA

problem #9

Nov 012011

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
This car has a whinning noise coming from the steering column that gets louder the more drive it. I have contacted the Buick care dept and they indicated it is a known problem but they will not fix it. They had me take my car to the Buick place where I purchased the vehicle and they come up with about $1900 to fix this and say that it is a known problem with the Buick steering that some housing is too close to the steering column and it creates the noise and steering problems and that Buick and everyone else is aware of it and that they should issue a recall but do not. In addition I have engine stalling problems where there is lack of power upon sudden acceleration. This happens frequently.

- Fort White, FL, USA

problem #8

Aug 082013

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles

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

My two children and I were traveling on a highly elevated ramp between major highways in san antonio (281 and 1604) when my car no longer would move into a higher gear and suddenly stalled at its current speed. The engine roared, but the car would not go faster. The traffic behind me almost hit me, as I unexpectedly was not increasing speed as one would typically do entering a highway. It was extremely frightening to all three of us (especially my 9 year old) and required our exiting the highway immediately. The problem continued, and we immediately took the car into the dealership service center. The technician was able to determine the problem quickly, because it has been a frequent repair. The "wave plate" failure led to the failed transmission with additional engine problems. The bill exceeds $6000. Both the near accident and cost have been highly stressful. We want GM to address this "wave plate /transmission" issue before more people almost get hurt. The forums for GM vehicles containing this part have dozens of complaints already.

- Bulverde, TX, USA

problem #7

Jun 282013

Enclave

  • 64,000 miles
We brought this car from landers Ford collierville in 19apr13 and I have had to get the brakes redone, and a valve with the air conditioner fixed. But we went to sunrise GMC on 28jun13 and they advised us that we need a brand new transmission in the car due to a crack in some part of the transmission. I haven't had the car that long and now it needs a new transmission. Landers Ford knew that car had transmission problems. GMC advised us that this is a problem that happens in the Buick Enclaves and the arcadias. So if you know that this car had these problems, then why haven't a recalled been done on the cars. We did research this past week and everyone complains about the transmission. We also called GMC and they advised me that since I brought the car from a Ford dealership and not GMC that they can not replace the transmission. But they can give us 70/30 we pay 70 percent of the repairs which I can not afford. They advised us that the car came off the line in 2007 and that is why the car is 10 months out of warranty.

- Memphis , TN, USA

problem #6

Dec 152012

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 42,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving 58 mph, the vehicle stalled with the illumination of the check engine and stop vehicle warning lights. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was stated that the engine needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired but the problem persisted. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 42,000.

- Juneau, WI, USA

problem #5

May 152013

Enclave

  • 82,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while traveling 55 mph, the engine seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was advised that the engine would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that there was an abnormal white substance on the wheels that could not be removed. The dealer did not have a recommendation or a remedy for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileage was 82,000.

- Highland Lakes, NJ, USA

problem #4

Mar 292013

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 82,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while traveling 55 mph, the engine seized and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer and the engine had to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that the failure was due to user error. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage and current mileage was 82,000.

- Bloomfield, NY, USA

problem #3

Apr 222013

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 54,236 miles
My 2008 Buick Enclave only has 54000 miles on it and the transmission had to be replaced. The rpms would race up but the car would not move. The air conditioner also quit working at 39,000 miles but I waited until this breakdown to fix it because it was the beginning of the cool season. The high pressure line to the condenser and evaporator had to be replaced.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #2

Mar 042013

Enclave

  • 100,000 miles
As I begin to accelerate the RPM's would go to 4 but my speed would only be 25mph. This has happened several times. When I pull over, turn the car off, start it again, then it runs like it should. I contacted the dealer and they said I needed a new transmission which will cost $4000. I have researched this problem and it seems that many people have had this problem but so far no recall. I have read that a part in the transmission is not properly hear treated which is the cause of the transmission problems.

- Fairview , TN, USA

problem #1

May 252012

Enclave

  • 92,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. While driving approximately 15 mph, the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact noticed black smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed to an auto repair shop where the mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for further assistance. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer nor repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

- Newark, DE, USA

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