NHTSA — Structure: Body Problems

2008 Buick Enclave (Page 2 of 2)

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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:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
22 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,885 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 body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2008 Buick Enclave Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #17

Oct 062014

Enclave

  • 150,000 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 the stability traction control warning light continuously illuminated. The contact mentioned that every time the failure recurred, the vehicle would drastically decelerate making it extremely difficult to operate. The contact had to turn the vehicle off and on in order to reset the computer. The vehicle was able to restart each time but the failure was getting progressively worse. The vehicle was to be taken to a dealer to inspect and diagnose the failure. Also, the contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 15V415000 (structure) and was waiting on the permanent remedy and part to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

- Blytheville, AR, USA

problem #16

Jul 112015

Enclave

  • 88,000 miles
On 7/11/2015 when I opened the lift gate of my vehicle, the gate would not stay open. It slowly started to close. This problem persisted for about 4-5 days. About 6 days later, the gate was working fine. On 7/19/15 I opened the lift gate and was standing underneath it getting my child's stroller out of the back of my SUV. I heard a loud pop and the lift gate came crashing down on the top of my head. I was then trapped under the lift gate and struggled to get free (I had the stroller in my arms). I was able to free myself and locate my sunglasses (which were on top of my head when the gate crashed down) about five feet away. At this point, the lift gate was completely closed. I tried opening it again and it came crashing down. Currently, the lift gate will not stay open and I am unable to use the gate, and therefore unable to use the interior back area of my car. In terms of injury, I had a bump on my head, frequent headaches, and persistent neck pain.

- Henderson, NV, USA

problem #15

Mar 242013

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 144,000 miles
It was a rainy day and my passenger side floor was soaking wet and there was water marks on the above upholstery. It took days to get it out and the dealership says it was bought as is. I have been researching online and there should be a recall for this because several people have complaints on this same issue.

- Leesville, SC, USA

problem #14

Dec 192014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 63,100 miles

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

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

problem #13

Dec 172014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 77,000 miles
The tailgate/liftgate is broken for the second time. The first time it was replaced was when it had only 40,403 miles. Now, it is broken again at 77,000. The hatch will go up automatically, but doesn't hold so it comes crashing down. This is very dangerous! am I to expect that every 30,000-40,000 it needs to be replaced?

- Stocktn, CA, USA

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problem #12

Jun 022014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 97,982 miles
A small grommet failed allowing the sunroof drain located inside the roof to drain water to the interior front drivers side. The leak was not easily detected until a moldy smell developed inside the car, humidity issues, and the radio stopped working. The amplifier located near the leak shorted out and failed. (no fire luckily) after $1700 worth of damages and repairs were made by Buick, this design defect was corrected at full cost to the owner. This water leak could have easily caused more problems and possibly even a electrical fire. Other Enclave owners with similar problems should form a class action suit. GM does not take responsibility for this obvious design flaw even though the Buick Enclave forums have numerous similar complaints. GM's response was to offer a $2500 credit on a new vehicle purchase. I certainly have no need to ever purchase another problem.

- Brick, NJ, USA

problem #11

Apr 172013

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 60,000 miles

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

The moonroof is leaking water into the interior. The water is soaking the inside of the vehicle potentially causing problems with other systems.

- Springfield, OR, USA

problem #10

Sep 032013

Enclave

  • 60,000 miles
I have a 2008 Buick Enclave, the sunroof is leaking which is causing damage to other parts of the vehicle. This should be a recall!

- Rock, WV, USA

problem #9

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

problem #8

Jun 082013

Enclave

  • 22,500 miles
During wet weather, the power steering seems to shut down and making it very hard to steer the car. This has happened many times over the past two years. It seems to happen after just starting out and driving thru a small puddle of water and after a few miles seems to operate normally. This is the same complaint I have seen from other owners and needs to be considered for a recall because this is an accident waiting to happen. We had one close call, how ever do to the low speed was able to stop the car in time. Somehow water must be getting into the steering components.

- Maitland, FL, USA

problem #7

May 312011

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 33,000 miles

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

The vehicle has had a re-occurring roof leak for ~2 years. The vehicle has been to two different dealers for a total of 5 times for repair. Water leaks down the pillars between the windshield and front door, the pillars between the front and back doors, and from the lights in the back. The water collects in and under the carpet and has an odor. There is a mold concern.

- Venetia, PA, USA

problem #6

Feb 012012

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
Our 2008 Buick Enclave began leaking water onto and under the dashboard from the sunroof. Not only has this been a known problem since 2008, but there was an actual recall that year to fix this leak. For some reason our VIN number was excluded from the original recall but it is experiencing the exact same issues that the recall was to address. This leak can cause several safety issues including corrosion and failure of airbag systems, the fuse panel, the blower motor that operates the defrost/defog function, and a buildup of mold and mildew. The dealer told me that my fuse panel is shot and needs to be replaced. I suspect that I have other damaged electrical components as well. I have attached the url's of several sites which reference the extent to which this problem is occurring with these vehicles. It is obvious that the initial recall did not cover all of the vehicles with the underlying problem and now we are stuck with a dealer quote for $1900 repair that does not include the blower motor and airbags. I would appreciate a prompt response as I can't drive in the rain and am concerned about hidden damage that could affect the car's safety. Thanks. www.youtube.com/watch"V=fnykjlhusxi video of water-damaged damaged blower motor due to this known problem with the leaking sunroofs. www.enclaveforum.net/index.php?topic=3411.0 contains the 2008 Enclave recall notice www.faqs.org/car/Buick-Enclave-2008/visibility/ lists the GM technical bulletins for this Enclave leak issue www.enclaveforum.net/index.php?topic=2039.0 34 pages of posts regarding the leaking sunroof issue townhall-talk.edmunds.com/webx?14@189.V7qqaxgahvh@.F17fc13/53#msg53 several pages of complaints on an edmunds forum www.edmunds.com/search/results.html"Q=Enclave+sunroof+leaks&src=usergen&ac=&X=29&Y=11 etc.

- Roswell, GA, USA

problem #5

Dec 202010

Enclave

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that there was a water leak in the front and rear ends of the vehicle. As a result, the electrical system was damaged. Both the dealer and manufacturer were notified, but denied assistance with repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 12,770.

- Seeter Park, TX, USA

problem #4

Apr 082009

Enclave

  • miles
Our 2008 Buick Enclave has leaked water on the passenger floor so many times I have lost count. I could raise fish in the vehicle. The first dealer could not find anything so we went to the next dealer with the passenger side soaked. They stated it was the windshield so we paid $300. To have it reseated. Nope that didn't work. Next they had the vehicle for 10 days stating the carpet was soaked, the padding underneath was soaked and they were bringing in a leak specialist. Just 2 days after it left the service department and the first rain I am raising fish again and it smells.

- Belle Isle, FL, USA

problem #3

Oct 152011

Enclave

  • 41,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that whenever opening the rear power liftgate, it would close unexpectedly with great force. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #2

Aug 232010

Enclave

  • 15,964 miles
2008 Buick Enclave with water leaks front, mid and rear of vehicle. Service dept has admitted GM design flaw in sunroof which is designed to leak. Water is supposed to drain thru tiny drain tubes which become clogged with debris. Enclave back in shop for 5th time; 3rd time in 1 mth.

- Clay , NY, USA

problem #1

Sep 032008

Enclave

  • 200 miles
Safety problem with the power liftgate on 2008 Buick Enclave. When closing, it does not reverse at my shoulder height. A few days ago, it pushed me down to about to halfway point before it stopped (ouch!!!) later tried this a few times... in the first 6-12" of closing, the gate does not reverse, even with very firm hand pressure. Further tests showed that it fails to reverse at even more that the 12" mark (I didn't measure). At about midway to closed, it reverses with just a light touch. According to owners manual: * "if the liftgate encounters an obstacle during a power open or close cycle, a warning chime will sound and the liftgate will automatically reverse direction to the full closed or open position."

- Livingston, TX, USA

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