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.

4.7

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
22,901 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 seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2008 Buick Enclave Owner Comments

problem #6

May 252010

Enclave

  • 55,000 miles

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

Passenger air bag is indicated as being off;although there is a passenger in the seat.

- Manchester, TN, USA

problem #5

Jul 142009

Enclave

  • 35,000 miles
We purchased a used 2008 Buick Enclave and the passenger seat air bag indicator light shows the air bag to be off as often as on when an adult passenger is seated there. This is a major safety issue when you think you are protected and you are not.

- Colbert, OK, USA

problem #4

Jul 032009

Enclave

  • 36,000 miles
I have a 2008 Buick Enclave for which the passenger side airbag sensor only detects a low weight (110 lb) adults about 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time it turns the airbag off even though there is an adult in the seat. Apparently this is a known issue. See other cases at www.enclaveforum.net/index.php"topic=449.0. why isn't a recall issued over such a potential safety issue"

- Hayward, CA, USA

problem #3

Mar 172008

Enclave 6-cyl

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. While driving approximately 45 mph on normal road conditions, the front passenger side air bag warning indicator failed to illuminate whenever an occupant was positioned in the seat. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was related to a faulty seat sensor. The seat sensor was replaced twice. The vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer on seven separate occasions for identical failures, but there were no resolutions. The failure and current mileages were unavailable. Updated 5\26\09 the air bag light would come on and go off at random times, when the passenger seat was occupied. Updated 05/28/09.

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #2

Jul 232008

Enclave

  • 5,906 miles
Passenger front seat airbag does not work properly. 132 lbs, 5'8" female sitting in passenger seat gets intermittent "on" status for the airbag when car running. Tends to be in the "off" mode about 80% of the time with this same person sitting in the seat. The first time this was addressed was in Sept of 2007 during the test drive prior to purchase. At that time we contacted on-star while the same passenger described above was sitting in the seat and the sales rep was present. On-star rep could find no problem and suggested restarting the car. We did and the airbag went to the "on" position. About three months later (after purchase) the passenger airbag began to register in the "off" position most of the time. Restarting the car did not always solve the problem. Within the past month we have only seen the "on" light three times while the same passenger is in the seat. We took the car to the dealership 2 times and they said they could find nothing wrong and that the passenger must be too light and therefore it is unsafe for the airbag to be in the "on" position. It is our contention that there is in fact something wrong with the bag deployment system especially given the system would in fact be "on" sometimes. However GM was unwilling to provide passenger weight parameters so we could further investigate if the sensor is malfunctioning. In checking with NHTSA for national specifications we found it uses a 108 lbs 5'2' dummy to ensure deployment. As noted above we are talking about a person 24 lbs heavier and 6" taller than the minimum NHTSA specification. So there must be something wrong and GM does not seem willing to help us with this problem. This is very unsafe for the passenger. I am the primary driver. I am 120 lbs and 5'4". GM says the passenger must be too light an therefore it is unsafe to have an airbag. If this is the case then why is the driver side airbag designed for someone my size and weight. They can't have it both ways.

- Rehoboth Beach, DE, USA

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problem #1

May 302008

Enclave

  • 5,501 miles
The front passenger airbag system on my '08 Buick Enclave cxl does not activate 100% of the time when the seat is occupied. I have taken it to the dealership where I purchased the car twice and was told there was nothing wrong. They told me that they had at least three other Enclaves in the shop at the same time as mine with the same complaint and that nationwide, other Enclaves owners were making the same complaint. They told me that if the passenger does not sit in a certain exact position, with their legs in a certain position, the system will not activate. This does not allow for any variables, such as height, weight and body shape. I find this to be a totally unacceptable and quite dangerous inherent design flaw on a new model of car.

- Orlando, FL, USA

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