NHTSA — Steering Problems

2008 Buick Enclave (Page 2 of 5)

CarComplaints.com Seal Of This Might Hurt

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:
6 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
76,097 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 steering problems

steering problem

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2008 Buick Enclave Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #78

Feb 032017

Enclave

  • 95,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. When the contact pulled out of the driveway, he heard a loud noise and found a piece of metal laying in the driveway. The dealer stated that the steering was unstable. The coil spring was replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

- Jarrettsville, MD, USA

problem #77

Jan 152017

Enclave

  • 10,008 miles
No power steering

- Coats, NC, USA

problem #76

Sep 012016

Enclave

  • miles
Takata recall power steering pump is bad and all it does it hum

- Mount Pleasant, MI, USA

problem #75

Jan 062016

Enclave

  • miles

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

My car has less than 75K miles on it and been maitained very well! the transmission has gone out and I am being told that it will cost 5K dollars to replace due to a wave plate issue. Whay has this not been addressed with recall? in addition to that the sterring has a terrible sound coming from it and this is not being diagnosed right. All the Buick dealers want to do is charge for a repair instead of really fixing the problem. I would like to know where the transmission comes from so when I have to spend money I do not have on a new transmission I don't have the same issue with shotty crafsmanship! I am not ever buying another Buick. I will also encourange all my freinds to steer clear of them!

- Gulfport, MS, USA

problem #74

Jun 202015

Enclave

  • miles
Steering wheel squeaking and rubbing on something when turning? when I turn from side to side I can feel a slight drag and rubbing/squeaking noise. I was told it is the steering rack. I have been doing research and see complaints of this dating back to 2009. If they know there is a problem with this why have they not done a recall. The repair cost that was quoted is high over one thousand dollars. There is also the the service lights and stallig that resets itself on the Buick Enclave it happens when vehecil is sitting still the doors lock and unlock and the lights flash and the car engine makes a sound and the service engine light comes on. We have taken it in twice for this and it seems to reset itself because dealer does not find a problem.

- Memphis, TN, USA

problem #73

Mar 242013

Enclave

  • 72,000 miles
Turning the steering wheel at low speeds is very hard. I bought this 08 Buick Enclave for my wife and she hates it because is so hard to get out of parking places and not to mention is a safety issue.

- Montgomery, IL, USA

problem #72

Aug 252015

Enclave

  • 160,000 miles

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

We were having problems with the power steering whining and a back tire locking up when we turned right. We had the wheel bearings, power steering pump, struts and rotors replaced. The mechanic called after all of this work and said it was not safe to drive because the back tire kept locking up and putting him into a skid while he was driving down the road at different speeds. We then had to have a yaw sensor replaced. We've only had it back for a day and are hoping the problem is fixed but this is a major safety concern. The technician told us that when the original power steering pump is replaced the ABS system can't keep up which locks your tires while the car is in motion.

- Georgetown, KY, USA

problem #71

Jul 062015

Enclave

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. While driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the power steering pump and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.

- Seven Valleys, PA, USA

problem #70

Jan 312015

Enclave

  • 46,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. In addition, the steering wheel was shaking and vibrating along with an abnormal noise upon turning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the power steering pump but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the failure was unable to be replicated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.

- Georgetown, TX, USA

problem #69

Jul 082009

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
The vehicle repeatedly stalls at random times. This includes at high speed, in the middle of the eisenhower tunnel on I-70, to driving down the street. Repeated visits to the dealership reveal no "codes" so it continues to be ignored. My wife will not drive it anymore so I do. The dealership says "trade it in" but we feel like we would be passing a coffin onto another family. My family has been killed nearly twice from stalling in tunnel and high traffic.

- Edwards, CO, USA

problem #68

Dec 262014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles

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

Friday Dec 26th at 4:30 pm I was accelerating to merge into rush hour traffic on I-35 when I had a catastrophic transmission failure. There were no alarms, lights, noises, smells or anything else to alert me to the fact that my vehicle was about to fail. As I merged my RPM's suddenly went past 5000 and my 2008 Enclave began to decelerate. By the grace of god there was no loss of life, mine or the other drivers around me, as my vehicle lost power. I was surprised to learn that the situation described above is not an isolated event. Like so many others before me my vehicle (at 80,000 miles) was diagnosed with wave plate failure (P0776). I have called GM and requested that they pay for the repair since it's due to a faulty part, but their response is to deny, deny, deny. The manager I spoke to stated that there hasn't been a recall so GM is not obligated to do anything about the problem. The most distressing part of this situation is not the $3500 I'll be paying after GM's "assistance". it is the fact that I was never notified of the high failure rate of the GM wave plate. I should have been given a chance to fix it before I was put in such a dangerous situation. This transmission problem is like a ticking time bomb. Thankfully, the "bomb" going off in my Enclave didn't result in any casualties, but is that what it's going to take to get a recall? I hope that NHTSA does something about this issue before someone is killed.

- St Paul, MN, USA

problem #67

Oct 072014

Enclave

  • 94,000 miles
2008 Enclave developed a clunking noise when turning a slow speeds. Took to dealer who says it needs a new rack and struts. Car had been totally serviced in July with no issues seen. I have seen many reports of these parts failing on this model year.

- St Petersburg, FL, USA

problem #66

Oct 102014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
As the 2008 Buick Enclave vehicle was slowed to make a right turn into a driveway, it suddenly and unexpectedly became very, very difficult to steer, such that the vehicle almost went off of the road and into a telephone pole. Fortunately, the vehicle was going slowly enough that it could be abruptly stopped in the middle of the road and it was not rear-ended. This is a very dangerous condition. When I called General Motors customer care, I discovered that this was a known condition for which special coverage #14329 was issued. Given how dangerous this condition is that dramatically affects the ability of a driver to steer the vehicle, I am very upset that General Motors failed to notify owners of the affected cars that this hazardous condition existed and that General Motors failed to issue an emergency vehicle recall. It is urgent that NHTSA requires that General Motors issue a recall for this safety defect. Pasted below is the dealer notification that was issued to GM service departments on September 16, 2014 by General Motors. "#14329: Special coverage adjustment - loss of power steering assist - (Sep 16, 2014). Condition. Some 2008-2011 model year (my) Buick Enclave, 2009-2011 my Chevrolet traverse, 2007-2011 my GMC acadia, and 2007-2010 my Saturn outlook vehicles may develop a power steering pump wear condition that can cause an intermittent drop of power steering hydraulic pressure that will cause reduced or loss of steering assist. The vehicle may revert to manual steering which requires greater driver effort, particularly at low vehicle speeds."

- Sherborn, MA, USA

problem #65

Sep 282014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 104,600 miles
I was driving at 60 mph on a busy road after I made couple U turns with no problem and then when I tried to get off the road the steering get to hard to turn I think this is danger need to be a safety recall now!

- Dolan Springs, AZ, USA

problem #64

Mar 012014

Enclave

  • 95,000 miles
Lost power steering. Vehicle is difficult to turn at low speeds. Dealership said it was the axles. I replaced them but the problem was not fixed. Maneuvering in parking lots is almost impossible and driving around curves is nerve-racking because the wheel wants to jerk to the side, almost forcing me unto oncoming traffic. It's only a matter of time before I have a wreck because of this issue.

- Mount Juliet, TN, USA

problem #63

Sep 012011

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
The vehicle loses power steering control at low speed. I have made several complaints to the dealer who can find no problem. The steering has gotten progressively worse and now I am afraid to drive the car. I fear that I am afraid myself or my wife may not be able to control the car. On the last trip to the dealer the problem was diagnosed as a steering gear and pinion issue which is over $1500 to repair. I feel that this is a safety issue for the automobile type and it is also a manufacture defect. Please issue a safety recall for this item.

- Decatur, AL, USA

problem #62

Jun 072014

Enclave

  • 90,000 miles
Since I bought my truck I heard a weird noise from the steering wheel I thought well maybe because im not used to it because before I was driving an Nissan X-terra 2002. So im a women don't know anything about cars so I said it looks good it was from only one owner before so I think we are good. Plus I thought it's not like I'm paying $5,000 for a truck and it's a Buick it's consider luxury so I didn't think I was making a bad choice. Well the noise it's getting worse I barely made it to my house yesterday because the steering wheel didn't want to work anymore it was raining so hard im 9 months pregnant I made that investment doing a huge sacrifice so me and my child could be protected, feel confident that at the end of the day we are in good hands in that truck. Also when I bought this truck a month later the air bag service light was on I did a research it said that this truck had a recall for that so I took it to the Buick and they fix it. And now the engine light turns on every now and then. I mean I'm doing everything I should for this vehicle I change oil regularly and I pay for the synthetic oil because they said it was better for this type of brand cars that are luxury for our middle class people. And it's not like I travel in that vehicle I only use it to go to work, groceries, family and friends house honestly I don't use it to travel where I live is a small town so it's not like I have this truck all over the place if you see it's like new it's the cxl it has 2 sunroof, leather seats, dvd player I mean im in love with this truck but C'mon that's not safe for me and my baby.

- Brownsville , TX, USA

problem #61

Jun 232014

Enclave

  • 90,000 miles
About one month ago when I would get in my vehicle and attempt to back out of my driveway, the power steering wouldn't function for a few seconds. This happened about four times. This weekend on Saturday I drove from my house to a gas station, was pulling up to a gas pump and lost my steering again for about 10 seconds. On Sunday I was pulling out of a restaurant onto a busy road and lost my steering for fifteen seconds!! after bringing it to the dealer, being charged $50 and being told nothing was wrong, I called Buick. This is a serious safety issue and you can clearly see online that more and more people are experiencing this same problem with the same make, model and year vehicle. Recall this vehicle before someone is seriously injured!

- Aurora, MN, USA

problem #60

Jun 252014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • miles
2008 Buick Enclave. Consumer writes in regards to steering rack replacement. The consumer stated he only became aware of the problem, with the steering rack, after a routine maintenance check.

- New Albany, OH, USA

problem #59

Apr 012014

Enclave 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
When driving at low speeds power steering fails. SUV becomes difficult to turn. You need to put a lot of force to turn.

- Bedford, KY, USA

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