I had three GMC cars, two for my husband and myself for work and the Enclave for travel so you can tell by the miles and year I don’t drive it much, so I retired and sold my work car and now I will only have the Enclave and as soon as I sold the other car the Enclave’s transmission failed. I didn’t get my money that I paid into this car. And I will never buy another GMC car. After I fixed it with the GMC dealer Ian’s took it on the road the engine light came on, I had to take it back to the dealership.

Transmission was replaced with USED transmission, the extended warranty plan (Cars Protection Plus) would not pay for a rebuild or to be rebuilt. Now after only a little over 5000 miles and 15 months later, I am having a problem with shift solenoid and transmission would not upshift, various trans codes.

Had taken it for service but it would not happen when they had the vehicle, took it to a different shop and they could not get it to fault either. At wits end going back and forth with this vehicle because the extended warranty company would not cover the repairs unless this occurrence happens at the shop. I bought a diagnostic scan tool because if I clear the codes it does not happen for several days, then acts up again!

Should have been replaced with a rebuilt transmission in the first place and I would not be having this problem now. I have had to shell out money we did not have to get a rental only to find out I could not get reimbursed because the shop could not get the vehicle to have this problem, totally ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!

When it occurs, the automatic transmission cannot shift gears. The motor goes quickly to 4 RPM and the "check Engine" amber light appears. If I take too long to react, the light goes to red.

The moment I shut the motor for 10-15 seconds and restart, then the automatic can shift gears. Overnight, the amber light disappears on the dashboard.

I have immediately informed the GM Dealer. They never found the cause. But I was charged for my visits.

When I start in the morning, until the automatic has shifted gear once, only then can I use air-conditioning/heating, the radio, the wipers.

Damning hindrance.

@carcomplaints, I have read countless complaints about a variety of GM vehicles for the past few months. I too am a victim of the heinous list of issues caused by my 08' Buick Enclave CXL. I submitted my contact information to Hagens Berman and I have yet to receive any type of correspondence via phone call or email.

I have a vehicle that is not only a death trap, but now it's inoperable. The worse part is that I can't get my family around to do basic things unless we are walking or catching city transit. The unethical part is that I am stuck still paying the loan back on that death trap plus full coverage insurance on a vehicle that I can't drive.

My vehicle was purchased after my last vehicle was subjected to a total loss. It was also a Buick, and purchased as a gift from my aunt. I went countless months without having a vehicle to drive after my total loss. Now, for the past few months I am right back in the same situation without transportation to get my family around. I don't know what to do because the countless amount of researching and reading various articles on the internet has led me no where.

In the beginning of my reading when I began to research my vehicle's issues and saw owners with similar problems, I had a sigh of relief. My mind was at ease a little to know that I was not alone. However, now I feel like the articles that we all read and the many platforms that we complained on are just smokescreen to put us off and allow time to transpire without anything being done. Someone please read a mother's plea to provide for her family and point me in the right direction to network with those that care about us Buick and other GM owners.

The car had a little bump when shifting between 2nd to 3rd gear. We had taken it in a few times to two different dealers, each time they said that nothing was wrong. My wife was driving the car, there was a noise and the car wouldn't go over 25 mph anymore. Sure enough, the 3-5-R waveplate had gone out. It took my own research online to figure it out, and then it was confirmed by a dealer the same day. Transmission has to be completely rebuilt. GM offers an extended warranty up to 120k miles to fix this issue, but I happened to be at 123k. I called but of course they won't do anything to help me, regardless of the fact that their own technicians couldn't figure out the problem before it completely broke. I don't have the money to fix it, and it's worthless the way it is. I see that many, many people have this same issue around 120,000, which makes the extended warranty useless for many of their customers. I do not understand why they can not help with some of the costs since they understand this is a widespread issue.

So the notice below was first posted in SEPTEMBER of 2008 !!!! That being said, this should be a recall. They knew about the problem while all vehicles were under the power train warranty. It's the only fair solution. And all the dealer service people seem "coached" to give the standard answer that it is the timing chains, Yet here it is that the problem is bigger than timing chains. Lies.... misleading,,, not taking responsibility. GRRRR!

Date Reported SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 NHTSA Reference

10020691

TSB Reference

3423

Description: 3.6 LY7 WITH CAM ACTUATOR DTC. DTC CODES, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0008, OR P0009. *KB THE RELUCTOR FOR THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR PRESSED ON THE CRANKSHAFT MAY HAVE MOVED. *PE

Want to learn how to fix NHTSA #10020691?

WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK ACTED LIKE IT COULD NOT GET INTO GEAR. IT FELT LIKE I WAS IN L ALL THE TIME. I FELT SOME LITTLE THINGS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT LIKE THE TRUCK BEING JUMPY UPON PULLING OFF BUT THEY WERE NEVER SIGNIFICANT TO THE POINT I FELT THE NEED FOR IT TO BE LOOKED AT. THE DAY THE WAVE PLATE BROKE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD FELT MY TRUCK CHANGE LIKE IT WAS DRAGGING AND COULDN'T GET INTO GEAR AND THEN IT STARTED TO SMELL LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING.I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A BATTLE WITH BUICK AT FIRST THEY ACTED LIKE I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AFTER I CALLED EVER ONE I COULD CONCERNING RECALLS BUICK FINALLY DECIDED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. OUT OF POCKET THE REPAIRS WOULD OF BEEN A FEW THOUSAND.

Very unfortunate as we bought the Buick enclave due to the reliability and name of Buick and that it's a GM vehicle. We were confident as we had bought a 2007 Saturn Outlook and have had great success with 145,000 miles transmission was replaced as it hit 125,000 but was under warranty that I bought as an extended warranty,

Along with the cost to have to rebuild the transmission and or replace it on the Buick enclave I've been informed that the camshaft is having issues or the timing chain etc. this also adding to the cost to repair his inclined us to dump the car take a loss and move forward onto a new model of some other brand. Funny as GM did a recall on my Saturn Outlook and covered the cost of the transmission as well, Why they've not done this with the Buick Enclave I'll never know. I have been a very satisfied GM owner for 32 years but I'm now leaving the MFG.

It seems to be a recurring theme on this site regarding Buick and their lack of owning up to issues with the 2008 Enclaves. I will NEVER purchased another Buick again! I bought this car used in 2011 and have had nothing but problems. Every time it is fixed, I hear the old " that should do you for the rest of the life of the car" what a lie.

After having the car less than 1 year, the transmission went up. Had that replaced for over $5,000. Then about 18 months later the timing chain went up, had that replaced and paid about $4,000 for that, then last year had more transmission issues and found out it needed a Throttle body replaced. Again, had that done. 2 weeks later more issues and was told the transmission needed to be flushed. SO that was done.

Then last night the Stabilitrak, traction control lights start flashing. I did everything I was told. Luckily I was able to get the car home.

Found out that I now need a Wave Plate and probably a new Transmission and possibly timing chain. When does this end??? I spoke to Buick only to find out there was special coverage on the wave plate that I was not told about 3 times I had things fixed but it is no longer valid because I have over 120k miles on my car. I guess they know not to say anything before it expires.

Overall- STAY AWAY FROM BUICK ENCLAVES- they are the worst cars ever made.

Pitre GMC on Eagle Ranch Road in Albuquerque fought to get it covered under warranty. It was rebuilt one month earlier. Then, it went out one month later (this complain) and had to be rebuilt, again. This time we were out of town in Durango, CO. That GMC dealership did not want to cover it and tried to blame Pitre for it going out so soon. Pitre fought to get that one covered as well as the first rebuild one month earlier. Seems to me that a transmission going out one month later after being rebuilt is a given that it should be covered. Today, two years later with 88,000 miles it will not shift out of first. I will add that as a third complaint once I find out what is wrong with it, other than the fact that car must be a lemon. Never buy the first year of a car that comes on the market.

Pitre GMC on Eagle Ranch Road in Albuquerque fought to get it covered under warranty. It was rebuilt. Then, it went out one month later and had to be rebuilt, again. That time we were out of town in Durango, CO. I will add that as a separate complaint. That GMC dealership did not want to cover it and tried to blame Pitre for it going out so soon. Pitre fought to get that one covered as well. Seems to me that a transmission going out one month later after being rebuilt is a given that it should be covered. Today, two years later with 88,000 miles it will not shift out of first. I will add that as a third complaint once I find out what is wrong with it, other than the fact that is must be a lemon.

I've only had this car for 4 years, and now this is the third transmission issue that I'm having!!!! The first time it was still under the extended warranty. The wave plate broke, so thank goodness it only cost me $100 deductible. A year and a half later, something else messed up inside the transmission (what I have no idea) this time I had to pay out of pocket, which cost me over $2,000! Now less than two years later, my car is acting the same way it did the first two times before the transmission went out! I'll be taking it by the dealership again tomorrow, so they can tell me what's going on. I wished I could just tell them to keep this piece of crap!!!!