2008 BUICK ENCLAVE Complaints

ON PASSENGER SIDE, AIR BAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE SEAT SO INDICATOR LIGHT ALWAYS SAYS "OFF" AND WILL TURN ON SOMETIMES, BUT MOST TIMES NOT TURN ON AT ALL. WE WERE CONCERNED THAT IN A CRASH, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY AS IT THINKS NO ONE IS SEATED THERE. WE TOOK THE CAR TO BERGLUND CHEVROLET FOR REPAIR. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE SENSOR AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT CUSHION TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND IT COST IN EXCESS OF $700. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL AS I HAVE READ ON THIS WEBSITE THAT OTHERS HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR AIRBAG. THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO OUR EARLIER COMPLAINT @10583156. *TR

CAR WAS NOT ACCELERATING PROPERLY AT LOW SPEEDS AND THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO BE SLIPPING WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR TO ACCELERATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY MENTIONED THAT 3-5-R CLUTCH HAD FAILED. THE CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 85000 MILES. WE FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BASED ON RESEARCH THAT INDICATES THERE IS AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF FAILURES OF THIS PART, WHICH CAN CAUSE SUDDEN DECELERATIONS, NOT ENOUGH POWER TO ACCELERATE, OR FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE WHEN IN "PARK" CAUSING CARS TO ROLL. (OUR CAR HAD ISSUES WITH ACCELERATION.) WE FEEL LUCKY WE DID NOT HAVE A MAJOR INCIDENT. GM HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THEY HAVE A WIDER PROBLEM AND SO FAR HAS REFUSED TO COVER THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE AND THEN LOST THE ABILITY TO MOVE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. VEHICLE ENGINE WOULD RUN BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

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." *TR

MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON OUR WAY BACK TO WISCONSIN FROM A TRIP TO FLORIDA ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2014. MY HUSBAND HAD EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT. THE SPACE WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE. AS HE PULLED INTO THE SPACE, THE ENCLAVE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARD. I CHECKED THE POSITION OF THE GEARSHIFT THINKING THAT HE HAD ACCIDENTALLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL BUT FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRIVE. THE ENGINE REVVED WHEN HE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ROLL BACKWARD. THE ONLY GEAR THE WOULD WORK WAS PARK. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL BUICK GMC CADILLAC DEALER. ON MONDAY, AUGUST 18, A SERVICE TECHNICIAN CALLED TO LET US KNOW THAT THE 35R WAVE PLATE HAD FAILED AND THE 35R HOUSING WAS ALSO DAMAGED AND THAT METAL DEBRIS HAD BEEN FOUND THROUGHOUT THE UNIT. THE REPAIR TOOK ABOUT TWO DAYS AND COST $3589.49. THANKFULLY WE WERE NOT ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. HAD WE REMAINED ON THE INTERSTATE ANOTHER MILE AND SUDDENLY NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE MOVING FORWARD WHILE THE TRAFFIC AROUND US MOVED AT EXPRESSWAY SPEEDS, WE COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT THAT RESULTED IN TERRIBLE INJURY OR FATALITY. I WROTE A LETTER TO BUICK REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT OF COST OF THE REFUND AND EXPENSE WE INCURRED DUE TO HAVING TO WAIT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. I ALSO REQUESTED THAT THEY ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE WAVE PLATE FAILURE DUE TO THE SEVERE DANGER THAT THE FAILURE CREATES. FINALLY, I MENTIONED INFORMATION I FOUND ON THE INTERNET STATING THAT THIS FAILURE IS COMMON ON THE ENCLAVE AND ITS SISTER VEHICLES. THEY REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME SINCE THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE NHTSA, NOT GM, ISSUES RECALLS AND GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT THE NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN IN THE ENGINE OF THIS VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIP AT 85,000 MILES. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE ERRATICALLY WHEN THE CHAIN SLIPPED. AT THE SAME TIME, THE 3RD GEAR WAVE PLATE IN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING THE CAR TO SHIFT POORLY WHEN ACCELERATING. WHEN CHANGING LANES ON 9/23/14, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR I HAD TO STEER OFF THE ROAD AND I HIT A STREET SIGN (NO DAMAGE). *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE JUST SHUTS DOWN. THE FIRST TIME IT RESTARTED, BUT ON THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IT WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE HAS "STALLED OUT" SEVERAL TIMES WHILE TRAVELING AT RATES ANYWHERE FROM 25 MPH TO 45 MPH. WE HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP (INCLUDING THE DEALER) 3 TIMES AND ARE TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG. BUT THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY. I SEE OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE AVOIDED IT THUS FAR, IT IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE A JERKING MOTION. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION POWER OFF AND MOTOR LOSING POWER INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

THE RADIO STOPPED WORKING INCLUDING ALL OF THE SAFETY CHIMES ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE, BACKUP SENSORS, BLINKERS, ON DASH WARNING LIGHTS AND CHIMES. THE CD /DVD PLAYER EMITS A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL WHEN A CD/DVD IS INSERTED INTO THE PLAYER. *TR

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! *TR