2008 BUICK ENCLAVE Complaints

MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE BECAME UNABLE TO CONTROL IN THE RAIN AT 55 MPH. TOOK TO DEALER AFTER 3 DAY RUN AROUND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN ON THIS VEHICLE THAT THE STEERING POSITION SENSOR BECAME WET AND STARTED BOOSTING STEERING CONTROL. THEY REPLACED SENSOR AND INNER FENDERS (TO KEEP MOISTURE OFF SENSOR) THIS VEHICLE WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING I HAVE EVER TRIED TO CONTROL. HOW CAN ANYTHING STAY DRY UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR IN THE RAIN?? *TR

08 BUICK ENCLAVE NORMALLY DOWNSHIFTS AND UPSHIFTS ALL THE WAY UP A HILL. TOOK IN THREE TIMES AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT NORMAL, JUST DRIVE IT. THEN DRIVING OUT TO ARIZONA, IT STARTED OUT DOWNSHIFTING AT THE START OF A HILL AND UPSHIFTING AT THE TOP OF THE HILL LIKE A NORMAL CAR. THEN ONCE EVERY FIVE TO TEN HILLS IT WOULD NOT UPSHIFT AT THE TOP OF THE HILL UNTIL I SHUT OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. ONCE I WENT FIVE MILES DOWNHILL BEFORE I SHUT OFF THE CRUISE AND IT UPSHIFTED. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FEW MILES THEY DROVE IT, THEY COULD NOT MAKE IT HAPPEN. THEY SAID THERE WERE NO CODES SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, SO JUST DRIVE IT LIKE IT IS, AS ITS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. IT HAD ALSO HAPPENED ONLY ONCE BEFORE WHEN IT WAS NEW,BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING EITHER. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS CONNECTED OR NOT, BUT IF I WANT TO ACCELERATE SLOWLY,I HAVE TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL DOWN FARTHER AND THEN BACK OFF QUICKLY TO NOT ACCELERATE TOO FAST. I SURE HOPE THEY CAN COME UP WITH A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

SNOWY CONDITIONS - ABOUT 2 INCHES ON THE GROUND; AS I BEGAN TO DESCEND THE HILL NEAR MY HOME I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO KEEP A SLOW PACE DOWN THE HILL. BRAKES FAILED AND I BEGAN TO SLIDE DOWN THE HILL. STEERING WAS UNRESPONSIVE; MESSAGES INTERCHANGEABLY FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD - 'SERVICE STABILITRAK' AND 'SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL'. I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE, AND HALFWAY DOWN THE HILL JUMPED AN 8" CURB. FORTUNATE THAT THE VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE THERE WERE PARKED CARS TO THE LEFT. ALSO, FORTUNATE THERE WERE NO PEOPLE/CHILDREN AROUND, WHO COULD HAVE BEEN HIT. $3000 DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. VERY FRIGHTENING TO LOSE COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE CAR - I THOUGHT AWD, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL AND STABILITRAK ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP THE DRIVER MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS. EVERYTHING FAILED AT ONCE. GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST GM DEALERSHIP; THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND SURPRISE, EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT. THEY HAVE NO INDICATION ANYTHING FAILED, SO NOTHING FURTHER THEY CAN DO EXCEPT REPAIR THE PHYSICAL DAMAGE. I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF BRAKES, STEERING, TRACTION, AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME I DID NOT - THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE SLICK AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. ISN'T THAT WHEN ALL OF THOSE SAFETY FEATURES ARE SUPPOSED TO ENGAGE? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED A MALFUNCTION LIKE THIS IN THIS VEHICLE. NOW I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, ONCE IT'S FIXED, ESP. WITH OTHER PASSENGERS. I MAY NOT EVEN KEEP IT. *TR

BUICK ENCLAVE STOPS SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING ON HIGHWAY DUE TO SOME SORT OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. OCCUPANTS IN VEHICLE NARROWLY ESCAPE SERIOUS INJURY FROM POSSIBLE REAR END COLLISION. ONSTAR DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS SOME SORT OF TRANSMISSION RELATED FAILURE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BUICK SERVICE FACILITY. GM TECHNICAL SUPPORT RECOMMENDED THAT ELECTRONIC CODES BE RESET AND VEHICLE IS TO BE RETURNED TO CUSTOMER. CUSTOMER PICKED UP VEHICLE AND VEHICLE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN ONE HOUR LATER ON SAME DAY. ONSTAR DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AGAIN, THIS TIME A SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT PROBLEM RELATING TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. VEHICLE IS BUICK SHOP AGAIN WAITING FOR GM SOLUTION TO FIXING PROBLEM. FIX IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. EXACT CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS HE EXPERIENCES A VIOLENT VIBRATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP , AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS WHILE IT WAS IN DRIVE ON A HIL AND STALLEDL. THE BUICK DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES TO INSTRUCT THEM ON WHAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE COULD BE TOO HEAVY FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE NO RELATED RECALLS OR WARRANTY AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,234. UPDATED 10/5/09 *CN UPDATED 10/07/09

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. *TR

FROM THE DAY OF PURCHASE MY BUICK ENCLAVE HAS FAILED TO ACHIEVE THE RATED THE FUEL EFFICIENCY (12 MPG INITIALLY UPTO 14MPG 18MOS AND NUMEROUS TRIPS BACK TO DEALERSHIPS. BASICALLY COMPUTER CHECKS AND ADJUSTMENTS WERE DONE. FINALLY, LAST MONTH A VALVE JOB WAS DONE, AS WELL AS SOME TRANSMISSION WORK AND NOW MY FUEL EFFICIENCY IS IMPROVING. I HAVE DRIVEN 400 MILES SINCE THIS MECHANIC WORK AND THE MPG IS APPROACHING 17MPG. *TR

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR INCONSISTENTLY REGISTERS OFF WHEN MY WIFE OR OTHERS SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF OUR 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES AND THEY SAY IT IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. GM IS IGNORING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS PROTECTION SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *TR

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 HTTP://WWW.ENCLAVEFORUM.NET/INDEX.PHP?TOPIC=449.0. WHY ISN'T A RECALL ISSUED OVER SUCH A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE? *TR