2008 BUICK ENCLAVE Complaints

2008 BOUGHT NEW IN JULY 2008 HAS HAD TWO DEAD BATTERIES. DEALERSHIP CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. THE GM ACADIA WHICH IS A "SISTER" CAR TO MY ENCLAVE, HAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE MANY OWNERS ON THE ENCLAVE FORUM THAT SEEM TO BE HAVING THIS DEAD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM. *TR

HAVE HAD THE BATTERY DIE 3 TIMES IN ONE YEAR ON THE CAR WITH EVERYTHING SHUT OFF ETC. ALSO ONCE YOU PUT THE KEY IN THE CAR TO START IT AND IT DOESN'T START, THE KEY WON'T COME OUT. *TR

NEW 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE, THE BATTERY WENT DEAD AFTER NOT BEING DRIVEN FOR 6 DAYS. BUICK TOLD ME I NEED TO DRIVE THE CAR AT LEST EVERY 3 DAYS TO PREVENT THIS. BATTERY WAS JUMPED AND CAR STARTED FINE. I CAN'T LIVE WITH A CAR THAT NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN EVERY 3 DAYS. *TR

APPROX. 380 MILES, THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL & SERVICE STABILITY TRACK LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO A BUICK DEALER IN MY TOWN & THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. PERIODICALLY THIS KEEPS HAPPENING & EACH TIME THEY CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I WAS GIVEN A DEVICE THAT WAS PLUGGED INTO THE COMPUTER& SET IN THE CUP HOLDER. IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO PUSH THE BUTTON TO RECORD THE CODE, WHICH I DID. IT HAS BEEN 3 WEEKS SINCE I GAVE THE DEVICE BACK & STILL NO CALL TO BRING MY CAR IN. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS NOT GRIPPING THE ROAD & WE FELT A JOLT WHEN STOPPING OR GOING FORWARD FROM A STOP. I AM AFRAID IT WILL CAUSE MORE DAMAGE IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF. I HAVE 13,000 MILES NOW & I BOUGHT MY 2008 ENCLAVE IN JULY 2007. IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE EACH TIME IT HAPPENS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TWO DIFFERENT BUICK DEALERS TO NO AVAIL. THE CAR HANDLES A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHILE IT IS GOING ON. I AM AFRAID IT COULD CAUSE ME TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

2008 BUICK ENCLAVE - 8 MONTHS OLD - 3200 MILES. FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND THE IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE. TRIPLE A CAME AND JUMPED THE CAR - DEALER SAID THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH BATTERY OR ALTERNATOR. HOWEVER, EDMONDS.COM THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF OWNERS EXPRESSING THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE OWNED CARS FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. *TR

LTR RE PROBLEMS HE IS HAVING WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IN HIS 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED THE FIRST TIME, BUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE DEALER WAS JUST CLEARING THE CODES AND NOT TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS. *JB

CAMPAIGN 08V41000 ISSUED 8.6.08 INDICATES THAT REMEDY IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN CERTAIN, MOSTLY NORTHERN STATES. SINCE I LIVE IN ONE OF THE OTHER STATES IT MUST BE UNSAFE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY TO TRAVEL TO ONE OF THE LISTED STATES. I REALIZE THE GM IS TRYING TO KEEP THE COST DOWN, BUT THIS RECALL AS LISTED,DOES NOT MAKE SENSE SINCE I TRAVEL IN THE WINTER TO THE COVERED STATES. *TR

SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE POWER LIFTGATE ON 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHEN CLOSING, IT DOES NOT REVERSE AT MY SHOULDER HEIGHT. A FEW DAYS AGO, IT PUSHED ME DOWN TO ABOUT TO HALFWAY POINT BEFORE IT STOPPED (OUCH!!!) LATER TRIED THIS A FEW TIMES... IN THE FIRST 6-12" OF CLOSING, THE GATE DOES NOT REVERSE, EVEN WITH VERY FIRM HAND PRESSURE. FURTHER TESTS SHOWED THAT IT FAILS TO REVERSE AT EVEN MORE THAT THE 12" MARK (I DIDN'T MEASURE). AT ABOUT MIDWAY TO CLOSED, IT REVERSES WITH JUST A LIGHT TOUCH. ACCORDING TO OWNERS MANUAL: * "IF THE LIFTGATE ENCOUNTERS AN OBSTACLE DURING A POWER OPEN OR CLOSE CYCLE, A WARNING CHIME WILL SOUND AND THE LIFTGATE WILL AUTOMATICALLY REVERSE DIRECTION TO THE FULL CLOSED OR OPEN POSITION." *TR

2008 BUICK ENCLAVE CXL AWD THE SEATBELT CASEMENT ON BOTH FRONT SEATS IN THIS SUV ARE BEING DAMAGED (CUT INTO) BY THE BELT MOVING OUT AND BACK OVER THE HOUSING, CAUSING THE BELT TO OCCASIONALLY CATCH AND NOT RETRACT INTO THE B-PILLAR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE LOCAL DEALER, AS WELL AS GM CORPORATE OFFICES, AND NEITHER WILL REPLACE THE WORN OUT AND CATCHING PARTS, CLAIMING THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE COVERED BY WARRANTY AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE FUTURE AND IN THE MEANTIME DEALERS ARE BEING TOLD NOT TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. SAFETY CONCERNS LIE IN THE FACT THAT THE SEATBELT FAILS TO RETRACT OCCASIONALLY AND DOES NOT SIT TIGHT AGAINST THE PASSENGER AND DRIVERS CHEST. *TR

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. *TR