2008 BUICK ENCLAVE Complaints

PASSENGER SEATBELT INDICATOR TURNS OFF EVEN WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. *TR

I SLOWED FOR A CURVE IN A TWO LANE COUNTRY ROAD. AFTER THE CURVE I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO RESUME SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR ENGINE RACED LOUDLY, THE RPM GAUGE SHOT WAY UP, AND THE CAR DECELERATED RATHER THAN ACCELERATE. I AGAIN PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO SPEED UP AND THE ENGINE AGAIN RACED BUT THE CAR KEPT SLOWING. I BECAME AFRAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS GOING TO ACCELERATE AND ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION AND TAKE OFF ON ME. I LOOKED AT THE GEARSHIFT TO BE SURE I WAS IN "D" MODE, AND I WAS. I DOWNSHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR AND LIMPED HOME ABOUT 20 MI LES PER HOUR, BUT COULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN THAT WITHOUT THE ENGINE RACING. IT SCARED ME TO THE POINT THAT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT, NOR WILL I LET ANY ONE ELSE DRIVE IT UNTIL I KNOW THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RESOLVED, AND I HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT CAUSED IT. I AM SO THANKFUL I WAS NOT DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I CALLED THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM TO EXPECT THE CAR TO BE TOWED TO THEIR SERVICE DEPT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. *TR

MY AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THE PART WAS ON ORDER. AFTER NOT HEARING ANYTHING FOR 10 DAYS I CALLED AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PART WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR 5-6 WEEKS. I HAVE A NEW VEHICLE WITHOUT A PROPERLY FUNCTIONING AIRBAG AND THE ONLY THING GM COULD DO WAS GIVE ME A RENTAL CAR. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE AFTER RESEARCHING THIS I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH ONLY MY ENCLAVE BUT ALSO WITH OTHERS. I ALSO FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM IN THE ACADIA AND THERE WAS A RECALL BUT NOTHING IS BEING DONE BY GM REGARDING THE ENCLAVE. WHEN I TRIED TO CONTACT THE GM EXECUTIVE OFFICE I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO AND I COULD EITHER DRIVE A RENTAL CAR OR DRIVE MY CAR WITHOUT THE AIRBAG. *TR

THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM ON MY '08 BUICK ENCLAVE CXL DOES NOT ACTIVATE 100% OF THE TIME WHEN THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR TWICE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD AT LEAST THREE OTHER ENCLAVES IN THE SHOP AT THE SAME TIME AS MINE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT AND THAT NATIONWIDE, OTHER ENCLAVES OWNERS WERE MAKING THE SAME COMPLAINT. THEY TOLD ME THAT IF THE PASSENGER DOES NOT SIT IN A CERTAIN EXACT POSITION, WITH THEIR LEGS IN A CERTAIN POSITION, THE SYSTEM WILL NOT ACTIVATE. THIS DOES NOT ALLOW FOR ANY VARIABLES, SUCH AS HEIGHT, WEIGHT AND BODY SHAPE. I FIND THIS TO BE A TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND QUITE DANGEROUS INHERENT DESIGN FLAW ON A NEW MODEL OF CAR. *TR

2008 BUICK ENCLAVE THAT HAS HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR 8 MONTHS (NEW CAR WAS PICKED UP IN AUGUST OF 2007). AFTER SEVERAL SERVICE ATTEMPTS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, IT STILL DOESN'T PERFORM LIKE IT SHOULD. TODAY WHEN DRIVING THE CAR THE ENGINE WAS RACING TO OVER 4,000 RPM WHILE DRIVING DOWN A 35 MPH ROAD -- THOUGHT THE THING WAS GOING TO BLOW UP BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR. ALSO HAD WATER (FROM RAIN) ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR AFTER IT RAINED DUE TO FAULTY RAIL CONNECTORS (NOT SEALED) ON TOP OF CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN, THE CONTACT SHUT BOTH FRONT WINDOWS AND LEFT THE BACK WINDOWS DOWN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND VIBRATE. THE SUNROOF BEGAN SHAKING AS WELL. THE CONTACT SHUT THE REAR WINDOWS AND THE SHAKING AND VIBRATING STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT ALL NEW VEHICLES PERFORM IN THAT MANNER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 1,897. UPDATED 3/25/08 *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN AN ADULT SAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG, WOULD NOT ACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,500 MILES.

ON AUG 20 THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME WITH A HITCH STOPPED; SO DID I. THE CAR BEHIND ME AND THE CAR BEHIND HIM DIDN'T STOP. I TOOK THE CAR TO SPRINGMALL AUTO BODY IN SPRINGFIELD - $5500 WORTH OF DAMAGE. ONE WEEK AFTER I PICKED IT UP, I WAS DRIVING AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. I GOT ON ONSTAR AND THEY SAID THE TRACTION AND ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED. I TOOK IT BACK TO SPRINGMALL. BECAUSE IT'S SO NEW, THEY DROVE THE CAR TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT - RTE 1 PONTIAC, GM AND BUICK, WOODRIDGE VA. UPON RECEIPT OF THE VEHICLE, THE MECHANIC NEVER ASKED FOR PAPERWORK FROM THE AUTOBODY SHOP WHO DELIVERED IT - THEY HAD NO IDEA THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE MECHANIC SAID HE NEEDED TO DRIVE IT HOME TO SEE IF IT WOULD DO IT AGAIN. THE NEXT DAY, THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT AND TOLD ME TO PICK IT UP. ONE WEEK LATER AFTER A 2 HR RIDE TO RICHMOND - IT PETERED OUT AGAIN AND I HAD TO DIVE FOR THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO RTE 1 BUICK AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO KEEP MY CAR (WHICH I AM LEASING) AND APPARENTLY IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE WRONG. I ASKED THEM TO IMMEDIATELY CALL SPRINGMALL AND GET A FAX OF THE ACCIDNET AND EXTENT OF DAMAGES - THEY WERE SHOCKED. I SAID I DIDN'T MIND LEAVING IT, BUT I WANTED MY MILES REFUNDED. THEY SAID NO. THE WHOLE SCENE TURNED UGLY AND THEY TOLD ME TO LEAVE THE SHOP. I HAVE A PREGNANT DAUGHTER AND A GRANDDAUGHTER WHO RIDE IN THAT CAR A LOT - WHY DID THEY TELL ME IT WAS FINE TO DRIVE IF IT WASN'T? THE CAR JUST STOPS!! THE HEAD MECHANIC SAID THE ONLY THING HE COULD DO WAS PUT A BLACK BOX ON MY CAR, WHICH HE DID. THAT WAS OVER TWO MONTHS AGO AND THE PROBLEM HASN'T OCCURRED YET. HE SAID JUST BECUASE ONSTAR SAID WHAT IT WAS, THAT MAY NOT BE THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME TO STAY IN THE SLOW RIGHT LANE AND IF IT OCCURS, PUSH THE TOP OF THIS PLUGGED IN BLACK BOX AND HEAD FOR THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN, AND I AM SCARED TO DEATH. PLEASE HELP ME I HAVE A NEW CAR THAT I CAN'T DRIVE; IT MAY EVEN TAKE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE I LOVE. *TR

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A BUICK ENCLAVE 2008. WHILE DRIVING I ROLLED DOWN THE BACK WINDOWS TO LET SOME AIR IN THE NEXT THING I HEARD WAS A TERRIBLE NOISE AND IT HURT MY EARS, THE FASTER I DROVE THE WORSE THE NOISE BECAME. I TOOK THE ENCLAVE BACK TO THE BUICK DEALER AND AFTER THEY DROVE IT THEY ALSO HEARD THE NOISE. FROM WHAT THEY TOLD ME IT IS BECAUSE THE ENCLAVE HAS A LOT OF AIR SPACE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT IS WHAT CAUSE THE NOISE BUT, WHY DOES IT NOT MAKE THE NOISE WHEN, I OPEN THE DRIVER WINDOW ALL THE WAY DOWN?? THEY COULD NOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION. HOWEVER I DID FIND OUT THAT ALL OF THE BUICKS AND GMC'S ARE BUILT THE SAME AND MAKE THE SAME NOISE. I ENJOY THE ENCLAVE BUT I DO NOT LIKE BEING ABLE TO OPEN THE REAR WINDOWS OF MY ENCLAVE. CAN YOU HELP ME OR TELL ME WHAT I CAN TO TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM? MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH IN OUR MID 60S AND WE WANTED TO ENJOY A GOOD VEHICLE. THANKS JAMES BOOT *TR

THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT FREQUENTLY INDICATES THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF WHEN MY 110 POUND WIFE IS IN THE SEAT. I HAVE NOTED THE SAME COMPLAINT FROM OTHER ENCLAVE OWNERS ON AN ENCLAVE WEB SITE (HTTP://WWW.ENCLAVEFORUM.NET/INDEX.PHP?TOPIC=449.0 ). *JB