Most common 2008 Buick Enclave problems
Share of the 536 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Buick Enclave complaints by model year
Best Enclave years: 2013, 2022, 2018. Years to avoid: 2025, 2010, 2008. Compare all years →
2008 Buick Enclave recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022.
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge.
Air bags › Side/window
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014.
Electrical system
GM is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Buick, lucerne; Cadillac dts; Hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 Buick enclave; Cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; GMC acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; Saturn outlook; and model year 2009…
Remedy: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently…
Electrical system
GM is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 Buick lucerne; Cadillac dts; Hummer h2; my 2007-2008 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; GMC acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, Saturn outlook; and my 2008 Buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system.
Remedy: Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2008. Owners May contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080; Cadillac at 1-800-982-2339 or http://www.Cadillac.com;…
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Linkages
GM is recalling 88,809 my 2008 Buick enclave, and my 2007-2008 GMC acadia and Saturn outlook vehicles currently or previously registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new…
Remedy: Dealers will install a new wiper crank arm, driver's side link, and a crank arm nut. The recall began o October 13, 2008. Owners May contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080, GMC at 1-866-996-9463, Saturn at 1-800-972-8876, or…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2008 Buick Enclave:
Non-crash engine compartment fires
In a letter dated August 27, 2008, general motors corp. (GM) notified NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA recall number 08v-441) to address a safety relateddefect that can result in engine compartment fire in approximately 850,000 vehicles equipped with a heated windshield washer fluid option.the subject vehicles of this investigation comprise over three-quarters of the recall population.
What 2008 Buick Enclave owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 139 →
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the traction control warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
Air bags all 113 →
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the air bag sensor light had illuminated and the message "service air bag" had displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the failure was due to water corrosion in the air bag system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 200,000.
I purchased this vehicle several years ago used and everything was working fine. Several months later, whenever a "passenger" sits in the front passenger seat, the check airbag and seat belt system message appears in the dashboard. After the seat becomes unoccupied, the message remains on...sometimes for a couple of days, sometimes for a week, and sometimes for a month or two. Then it may stop showing the message until a person sits there again. This also happened when the vehicle was not running and the key was in my pocket. I went and applied pressure to the passenger seat and when I started the vehicle with an empty passenger seat, the message appeared again. I took my vehicle to the dealer and they were going to charge me an arm and a leg for the repair and I was thinking this should be a covered repair. …
Steering all 99 →
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while driving 3-5 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's husband was able to continue driving the vehicle however, extra effort was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 125,637.
i was driving fine until i slowed down and tried to turn, the steering wheel was hard to turn and making a grinding noise. it works fine going on the highway. i noticed this was a big issue with the enclave and wondering why this isnt recalled? ive spent enough money on this that i didnt have and cant afford another expense. i do not have a warranty on it. no check engines light and fluids are good
2008 Buick Enclave engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Buick Enclave a good car?
Based on 536 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Enclave rates avoid: 2.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Enclave at the same age. It is one of the Enclave years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Buick Enclave?
The transmission & drivetrain — 139 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (113) and steering (99).
How many recalls does the 2008 Buick Enclave have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2008 Buick Enclave, the most recent from October 7, 2021 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Buick Enclave?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2022 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2010 and 2008. See the full Buick Enclave years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Buick Enclave problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 82,000 miles; 21% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.