Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Buick Enclave owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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
Complete engine power reduction automatically casing car instantly to drop from 65 MPH down to 25 MPH in the middle of a 4 lane highway. Lost all power steering ability and not able to turn car and almost drove into trees before it came to a stop. I had to have aaa come and tow my car to walser Buick GMC in bloomington, mn
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. …
My 2008 Buick Enclave has been an accident waiting to happen the entire life of the car. My main concern is the power steering. It has gone out 5-6 times in the 8 years I have owned the vehicle.if you would like invoice of each time/date I have them with the exact problem. Five or 6 times it went out.-- three at slow speed low RPM trying to turn in the city and at 6 1 wt 230 it took all my strength not to hit a car head on during the turn.three on the interstate turning off exit an higher speed. If my daughter or granddaughter had been driving in the city they would have been dead. Buick extended the power steering warranty to 150;000 miles . I had the last power steering pump put in at 149,432 miles 11/23/16. My concern to you and Buick is about every 25K power steering goes out. …
The power steering on my vehicle has been failing more frequently to the point I'm afraid to drive it. I am a polio survivor and depend on the full function of my right arm @ all times. Since purchasing the 2008 Enclave in June 2019, the power steering has begun failing every time I use the vehicle. The worst failure was on the freeway @ 80 MPH while returning home to idaho, from the death of my father in tuscon. The steering failed while I was negotiating a curve. I was able to pull out of the curve @ the last minute. It scared me half to death! Over the last few months, the steering has become more impossible to manage, which has caused the rotator cuff of my right arm to become exceedingly more painful. The power steering pump has been an on going issue with these cars to the point of the pump being redesigned by GMC. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the failure recurred approximately 25-40 times. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection where they advised that the steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there was no recall on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 30,000. The consumer stated he heard a clicking noise whenever he turned the steering wheel. The dealer replaced the power steering pump, power steering gear, steering column . The consumer stated he would loose power steering assist when driving and the steering wheel would lock up. , there was excessive play in the steering. The consumer hit a pillar, when the steering locked up, and caused damage to the vehicle. …
This is a 1 owner vehicle, not driven long distances or on salted or rough terrain. In the last few months, I have had to replace both stabilizer bars, shocks, struts, and because the brakes were not put back on properly the brakes and rotors, and in 2011 the gear box had a leak which was replaced. Now after spending $4K in the last few months, I am being told the rack and pinion (which is the same as the gear box) is leaking again! I only have 74K miles on this car! I previously had a 1990 Chevy suburban that never had these kinds of issues! And yet here alone I see over 80 issues for the power steering alone! Make GM recall this vehicle or I fully intend to start a class action lawsuit and include your organization as well for failure to protect the public!
Vehicle was making a right hand turn into a parking lot at approximately 15 MPH when the steering wheel jerked to the right. The resulting jerking movement/feedback resulted in the operator under steering the vehicle and striking a large boulder on the shoulder of the parking lot entrance. The vehicle sustained moderate damage to the bumper, skirting and right front fender. This vehicle had it's power steering rack replaced less than 12 months prior for the same performance issue. In the summer of 2010 GM redesigned the power steering racks for all lambda platform vehicles (Buick Enclave, GMC acadia, Saturn outlook, and Chevy traverse) presumably as a result of complaints lodged by customers directly through dealers or general motors.
This SUV is the devil it self. Is giving me all kind of problem right now it have a limp mode and I have no idea what to do the transmission is not working in any gear. The soft codes said p0171, p 0174, p 0420, p 0300 is crazy. I have change the alternador, the purge valve, the valve canister on top of the gas tank and the other sensor that tell you about the fumes of the tank went filling. I also change the pcv valve all the breathers hoses in the intake housing , I change the troutle body, the spark plugs, the coils, the intake gaskets, the oxigents sensors,the batery poles. And this SUV still giving me problems now it went to a transmission limp mode and is not coming out not even if you erase the codes and all fuses are good.
Steering complaints in other Enclave years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2008 Buick Enclave?
NHTSA has 99 complaints about the steering of the 2008 Buick Enclave, 18% of the model year's 536 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist › pump (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Buick Enclave steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2008 Buick Enclave, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Buick Enclave steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.