Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Buick Enclave owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2009 Buick Enclave CXL, VIN [VIN]: Engine caught on fire during the time i was driving it. The car hesitated as if it was going to shut off then i saw smoke coming from underneath the front hood, I pulled to the side of the road and stopped the car and open the front hood, my engine was on fire. The fire was located on the passenger side of the car or the left side of the car if you were facing the front of the car. I tried to put the fire out, but the fire got out of control. I called 911 and the fire Department and Police arrived. My car was being repair due to the fire.
My Enclave 2009 was caught fire when it was parked stationary in a garage at 9:40 am on 5/30/2016. The fire started from the right front of the vehicle, which results in the whole car totaled. Me and my family have been suffering much from this event. It's hard to believe it happened to our vehicle. This vehicle has low mileage (about 30,000), well maintained by us and GM shop in the past (all the records are available in GM system). On 5/31 we reported to GM with detailed information and requested an investigation. On 6/2, customer department contacted me, stating that they don't care about the cause of the fire and they don't involve in an investigation as we have our insurance covered. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while his wife was driving unknown speed, when she heard an abnormal noise and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to drive a short distance to her residence. The driver stated smoke was entering the vent inside the cab. The driver was able to exit the vehicle safety. A fire department was contact and arrived to the residence and was able to extinguish the fire. The contact stated the vehicle sustained major damage in the front of the vehicle. The driver contacted 911 but police did not arrive to the residence. The vehicle was not drivable. The insurance adjuster was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. …
We purchased a 2009 GMC Buick Enclave from gillie hyde used cars in glasgow, ky on 3-15-19. Immediately upon driving the vehicle home, we noted that the vehicle shook when accelerating. We immediately took to our mechanic who noted the transmission issue and we researched the vehicle and found that there was a recall on the vehicle with an extended warranty to the transmission as well as the timing as well as the rear tailgate falling after automatically opening. None of these items were listed. Https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/Buick/Enclave/2009/reliability#recalls the recalls were not noted on the carfax provided by the dealership. We feel as though we have been mislead and completely lied to about this vehicle. The vehicle shakes bad. We had transmission fluid changed, oil changed and still shakes. …
Vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating over 20 MPH and became unable to reverse. This was discovered while driving. We do not have the funds to make this repair. The car has sat at the end of our driveway in a non-drivable condition since April 2019. The rear strut towers required complete replacement. This was noticed while driving 10 MPH. The car made a clunking noise. I took it to the Buick garage and they recommended the strut towers be replaced and the rear axle. They have record of the date and mileage. The power steering cable rubbed on the air conditioning line and a a hole was created. The air conditioner became non-functional. A diagnostic was performed by the Buick garage but, we did not have the funds to repair the air conditioner since we needed to rebuild the strut towers. …
While driving, I noticed my engine started sputtering and had problems accelerating. Soon afterwards, the "malfunction indicator light" (aka check engine light) came on and stayed on. I contacted the dealer and took it in for repair. It was diagnosed as "pistons misfiring". I had pistons/cylinders replaced at a cost of several hundred dollars. A couple of months later, the same thing happened and I had other pistons/cylinders replaced. This has happened about a half dozen times between March 2014 and today (March 2015). I have paid thousands of dollars for this same problem and I do not understand why a recall has not been issued. The dealer told me that there are several pistons/cylinders that can trigger this problem. Just by doing a simple search online, I see that many others have experienced this problem with the Buick Enclave. …
Was driving on ramp to enter highway, with my three 6 and younger children, and also 7 months pregnant! The Enclave just stalled and still can not start but one time it did, but it sounded like it was going to blow up making weird noises so I shut it off right away. I have been researching this and I see it is very common with 2009 & 2010 enclaves. I don't understand why nothing has been done? If this happened shortly later I would have been on the highway and several people could be involved getting hurt or killed. I have had it less than a year, with less than 104,000 miles on it. Also has wheel bearing issues which I replaced front now the rear ones need to be done. What is up with this neglect and no one to assist us consumers until someone gets seriously hurt or killed! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk, the gears slipped, the rpms increased, the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and powered off the engine. The vehicle was restarted, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission failed after having the vehicle for 9 months and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, jerked, and failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the #1 cylinder misfired and the plugs and pcv valves were replaced. The mechanic then took the vehicle for a test drive and diagnosed that the transmission failed and the vehicle could no longer be shifted into reserve, third gear, or sixth gear. It was diagnosed that the transmission wave plate failed and needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer stated that there were no open recalls. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at about 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled making a ticking noise. The contact put the gear in park and restarted the vehicle and drove home. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that a rod in the motor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a local dealer for a diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 162,000. The VIN was not provided.
Engine complaints in other Enclave years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2009 Buick Enclave?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2009 Buick Enclave, 20% of the model year's 220 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Buick Enclave engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2009 Buick Enclave, though it has 8 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 2009 Buick Enclave engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.