What breaks most · 2008 to 2019 model years
Buick Enclave problems by year
Owners have filed 1,302 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Buick Enclave across model years 2008 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2008 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2010 for steering complaints and 2009 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2017, 2016 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2008, 2010, 2009
- Fewest complaints: 2017, 2016, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 13022008 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2008474 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 4417 fires · 101 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 69kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 56Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 474 | 13 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (129) | |
| 192 | 2 | 8 | Steering (99) | |
| 228 | 5 | 6 | Steering (112) | |
| 168 | 12 | 6 | Steering (35) | |
| 76 | 3 | 6 | Body and structure (17) | |
| 46 | 1 | 4 | Stability control (11) | |
| 51 | 2 | 7 | Electrical system (13) | |
| 28 | 2 | 5 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 15 | 2 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 11 | 2 | 3 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (4) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Engine (1) |
What fails on the 2008 Buick Enclave
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 27% |
129 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 20% |
95 | 4 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 19% |
92 | 6 | Shop steering parts for the 2008 Buick Enclave |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 15% |
72 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2008 Buick Enclave |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
60 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2008 Buick Enclave |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 12% |
59 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2008 Buick Enclave |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
29 | 0 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 5% |
22 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2008 Buick Enclave |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
While driving in the city the rpm's was fluctuating from around 2,000 and 3,000. And also got stuck in 3rd gear. Once cleared the code it worked a little, once trying the gears in low the changing in gears was more smooth.
-
Power steering randomly stops working, usually on lower rpms but sometimes just randomly stops working no matter what rpms. Power steering fluid is full.
-
The power steering gives out when the car is travelling at slow speeds. It basically seizes up mid turn and needs an incredible amount of power to turn the wheel. This has been happening since about the 70,000 mile mark
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Buick Enclave years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2008, 2010, 2009 carry the most filings on the Buick Enclave. The 2008 alone has 474 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Buick Enclave problem?
On the 2008 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 129 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Buick Enclave problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Buick Enclave complaints that include mileage is about 69,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.