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#BS-2008-BUIENC-4CEA2008 Buick Enclave
Based on reports from 779 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 779 complaints, 24 crashes, 12 fires, and 6 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.0x the class average. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.
Top reported problems
engine
86709 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
transmission failure
108 complaints β’ Severity 8.7/10
power steering failed
17 complaints β’ Severity 8.8/10
engine failure
11 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
129 owners reported drivetrain issues β failures commonly reported around 82K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 60β90K miles (214 reports) β’ Median: 82K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Drivetrain (129 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2008 Buick Enclave: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Drivetrain Issues
Drivetrain complaints account for 17% of all reports filed for the 2008 Buick Enclave, with 129 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 82,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 82K-mile mark.
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2008 Buick Enclave, with 101 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Steering Issues
Steering complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2008 Buick Enclave, with 98 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2008 Buick Enclave, with 84 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Buick Enclave. Recent trend: stable.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (6 recalls)
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 JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IF A BUILDUP OF SNOW OR ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD OR ON THE WIPERS RESTRICTS THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIPER ARM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE MOTOR SHAFT AND THE WIPERS MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE.
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. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.
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 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.
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 seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
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 Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.
+ 1 more recall in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
This is the worst model year for the Buick Enclave according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is transmission.
2008 Buick Enclave vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)
This vehicle
779
Class avg
387
2.0x the class average β significantly more complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 779 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Buick Enclave Model Years
View all Buick Enclave years β2008 Buick Enclave: Frequently Asked Questions
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 779 owner reports. Know before you buy.