Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick enclave. While driving approximately 75 MPH, the idle transmission warning light began to illuminate and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that a fuel odor emitted from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wave plate on the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained inoperable. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the vehicle did not meet warranty requirements; therefore, the repair would not be covered by the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
2008 Buick Enclave transmission complaints
Page 3 of 6: complaints 41 to 70 of 139, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My car has less than 75k miles on it and been maitained very well! The transmission has gone out and I am being told that it will cost 5k dollars to replace due to a wave plate issue. Whay has this not been addressed with recall? In addition to that the sterring has a terrible sound coming from it and this is not being diagnosed right. All the buick dealers want to do is charge for a repair instead of really fixing the problem. I would like to know where the transmission comes from so when I have to spend money I do not have on a new transmission I don't have the same issue with shotty crafsmanship! I am not ever buying another buick. I will also encourange all my freinds to steer clear of them!
The check engine and stability track warning indicators illuminated the vehicle lost acceleration from 50 MPH to 10 MPH. The vehicle was driven home. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the diagnosis was the throttle body was damaged and needed replacement, the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 194,545. Bp
Under 100k miles, transmission went out. Dealership stated, faulty wave washer and snap ring. This caused the vehicle to go into a neutral position at 70 miles/hr. Engine revved. Lost steering and vehicle would not accelerate. Had to coast to the shoulder during heavy traffic. Gm stated replacement would cost $4500 for new transmission. Declined gm's estimate and went to a different auto shop and rebuilt the transmission. Mechanics at the transmission shop stated that gm/buick was well aware of the faulty transmission but they have not recalled these faulty transmissions. Auto shop stated the part to fix the transmission only costs $7. Didn't want to get a new gm transmission as it may be just as faulty as the current transmission that had the problem. Gm should be held accountable and I expect full reimbursement for the payment and emotional distress this problem has caused me.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick enclave. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle decelerated independently and the check engine light illuminated. In addition, the contact mentioned that the vehicle failed to switch gears. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wave plate needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 149,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick enclave. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to change gears. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that clutch wave plate needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick enclave. While attempting to accelerate, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the engine compartment. The check engine light illuminated and the vehicle would not accelerate past 10 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the failure was due to a fractured wave plate in the transmission. The transmission was repaired and the failure was remedied. The failure mileage was 78,841.
Driving at interstate speeds with cruise control on, set to 80mph. After hitting a ridge at edge at edge of bridge, the vehicle suddenly shuttered causing vehicle to automatically shut off cruise control and decelerate quickly. I went from going 80mph to 55mph in a short amount of time. After touching the gas to try to maintain speeds, car suddenly shifts into a neutral position pushing engine to red-line, then shift into 5th gear roughly. The vehicle from this point on, had issues shifting into 3rd and 5th gears. This car had absolutely no prior issues with the transmission prior to this date. I had the car serviced and completely checked out by a mechanic for any mechanical issues a few days prior to this trip. I took it to the dealer, who fixed two separate transmission plates and replaced the transmission module. I was guaranteed by the repair shop manager that I would have no further issues with the transmission. Little did I know, I should have gotten that conversation in writing. I continued to have hard shifts after the repair, only to be told that's the transmission module sensing how I drove. Less than one week later, transmission completely failed, leaving my wife stranded on the side of the road with the vehicle unable to not shift out of 1st gear, forcing me to call a tow truck to bring it to back to the dealership. Now they are telling me I have to replaced the entire transmission, all at my cost. After paying for the plates and module to be replaced less than a week prior, now they want to again replaced those parts with a completely new transmission. If I were being followed too closely by another car or semi on the interstate, I would have been rear-ended. If that were the case- there wouldn't be a complaint, but a lawsuit. Get this transmission issue fixed. I have read countless stories of the same exact problem.
Driving down the road and the vehicle starts revving. Transmissions slips and then hoes out. Vehicle would not move
2008 buick enclave. Consumer writes in regards to reimbursement for vehicle transmission repairs. *smd the consumer stated gm denied her request for financial support. In spetember 2014, the transmission was replaced due to a wave plate defect. The consumer received a letter from gm stating they would offer full reimbursement for vehicles that had the repair if they were less than 10 years old or had less than 120,000 miles at the time of the repair. The consumer was denied, because her vehicle had a 122,000 miles by the time she was able to afford the repair.
The transmission suddenly failed. Upon taking this to both a gm dealership as well as a transmission specialist it was identified that an internal clip failed resulting in complete transmission damage. It is my opinion, as well as the opinion of both mechanics, that this transmission should not have failed at such low miles. There are many complaints on the internet regarding this same premature failure.
While I was driving vehicle it failed to accelerate as necessary between the speeds of 35-50 MPH. It has continued to do this .I'm sure it is because of the transmission. The transmission has a humming noise for the 1st, 2nd,3rd gears. It (transmission) also gives a slight jerk when putting in reverse gears. I have canvased a couple of transmission shops for information about problem and have been told that this is a common problem with this vehicle and all the other early models ( gmc-acadia, saturn-outlook). It has been expressed that the 3-5-rev waveplate and other possibilities of failure. I have less that 84,000 miles on my vehicle and gm has a 5yr/100,000 mile warranty. Gm, I am told is well aware of these failures and has repaired them under the original warranty, I am trying to find out if they have extended this warranty outside of the 5 year limit, especially since I have less than 100,000 miles.
Transmission would not shift above gear 2. Dealer agrees this is a wave plate issue. Both of us initially thought this would be covered under: #14404: special coverage adjustment - transmission clutch wave plate - (mar 3, 2015) but my VIN isn't covered. Not sure why, and I would like to know why. There are many other 2008 enclave owners complaining that their vins are not covered either for this issue. Http://www.enclaveforum.net/index.php?topic=26706.160 it looks like #14404 needs to be extended to additional enclave vins
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick enclave. While driving 50 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate over 40 MPH and the rpms increased. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 buick enclave. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the transmission automatically shifted from third to fifth gear. The contact also stated the vehicle accelerated and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the snap ring and pan within the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
Was driving and the vehicle just dropped speed,motor revved. The car continued to lose speed, pulled to the side of the road had to have it towed in to a shop. Mechanic informed me the wave plate was bad and that it was/is a really common problem. Dealership informed me gm knows its bad but no recall. Got a letter in the mail on 4/2/2015 saying they would reimburse me if my mileage was l20000 or less. Nice that they get to choose which ones they fix. Waited till now to report thinking sense so many are bad gm might do something. Hope this problem doesn't hurt anyone.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 buick enclave. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The repairs were made to the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,600.
Transmission slippage. Expect wave plate or similar issue. Fortunately will be able to drive in for service. Contacted buick to see if they will assist with repairs as this seems to be a common issue.
I was driving 70 MPH on I-77 when the car suddenly jerked, felt like a drop, and the check engine light went on. I was able to pull off the road and for the next 4-5 miles my car would not get out of first gear. I had to leave it in a parking lot and tow it.
The wave plates broke while driving 60mph on the hwy. Car jolted and clunked...felt as if we went from 5th to 1st gear. Took vehicle to dealership and found it was the wave plates. Talked to gm - gm district manager [xxx] admitted that gm had an issue with certain models with the wave plates due to them not being heat treated properly. Got this all on recording too. Could have caused a nasty accident. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 buick enclave. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle jerked without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000.
Throttle body was full of ice build up, needed to replace valve covers and throttle body to fix prob.
While braking aggressively during heavy rain, rainwater poured from the passenger side headliner onto the dash. Rainwater has been leaking into the car for the past several weeks. This issue was apparently repaired three (3) prior times in 2008, but has recurred. General motors has only offered me one free hour of diagnosis time. This is a major safety issue regarding driver visibility, distracting the driver and could effect multiple electrical systems in the vehicles dash due to the introduction of rainwater. The second issue is the vehicle's transmission is failing. Transmission loses power while shifting from 3rd to 4th gear, then abruptly jerks into gear. The car has less than 64,000 miles.
Friday dec 26th at 4:30 pm I was accelerating to merge into rush hour traffic on I-35 when I had a catastrophic transmission failure. There were no alarms, lights, noises, smells or anything else to alert me to the fact that my vehicle was about to fail. As I merged my RPM's suddenly went past 5000 and my 2008 enclave began to decelerate. By the grace of god there was no loss of life, mine or the other drivers around me, as my vehicle lost power. I was surprised to learn that the situation described above is not an isolated event. Like so many others before me my vehicle (at 80,000 miles) was diagnosed with wave plate failure (p0776). I have called gm and requested that they pay for the repair since it's due to a faulty part, but their response is to deny, deny, deny. The manager I spoke to stated that there hasn't been a recall so gm is not obligated to do anything about the problem. The most distressing part of this situation is not the $3500.00 I'll be paying after gm's "assistance". It is the fact that I was never notified of the high failure rate of the gm wave plate. I should have been given a chance to fix it before I was put in such a dangerous situation. This transmission problem is like a ticking time bomb. Thankfully, the "bomb" going off in my enclave didn't result in any casualties, but is that what it's going to take to get a recall? I hope that the federal safety agency does something about this issue before someone is killed.
The engine light came on... (4) recalls for other malfunctions..., the current re-call - 10/2014 on side air bags, that was taken care of. The engine light continued to stay on ...the dealership found the problem... The gas tank...a brand new gas tank was needed. How can that be, the car is ( 6 ) years - six . The mileage ( 64,000 ).. Record shows consistent car services, good care from the initial purchase. The dealership states the cost would be $505.00. "the car could at any time stop receiving gas into the tank!!!.... The car at any time, could just stop!!!, due to a defected gas tank; assembled at a gm plant, 2008 to me, this is their/ gm responsibility. This is definitely a **safety road issue, not caused by me.... They did some sort of test; automobile was not even at the service area, when the so-called test was administered; it was then declared that the charge is mind.... I spoke to a gmbuick rep, in detroit . Mi., he sent me to dealership, dealership determines who pays. Gm transfers its responsibility to a dealership... Please advise.... Gm lacks the ability to interact with customer; no options, no customer service, no consideration, no satisfaction was given, especially; no manners... Dealership did not make the car; nor equipment...please .
Driving on the highway RPM's were going up but car was hardly moving. We could have been hit! After checking on-line this seems to be a problem for the 2008 enclave. Why has there not been a recall? I believe no-one wants to take responsibility for such a costly problem but someone is going to get hurt.....we were on the highway. I will not stop here....I am hoping someone will actually read and respond to me.
While on the highway on a trip, the transmission of my 2008 buick enclave started skipping/shifting roughly when accelerating/upshifting. Soon the transmission would not go faster than 30 miles an hour and seemed stuck in 2nd gear. I exited the highway as soon as I was able to. By then, it could not go on reverse either. At the repair shop, the transmission was disassembled, with a broken wave plate replaced and complete overhaul. A very scary experience! Please help look into this safety hazard. Your help is so very much appreciated.
The car started to have trouble shifting into gears, especially overdrive. Then it wouldn't go into reverse. The 3-5 reverse waved plate broken, replaced 3-5 reverse housing, replace 3-5r piston and dam assembly, replace all seals and gaskets, replace front cover piston spring assembly, and transmission fluid filter.......$3,173 later I was out the door not happy. I was out of town on vacation at the time! My car only had 74,074 miles on it.
Check engine/emissions control light came on as we were driving. Stopped about a half hour later to put gas in, as we were stopped at a stop light the car didn't want to go (no power, no shift). As we were leaving the station, the car would not go. It would not shift into 3rd year, rpms were at 4000 at only 40mph. Drove home and later drove it to the mechanic. Drove fine then, but the RPM gauge was fluctuating. Mechanic read the codes as 716 and 717. Took it to a transmission specialist and it did the same thing, wouldn't shift. Trans mechanic states its the clutch wave plate that probably broke and magnetic pieces attached to the sensor causing it to go into a limp mode. Approximate cost to replace the $20 part (wave plate) will be in the upper $2000! Ridiculous. I'm losing my faith in gm vehicles. Per a web search, this is a common problem with enclave, acadia, outlook and traverse. Something needs to be done about this!
During acceleration on a busy highway, car lurched and lost power. Evasive action was taken to avoid collision with big rig trucks hauling large hay loads. Check engine light came on.told by shop the vehicle needed a new transmission. Gear 3,5 and reverse were affected by automatic transmission clutch failure. Vehicle only had 72500 miles on it. Have several other owners who stated their transmissions in like vehicles also failed well short of 100,000 miles. Danger to driver and passengers due to sudden lurch and loss of power.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Buick Enclave?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history