2008 Buick Enclave Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 113 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2008 Buick Enclave, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 85,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (53% of reports).
- 113air bags complaints
- 85,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $1,250typical repair cost reported by owners
- 44%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 60 of 113 complaints (53%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 29 of 113 complaints (26%)
- Airbag sensor: mentioned in 10 of 113 complaints (9%)
- Indicator remained: mentioned in 6 of 113 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the 2008 Buick Enclave at $1,250, and half of them between $930 and $1,350.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2013–2018), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 83 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 113 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 4 an injury.
Buick Enclave air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Enclave | 1 | 3% | 14,300 |
| 2024 Enclave | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2023 Enclave | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2020 Enclave | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2019 Enclave | 2 | 5% | 7,712 |
| 2018 Enclave | 2 | 3% | 83,000 |
| 2017 Enclave | 145 | 81% | 64,000 |
| 2016 Enclave | 110 | 78% | 89,000 |
| 2015 Enclave | 105 | 61% | 97,000 |
| 2014 Enclave | 205 | 70% | 87,750 |
| 2013 Enclave | 10 | 14% | 53,000 |
| 2012 Enclave | 21 | 16% | 75,000 |
| 2011 Enclave | 38 | 18% | 55,500 |
| 2010 Enclave | 6 | 2% | 88,100 |
| 2009 Enclave | 9 | 4% | 75,673 |
| 2008 Enclave | 113 | 21% | 85,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclave and 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 3, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 10, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212349040.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: 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.
Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
1st incident was 6/29/24 my driver seat airbag deployed. 2nd incident happened 8/3/24 when the airbag on the driver side deployed the whole side from the front to the back of the trunk.
I didnât have any accidents but I when to many mechanics shops and each saying that it is an electrical problem with my 2008 Buick enclave CXL 3.6 also an issue with the airbag on the dash it showing service airbag soon I brought this car a couple of years ago and the airbag light was on when I…
At 65,000 Transmission went out 100,000 Electrical issue due to lose ground wire under fuse box 121,000 Electrical issue caused battery to drain and vehicle not turn off. Even if key out of ignition 121,000 Driver Side Curtain Airbags deployed when battery replaced
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Buick Enclaves have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 113 owner complaints about air bags for the 2008 Buick Enclave (21% of the 536 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Buick Enclave air bags?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 85,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 2008 Buick Enclave?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,250 (half paid between $930 and $1,350), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2008 Buick Enclave?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 60 of 113 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (29).
Other 2008 Buick Enclave problems
- Power Train problems (139)
- Steering problems (99)
- Structure problems (77)
- Electrical System problems (73)
- Engine problems (72)
See all 2008 Buick Enclave problems or air bags problems across all Enclave years.