2008 Buick Enclave Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 139 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2008 Buick Enclave, 26% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 82,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “wave plate” (22% of reports).
- 139power train complaints
- 82,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $5,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 32%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.
- Wave plate: mentioned in 31 of 139 complaints (22%)
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 14 of 139 complaints (10%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2008 Buick Enclave at $5,050, and half of them between $2,800 and $5,850.
Based on 9 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 power train problems happen?
Based on 127 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 139 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Buick Enclave power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Enclave | 1 | 50% | — |
| 2025 Enclave | 3 | 8% | — |
| 2024 Enclave | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2023 Enclave | 1 | 5% | 30,000 |
| 2022 Enclave | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2021 Enclave | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2020 Enclave | 9 | 15% | 2,650 |
| 2019 Enclave | 17 | 39% | 60,000 |
| 2018 Enclave | 15 | 23% | 49,000 |
| 2017 Enclave | 4 | 2% | 36,500 |
| 2016 Enclave | 10 | 7% | 25,449 |
| 2015 Enclave | 4 | 2% | 57,000 |
| 2014 Enclave | 21 | 7% | 40,000 |
| 2013 Enclave | 14 | 20% | 73,000 |
| 2012 Enclave | 13 | 10% | 56,569 |
| 2011 Enclave | 38 | 18% | 29,000 |
| 2010 Enclave | 34 | 12% | 78,000 |
| 2009 Enclave | 33 | 15% | 91,000 |
| 2008 Enclave | 139 | 26% | 82,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2008 Buick Enclave. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Unknown
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
The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Buick Enclaves have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 139 owner complaints about power train for the 2008 Buick Enclave (26% 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 82,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2008 Buick Enclave?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,050 (half paid between $2,800 and $5,850), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2008 Buick Enclave?
The most frequent phrase is “wave plate”, in 31 of 139 complaints, followed by “transmission failed” (14).
Other 2008 Buick Enclave problems
- Air Bags problems (113)
- Steering problems (99)
- Structure problems (77)
- Electrical System problems (73)
- Engine problems (72)
See all 2008 Buick Enclave problems or power train problems across all Enclave years.