Problems · by component
2008 Buick Enclave steering problems
99 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Buick Enclave cite steering, 18% of all 536 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
99
18% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the steering
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“i was driving fine until i slowed down and tried to turn, the steering wheel was hard to turn and making a grinding noise. it works fine going on the highway. i noticed this was a big issue with the enclave and wondering why this isnt recalled? ive spent enough money on this that i didnt have and cant afford another expense. i do not have a warranty on it. no check engines light and fluids are good”
“The contact owns a 2008 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while driving 3-5 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's husband was able to continue driving the vehicle however, extra effort was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 125,637.”
“THE POWER STEERING ON MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN FAILING MORE FREQUENTLY TO THE POINT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. I AM A POLIO SURVIVOR AND DEPEND ON THE FULL FUNCTION OF MY RIGHT ARM @ ALL TIMES. SINCE PURCHASING THE 2008 ENCLAVE IN JUNE 2019, THE POWER STEERING HAS BEGUN FAILING EVERY TIME I USE THE VEHICLE. THE WORST FAILURE WAS ON THE FREEWAY @ 80 MPH WHILE RETURNING HOME TO IDAHO, FROM THE DEATH OF MY FATHER IN TUSCON. THE STEERING FAILED WHILE I WAS NEGOTIATING A CURVE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OUT OF THE CURVE @ THE LAST MINUTE. IT SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH! OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THE STEERING HAS BECOME MORE IMPOSSIBLE TO MANAGE, WHICH HAS CAUSED THE ROTATOR CUFF OF MY RIGHT ARM TO BECOME EXCEEDINGLY MORE PAINFUL. THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAS BEEN AN ON GOING ISSUE WITH THESE CARS TO THE POINT OF THE PUMP BEING REDESIGNED BY GMC. I FEEL THIS ISSUE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND WARRANTS A RECALL. SINCERELY, [XXX], RN (RETIRED) *TR”
“I HAVE OWN THIS CAR FOR 1 YEAR. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP MAKING VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN BUT IT WOULDN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME. IT SEEMS TO GET WORSE THE LONGER THE CAR IS RUNNING. IT IS NOW DOING IT PRETTY REGULARLY AND HAS CAUSED SOME PRETTY BAD SCARES WHEN ON AN OFF RAMP ETC. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VERY PROBLEM BUT IT SAYS MY CAR/VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHY? *TR”
“THE POWER STEERING FAILS ON TURNS WITH NO WARNING. FROM WHAT I READ THIS IS COMMON ON BUICK ENCLAVES. I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT FROM THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. ONCE I WAS ON A 55 MPH HIGHWAY CHANGING LANES WHEN IT FAILED, THE REST ARE USUALLY WHEN TURNING. MY MECHANIC SAID THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDS REPLACEMENT. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE A TURN AT 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THE FAILURE OCCURRED RANDOMLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER BRAKE VACUUM PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,613.”
Showing 6 of 99 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.