U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Buick ENCLAVE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

220 owner complaints analyzed

8 distinct recall campaigns

73,648 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 196 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 107 of 220 complaints (48.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	108	49.1%
Braking behavior	24	10.9%
Transmission and shifting	19	8.6%
Engine operation	10	4.5%
Electrical and battery issues	10	4.5%
Fuel system concerns	2	0.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Steering

107

Engine

Power Train

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Vehicle Speed Control

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Air Bags

Steering: 107; Engine: 35; Power Train: 33; Electrical System: 20; Unknown Or Other: 12; Vehicle Speed Control: 10; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 9; Air Bags: 8

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 22; 50,000 to 74,999: 63; 75,000 to 99,999: 46; 100,000 to 149,999: 43; 150,000 and above: 6

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (63). 24 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2025

2009: 3; 2010: 7; 2011: 7; 2012: 9; 2013: 30; 2014: 52; 2015: 29; 2016: 26; 2017: 12; 2018: 14; 2019: 9; 2020: 10; 2021: 2; 2022: 3; 2023: 4; 2025: 3

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 108 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 24 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 19 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10311748 · 2010-02-18 (February 18, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; PROCEEDING TO A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. SUDDENLY, THERE WAS A VIBRATION NOISE COMING FROM THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10311748 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10438510 · 2011-12-04 (December 4, 2011)

THE STEERING WILL BIND UP AND ALMOST LOCK UP RESULTING IN A VERY DIFFICULT TURN. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS IF THE VEHICLE WILL NOT TURN THERE COULD EASILY BE A CRASH. THIS "STEERING LOCK UP" ISSUE SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHILE TURNING INTO AN ENTRANCE, OR PARKING LOT OR TURN SIGNAL OR ONTO ANOTHER ROAD. THERE ARE NO ISSUES WHILE DRIVING BUT HAVING A VEHICLE LOCK UP WHILE TRYING TO TURN IS A PROBLEM. THIS SAFETY ISSUE NOT ONLY AFFECTS THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS BUT IT ALSO AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10438510 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10332229 · 2010-05-25 (May 25, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS ACCELERATING TO SPEEDS OF 45 MPH AND REMOVED HER FOOT FROM THE PEDAL YET THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARRANT. SHE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF AND SHE PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK TO AVOID CRASHING INTO A VEHICLE AHEAD OF HER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE HAD EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE AT LEAST TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RE…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10332229 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10503954 · 2013-03-21 (March 21, 2013)

VEHICLE TRANSMISSION EITHER, SLIPS, DOESN'T SHIFT OR SHIFTS ERRATICALLY. THE ENGINE MISFIRES AT TIMES. STEERING ISSUES. NAVIGATION SYSTEM ISSUES, STRUT FAILURE, HEATED SEAT FAILURE. *TR ## VIN FAILED ##

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10503954 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10617323 · 2014-07-29 (July 29, 2014)

IN THE PAST I HAD JERKING OR SLIPPING OF TRANSMISSION AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES AN HOUR, OR THE ENGINE WAS HAVING A COIL MISS FIRE. I HAD 3 NEW COILS INSTALLED BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS BEFORE. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE IF TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING OR ENGINE MISS FIRING, BUT NO CODE ON MISS FIRING ENGINE. SLIPPING OR HESITATING OF TRANSMISSION IS MORE LIKELY BUT CAN NOT DETERMINE SINCE DOES NOT ACT THE SAME CONSISTENTLY. STEERING NOISE STARTED IN THE WINTER APPROXIMATELY NOVEMBER 2013, BUT OFF AND ON SINCE…

Owner-reported narrative. 67,878 miles reported. Look up ODI 10617323 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10565032 · 2014-02-19 (February 19, 2014)

MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE HAS INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING, MAINLY AT LOWER SPEEDS TO MAKE TURNS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHEN THIS OCCURS, IT TAKES A LOT OF STRENGTH FOR ME TO TURN MY VEHICLE. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS OF OTHER ENCLAVE OWNERS AND MANY DIFFERENT ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR WITHOUT SUCCESS. I ALSO CAME ACROSS A WEB SITE THAT STATES THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST GM FOR SAID PROBLEM. THIS IS SUCH A SAFETY ISSUE THAT IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED TODAY! PEOPLES LIVES ARE IN DANGER, INSIDE AND…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10565032 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10569284 · 2014-03-14 (March 14, 2014)

MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE STARTED OUT WITH A FEELING IN THE STEERING WHEN TURNING TO THE LIMITS EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT WHICH WAS CHECKED OUT BY THE DEALERSHIP AS BEING NOTHING. THEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP STARTED MAKING NOISES WHICH WAS DETERMINED BY THE DEALERSHIP AS SOMETHING THE OCCURS IN THIS TYPE OF PUMP BUT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. THEN THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN THE ENGINE IS INITIALLY STARTED AND AT LOWER SPEEDS IE IN A PARKING LOT. NOW THERE FEELS LIKE A DETENT IN THE STEERING AT THE STRAIGHT FOREWORD POSITION …

Owner-reported narrative. 55,666 miles reported. Look up ODI 10569284 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10266671 · 2009-04-24 (April 24, 2009)

IF WE DON'T DRIVE OUR 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE EVERY FEW DAYS, THE BATTERY GOES COMPLETELY DEAD AND WE HAVE TO CHARGE IT TO EVEN GET THE KEY OUT OF IT. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THE BATTERY IS FINE BUT THERE IS A "BULLETIN" (BUT NOT A RECALL) ABOUT A "PARASITIC POWER DRAW" PROBLEM IN THESE VEHICLES AND THEY WILL LET US KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE A REPAIR AVAILABLE. IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE TO MAKE A POINT TO RUN OUR ENCLAVE EVERY FEW DAYS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10266671 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10363373 · 2010-10-30 (October 30, 2010)

PURCHASED NEW 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE CXL FWD(3/30/09) FULLY LOADED. 4 MONTHS LATER, BATTERY DIED. MADE 5 OR MORE VISITS TO GM DEALERSHIP. THEY RAN PARASITIC DRAIN DIAGNOSTICS OVER NIGHT , NEW UPGRADES INSTALLED, REPLACED BATTERY TWICE AND MORE THAN A YEAR LATER, EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS BATTERY DIES. I THINK THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH THIS KIND OF PROBLEM THAT GM SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER A RECALL BEFORE SOME ELECTRICAL CATCHES ON FIRE AND GM WILL HAVE TO PAYOUT MILLIONS.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,621 miles reported. Look up ODI 10363373 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10423404 · 2011-08-29 (August 29, 2011)

A 18 WHEELERS TIRE TREAD WAS IN THE ROAD. I STRADDLED IT TO AVOID A WRECK. THE TREAD PUNCTURED THE FRONT OF MY PLASTIC GAS TANK RESULTING IN A GAS LEAK. I HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW TANK AND INSTALLATION. THERE ISN'T A PROTECTIVE SHIELD ON THE FRONT OF TANK.

Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10423404 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10471667 · 2012-08-21 (August 21, 2012)

THE ENGINE ON MY 2009 ENCLAVE WAS REPLACED IN FEB OF 2012 BECAUSE IT WAS CRACKED , AT THE TIME I HAD APPROXIMATELY 32K ON THE CAR. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM THE CAR JUST DIED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THE CAR AGAIN DIED A FEW WEEKS LATER DUE TO A TIMING BELT SNAPPING. ON 8/10/12 I WAS TRAVELING FROM MY HOME STATE OF NEW YORK TO VIRGINIA FOR VACATION, WITH MY FAMILY, AND THE CAR LOST POWER AGAIN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AT 10:30 AT NIGHT WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED, FIND A HOTEL AND THEN RENT A CAR TO GET TO OUR DESTINATION. THIS TIME IT WAS A …

Owner-reported narrative. 42,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10471667 at NHTSA ↗