- The 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.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- The 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.
Vehicle safety record
2009 Buick Enclave Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 220 complaints about the 2009 Buick Enclave with NHTSA, most often about the steering (108) and the engine & cooling (43). Those complaints describe 3 crashes, 6 fires and 11 injuries. It is covered by 8 recalls, the latest in October 2021 for the frontal. For comparison, the 2008 has 536 and the 2010 has 275.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical Enclave year, for its age
#46 most complained-about 2009 vehicle
- Complaints
- 220
- Recalls
- 8
- Crashes
- 3
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
- 11
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2009 Buick Enclave problems
Share of all 220 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2009 Buick Enclave recalls 8
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.
- The risk
- If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
- The fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
- The problem
- General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.
- The risk
- If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
- The fix
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
- The 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.
- The 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.
- The 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.
- The problem
- General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, gmc acadia, and saturn outlook vehicles. The second row seat side trim shield restricts the upward rotation of the safety belt buckle when the seat back is returned to a seating position after being folded flat. If the buckle contacts the seat frame, additional effort is required to return the seat to a seating position. If sufficient force is applied, the buckle cover could be pushed down the strap, exposing and partially depressing the red release button.
- The risk
- The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
- The fix
- Dealers will modify the second row seat side trim shields. If a safety belt buckle is damaged, dealers will replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, buick at 1-866-608-8080, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, and saturn at 1-800-972-8876, or at the owner center at www.Gmownercenter.Com.
- The problem
- Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.
- The risk
- It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
- The fix
- Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 or at the owner center at www.Gmownercenter.Com.
- The problem
- General motors is recalling 276,729 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet cobalt, hhr, malibu, traverse, gmc acadia, pontiac g5, g6 and saturn aura and outlook passenger vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicles safety standard 102, "transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect", and fmvss 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention". On some of these vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjustment clip may not be fully engaged. If the clip is not fully engaged, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. With this condition, the drive could move the shifter to "park" and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in "park".
- The risk
- The driver may not be able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect and ensure that the shift cable adjustment clip is fully engaged. In the event that the clip does not engage, the shift cable will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before march 24, 2009. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 and saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or at www.Gmownercenter.Com.
- The problem
- Gm is recalling 16,667 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet traverse, gmc acadia, and saturn outlook vehicles for failing to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, 'Seat belt assemblies.' These vehicles may have been built with a safety belt buckle in the second or third row that is missing a rivet.
- The risk
- In a vehicle crash, if the rivet is missing, the buckle may separate from the mounting strap, increasing the risk of injury to the passenger.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the safety belt buckles in the second and third rows, and replace them if necessary. The recall began on november 26, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463; saturn at 1-800-972-8876; or through their website at <a href=http://www.Gmownercenter.Com>http://www.Gmownercenter.Com</a> .
What owners say
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220 complaints about the 2009 Buick Enclave
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 9.
Every time I turn right my car turns off. I am able to restart after. I've taken it to several mechanic's and no one seems to know the issue. I've had my battery change circuits change a tune up and my gas filter changed and the car still doesn't work.
Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact purchased the vehicle from a local used car dealer in April 2025. The contact stated that the odometer and the bill of sales indicated that the mileage was 133,000. The contact stated that while registering the vehicle with Carshield, the contact was informed that the mileage was reported in January 2025 at 163,000. The dealer was made aware of the issue.
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the rear tailgate unintentionally opened. The contact stated that once the failure had occurred, the contact closed the rear tailgate, and the rear tailgate was inoperable and failed to open. No warning lights were illuminated; however, the message "Gate Lifted" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The contact researched and was made aware of an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while reversing at 5 MPH, the steering wheel seized and was inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to his destination. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering wheel sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.
The seat caught on fire. Origin of fire started in the seat according to fire officials.
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that the rear driver's side and center seat belt failed to latch securely. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed but no failure could be determined. could not be determined. The contact then stated that on another occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter failed to operate in drive(D). The contact stated that the shifter was stuck in drive (Low). As a result, while the accelerator pedal was...
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depressed, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. Additionally, the contact stated that on multiple occasions, the instrument panel digital display failed to illuminate, and the contact was unable to state whether there were any warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the instrument panel light bulb was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
My 2009 Buick Enclave CXL, VIN 5GAEV23D79J118427: Engine caught on fire during the time i was driving it. The car hesitated as if it was going to shut off then i saw smoke coming from underneath the front hood, I pulled to the side of the road and stopped the car and open the front hood, my engine was on fire. The fire was located on the passenger side of the car or the left side of the car if you were facing the front of the car. I tried to put the fire out, but the fire got out of control. I called 911 and the fire Department and Police arrived. My car was being repair due to the fire.
While driving 65 mph on the hwy, in rush hour traffic my entire steering column came completely out and I lost control of my vehicle causing a 3 car wreck. The only indicator that something was wrong was that just prior to this happening the tilt on my steering wheel came undone 2 times and by the 3rd time when I pushed the wheel back up to lock it into place it came out entirely. There was no lights, no nothing. No tampering of any kind had ever been done to it whatsoever. And no one has looked at it since. It still falls randomly while driving. I have a picture taken about 5 minutes before this happened and one taken after the accident I will upload.
Having problems with the power steering, was a recall but was informed recall has expired. I didn't purchase the vehicle until 2016, steering wheel is really tight, and going to cost thousands to fix, If this is a problem GM knew about they should at least be willing in some type of assistance to correct it.
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Enclave. The contact stated upon pressing the liftgate power button to open the liftgate, the liftgate partially opened and rapidly closed on her. The contact's husband who was standing nearby, held the liftgate manually until she was able to remove herself out of the path of the liftgate. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring and she had to manually open and hold the liftgate open. The contact stated that the software update for the power liftgate actuator motor...
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control unit was previously completed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V415000 (Structure) which she associated to the failure. The local dealer was contacted and an appointment was scheduled for repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the recall had been closed. A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
I attempted to put my seatbelt on the cable that attaches the seatbelt to the vehicle broke. If this had failed during an accident, my seatbelt would have failed. I have contacted GMC regarding the issue. They advised me that there was an extended warranty for this item but it has since expired on my vehicle. They are not willing to fix even though it is a big safety concern.
My wife took a trip to springfield ill. From paris mo. On 5/5/21 she drove appox 50 miles toward springfield on i72 e.Her tachometer started shooting up about 5-6 thousand rpm at 70mph .Hot transmission light came on.I told her to stop an let it cool.The light went off and she put it in gear only to find she only had low gear.We took it to s & k buick in springfield ill. Where they diagnosed it . The wave plate in the transmission had exploded.When we explained this vehicle only has 52,000 miles they or gm would...
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do nothing for us.We find that ridiculous.They only used that transmission for 2 years and abruptly stopped using it.We have read of many of these with the same issue on the internet sites. Know they want us to pay nearly $5000.00 To replace transmission.Once again this vehicle only has 52,000 original miles is garage kept and is pampered .This in our mind should be a recall and they should have some responsibity in this issue at general motors.Any help would be appreciated.Also wednesday 5/19/2021 the dealer will have had this vehicle 2 weeks.Another joke.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 buick enclave. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the headlights failed to provide adequate illumination while driving. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while the vehicle the vehicle was being inspected at the residence, she was informed that the driver's and passenger's side lower control arms and ball joints were faulty. The vehicle was taken to greens auto repair (23 e orvis st, massena, ny 13662, (315) 514-1282) to...
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be diagnosed however, the result was still pending. The vehicle repair was started but not yet completed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,769. The vin was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 buick enclave. The contact stated that upon placing the gear shifter into park, the vehicle reverted to neutral with the circuit relay warning message displayed on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition and was unable to restart the vehicle. She also mentioned that the vehicle began to roll away as the failure occurred. The contact applied the parking brake to stop the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact linked the...
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failure to nhtsa campaign number: 09v073000 (power train) however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The timing change is leaking it was fixed back in 2019 it hasn't even been a year now since I had it and it's leaking again I was driving home when I noticed a smell like oil burning and when I park the vehicle it started leaking from the front of the vehicle where the timeing change is housed
Transmission-push on gas but wouldn't move, just revved up, was parked and tried to leave and vehicle wouldn't go in reverse so ended up having it towed and transmission replaced. Less than 75,000 mile on it. Power steering pump-would go to turn wheel and would take both hands to turn it because it was that tight. Motor mount for stabilitrak needed replaced. Would be driving down road and it would be wobbly and light would come on that stabilitrak/traction control needed fixed. Have vehicle about 6 months and put less than 1,000 miles on it. Only had 74,000 when I got it. Regret purchase and now feel unsafe in my own car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 buick enclave. The contact stated while his wife was driving unknown speed, when she heard an abnormal noise and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to drive a short distance to her residence. The driver stated smoke was entering the vent inside the cab. The driver was able to exit the vehicle safety. A fire department was contact and arrived to the residence and was able to extinguish the fire. The contact...
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stated the vehicle sustained major damage in the front of the vehicle. The driver contacted 911 but police did not arrive to the residence. The vehicle was not drivable. The insurance adjuster was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximate of 77,000.
It was hard to steer the car and to turn it was very difficulty to do.
Steering locks up periodically in motion at slow speed when making a turn on highway also from a dead stop when turning leaving a intersection. Arm strong power steering meaning very hard to turn.
While driving my car twice this week my vehicle turned off while I was driving. One of the times it cut off at the light while I was turning.
My steering continues to lock up when driving. Making turns steering gets tight. I have had almost had an accident due to this safety issue. At this point I am concerned for my safety and children when driving. There seems to be alot of issues and complaints regarding a replacement steering gear/rack pinion and leaking fluid. At one point do gm think about the safety of their customers. This repair cost is $1709.04. On top of other repairs I just paid $1812.44 To fix other issues that I can somewhat understand but...
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the steering gear and rack pinion is definitely an issue of concern to all families and can definitely loose their life. Every day I get in my vehicle my concern is will my family loose their life if my steering lock up or I cant avoid an accident due to the issue.
2 Rear seat belts will not latch. Major safety concern as we use these seats.
Rear door liftgate, closes suddenly hard when trying to open at all times.
Vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating over 20 mph and became unable to reverse. This was discovered while driving. We do not have the funds to make this repair. The car has sat at the end of our driveway in a non-drivable condition since april 2019. The rear strut towers required complete replacement. This was noticed while driving 10 mph. The car made a clunking noise. I took it to the buick garage and they recommended the strut towers be replaced and the rear axle. They have record of the date and...
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mileage. The power steering cable rubbed on the air conditioning line and a a hole was created. The air conditioner became non-functional. A diagnostic was performed by the buick garage but, we did not have the funds to repair the air conditioner since we needed to rebuild the strut towers. So we drove the car with a non-functioning air conditioning unit, until the car stopped operating in reverse and stopped accelerating over 20 mph. I am a single mom with 3 children. This has been a great hardship for us. It is very unlikely that I would purchase a car from buick in the future.
2009 Buick enclave, stretched timing chain so when this code appears your car will drive rough and of course the check engine light comes on so you lose your remote start. I have replaced sensor after sensor as well, also a motor mount. The vehicle has now approached 150k miles.
Buick Enclave: every year compared
All Enclave years2009 Buick Enclave vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Buick Enclave | 220 | 8 | D | |
| 2009 Nissan Murano | 636 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2009 Hyundai Santa FE | 359 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 2009 GMC Acadia | 333 | 7 | C | Compare |
| 2009 Ford Edge | 261 | 7 | A | Compare |
| 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 138 | 3 | A | Compare |
| 2009 Toyota Highlander | 134 | 9 | B | Compare |
| 2009 Subaru Outback | 112 | 13 | B | Compare |
| 2009 Mazda CX-9 | 59 | 7 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2009 Buick Enclave
Does the 2009 Buick Enclave have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 8 recalls for the 2009 Buick Enclave: frontal (October 2021); hatchback / liftgate (June 2015); seat belts (May 2014); side / window (March 2014) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Buick Enclave?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the steering (108), engine & cooling (43), transmission & drivetrain (33).
How many complaints has the 2009 Buick Enclave had?
220 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on April 24, 2009 and the latest on August 15, 2025. Of these, 3 describe a crash and 6 a fire, and together they report 11 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2009 Buick Enclave a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 31 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Buick Enclave year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Buick Enclave years have the most complaints?
2008 (536), 2014 (292), 2010 (275). See every Buick Enclave year compared.
What should I do if my 2009 Buick Enclave has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data