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Buick Enclave Owners Give Us Your Report

224 messages,  Last post on Jun 16, 2009 at 4:27 AM

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What is this discussion about? Buick Enclave, Car Buying, SUV

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#205 of 224 ODO zooms past 20k while on family vacation by tinyelvis Aug 01, 2008 (6:25 am)
To follow up my April post, we just returned from a 2350 mile jaunt from Ohio to Florida. The Big Red Wagon performed flawlessly, turning heads as we zipped past just about everyone (need a rabbit out front for protection). Let me reiterate the $150 I spent to bolster the seat cushions paid off in spades this trip: double-digit hours behind the wheel with no neck, back or shoulder pain whatsoever. I was very surprised when it dawned on me I did not have to change the seating position at all during the trip. WOW!   I purchased and installed a set of roof rails so I could attach my Thule Mountaineer. We prefer to load up the roof rack and have ample space in the vehicle for snacks and general comfort.   Pounding the pavement at sustained 80-85mph, the mileage for the entire trip was 20.8mpg. For a fully-loaded 5,000lb vehicle with the a/c on the whole time and a roof rack, I feel this is exemplary mileage. My '01 Sequoia with the same Thule on top barely managed 17mpg when we blasted our way to the Outer Banks.   The Enclave's highway manners are excellent. Acceleration is there when you need it: 80mph cruising puts you smack dab in the middle of the torque curve. Emergency braking revealed no uneven wear in the rotors or pads yet...braking is still as smooth as the day I drove it off the lot. I had the tires rotated at 12k, so I will do it again at the next oil change.   The articulating headlamps, a source of entertainment up until now, really perform well on highway curves. And the West Virginia mountains have plenty of tight curves at speed.   While I have had no cause to tire of my car, this trip reinforced what a great machine GM has put together. Our family will plan additional road trips and bypass the airports entirely.   And with all due respect to Jackie Gleason, we have dubbed ourselves: "The Enclavers."
#206 of 224 Re: on off on off,what to do? [joehose29] by sugarbear7 Aug 12, 2008 (10:29 am)
Replying to: joehose29 (Mar 24, 2008 5:30 pm) I would say check the "Lemon Law". After a number of attempts during a specified time frame to fix the problem, if it's not done they would be required to replace your Enclave or refund the $$$$. I had to go through that process with Chrysler in 1996 with a T&C, with trans problems. Chrysler replaced the van, no atty was even needed! Good Luck!
#208 of 224 Transmission, leak & visibility problems? Shall we buy? by sgmm Oct 28, 2008 (11:18 am)
We are looking for a 7 seats crossover. We really LOVED Enclave after looking at one. But after doing some research on the internet, we found that it seems Enclave has been having transmission, leaking, and visibility problems.   Now we are really concerned. We don't know how bad these problems are and shall we still buy?? Your input is appreciated. Replies to this message: chumster (Oct 29, 2008 5:37 am) kcorey (Oct 29, 2008 8:59 am) tourguide (Oct 29, 2008 4:02 pm)
#209 of 224 Re: Transmission, leak & visibility problems? Shall we buy? [sgmm] by chumster Oct 29, 2008 (5:37 am)
Replying to: sgmm (Oct 28, 2008 11:18 am) You should drive it to check visibilty and see if transmission is to your liking. It is a matter of personal prefernce, but there are no mechanical problem with these two. Transmission can be reprogrammed to improve the shifting. Otherwise it makes you drive like a typical Buick driver:)   Leaks are a whole different problem. Some cars are affected, some not. There was a recall for some of them.
#210 of 224 Re: Transmission, leak & visibility problems? Shall we buy? [sgmm] by kcorey Oct 29, 2008 (8:59 am)
Replying to: sgmm (Oct 28, 2008 11:18 am) 100% right...you should drive any car before buying it! Now, first , the transmission: We have 13,000 miles on our Enclave CXL...never had the transmission "reflashed"...it drives fine for us...no shifting problems, etc. It's been GM serviced (Buick, GMC dealer) and no problems. Leaks, as I understand them, are from the sunroof...and onlly affect certain VIN numbers. We don't have a sunroof (and don't like them anyway) so we don't have any leaks! Visibility problems? Hey, it's not a Toyota Celica. If you can't handle a big car, then definately don't buy it. We have no problem with visibility and we live in New York City...plenty of traffic and pedestrians.
#211 of 224 Re: Transmission, leak & visibility problems? Shall we buy? [sgmm] by tourguide Oct 29, 2008 (4:02 pm)
Replying to: sgmm (Oct 28, 2008 11:18 am) The transmission problems you are refering to are the 07-08 versions of this vehicle. With the new engine these problems have disappeared on the 09s according to the 09 owners. I have driven the 09 myslef and I can attest to the silky smoothness of the shifting points. No unusual behavior that I noticed from this at all. Remember - it is a six speed trans for heaven sake. It is GOING to shift - that is what it does.   Leaking, as others have said is from the sunroof, and affects certain VIN numbers. Worried about this - pass on the sunroof - I'm going to do this anyhow as I don't care for the sunroof execution. Problem solved - no leaks have been reported from vehicles without the sunroofs.   Visibility - yeah, I can see how this might bug you. It is a small view port out the back, no doubt. The optional backup sensors and camera go a LONG way to addressing this. The sensors and the camera make this vehicle a LOT safer to back up than my 05 Highlander without those safeguards. I think you get used to this - but as others have said - if a big vehcile is a problem for you - this is not your sled.   In truth it is the most AMAZINGLY quiet vehicle I have ever driven and it offers real value in it's segment.
#212 of 224 I hate my Buick Enclave! by nurseplanck Nov 18, 2008 (2:01 pm)
Replying to: steve_ (May 09, 2007 9:41 am) I bought my Buick Enclave in March, 2008. I have had nothing but problems with it! First, my rear air wasn't working. They said it was low on freon. Then, I had oil (or what looked to be oil) on my driveway. They said that there was an inch of oil built up on the skid plate and that was why it had leaked on the driveway. I made the dealership come and clean my driveway! Two days later though I had spots on my driveway again. This time, they said it was a transmission leak. We drove on a long trip going 70 on cruise most of the way. The best gas mileage that we ever got was 20.5. A far cry from there estimated mileage! We are averaging 15.5 mpg in the city. The next issue was that the rear air stopped working again! They said that the issue was a needed reprogram this time. A week later, my car died in my driveway while warming up. It ran long enough to defrost the windshield however. On the same day, I lost traction on the road four times! My traction control never kicked in! At this point, I'm driving a rental as I feel my Enclave is unsafe to drive. Oddly enough they put me in an Acadia which seems to have problems shifting. I am waiting to see if GM will buy back my Enclave as a lemon! I tell everyone I know to not buy an Enclave and to not buy from Andy Mohr. This has truly been a nightmare! Replies to this message: tinyelvis (Nov 25, 2008 7:39 pm)
#213 of 224 Re: I hate my Buick Enclave! [nurseplanck] by tinyelvis Nov 25, 2008 (7:39 pm)
Replying to: nurseplanck (Nov 18, 2008 2:01 pm) Yup, you got a lemon alright. I'd demand a new one.   My Enclave has 28,000 miles on it in just under 15 months. My ownership experience has been stress-free. No leaks. No drips. No squeaks. All the bells and whistles work like they are supposed to, and I have every option available on my CXL. I did have the rear hatch switch bite the dust, but it was replaced in less than 25 minutes. The dealer offered me a loaner car if I didn't want to wait!   The car rides smoother than a limo. It's quieter on the inside than all but the most expensive luxury automobiles. The transmission is geared for maximum mileage. On the highway driving at 4-6 mph over the posted speed limit, I routinely pull down 25 and 26 MPG's in my 2-hour round trip to see mom. If I can stretch 520 miles out of 21 gallons of gas in a 5000 lb vehicle, call me granny.   Remember if you are a prosepctive buyer, ALL CARS HAVE LEMONS that roll off the assembley line. That's what lemon laws are for. Be aggressive!   With this recent downturn in the economy, I have the opportunity to trade in my Enclave and buy anything in the $45-$55,000 bracket. There just isn't a car out there that can match the luxurious interior amenities, quiet and supple ride, huge storage, unbeatable gas mileage and seating for 7 like my Enclave. I've spent hours on Edmunds.com researching the competition and they all fall short. Mercedes R class? Comparably equipped it's $12 grand more, and don't forget Mercedes famous $250 oil changes. Audi Q7? Also at least $10 grand more, and who wants to pay for premium unleaded when gas goes back up to $4.00 a gallon? I even looked at BMW, Audi, VW and Mercedes station wagons, but they only seat 5. You want to tell one of my kids which one can't bring a friend?   If you are in the market for a 7 or 8 passenger car and can't justify the huge engine and poor mileage of large SUV's, you owe it to yourself to drive an Enclave.
#214 of 224 Enclave battery woes. by evanob Mar 08, 2009 (6:54 am)
We had the "wiper fluid heater fuse" recall work completed 2 weeks ago, but just yesterday our battery was completely dead and required recharging . Could the defect have damaged the battery? Did the recall work affect the battery? Our 2008 Enclave was purchased in November 2007. Replies to this message: kcorey (Mar 08, 2009 11:07 am) evanob (Mar 08, 2009 7:20 pm) tourguide (Mar 09, 2009 6:55 am) and 2 more... kcorey (Mar 13, 2009 1:56 pm) and 1 more...

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