2009 Buick ENCLAVE - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2009 Buick Enclave has not been rated overall for safety by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, it received excellent ratings in specific crash scenarios such as 5 stars for both the front crash on the driver's and passenger's side, as well as 5 stars for the side crash on both sides. The vehicle also received a 4-star rating in rollover tests, indicating a relatively lower risk of rollovers. Additionally, the Buick Enclave comes equipped with standard electronic stability control, which helps drivers maintain control in slippery conditions.

It is worth noting that this particular model does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems. In terms of complaints and recalls, the 2009 Buick Enclave has had 217 complaints reported and 8 recalls issued. These figures suggest that while the vehicle performs well in crash safety tests and comes with some advanced safety features, there have been some reported issues and recalls that potential buyers should be aware of.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

217

Recall Count

8

Investigation Count

2

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2009 Buick Enclave 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2009 Buick Enclave 4-DR. w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2009 Buick Enclave 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2009 Buick Enclave 4-DR. w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2008 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2008 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 4
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 4
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2008 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating 4 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2009 Buick ENCLAVE

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"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."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-10-08

Complaint:
"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."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-02-10

Complaint:
"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."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2022-01-01

Complaint:
"it was hard to steer the car and to turn it was very difficulty to do."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2020-03-06

Complaint:
"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."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2020-03-10

Complaint:
"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 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."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2021-12-02

Complaint:
"while in motion and braking to turn right or left, my power steering completely goes out. the steering wheel becomes very difficult to turn causing me to almost hit another vehicle as the turning radius had become much more larger than i am used to. the power steering does not seem to be impacted while going 15 mph or higher, it is only while applying brakes and slowing down and turning, right or left. i have been told by an auto shop that loss of power steering is a common problem for gm vehicles between 2009 - 2011 and that even a special coverage adjustment was issued, not a recall though. the special coverage was issued for cars up to 150,000 or 10 years after car was issued for service/sold. ten years in my case was in february 2019. i called a gm dealer to ask for help and was told i'm out of luck because the 10 years had passed. i am the 2nd owner of this vehicle and purchased it used in december 2014. i never received letters or notice from gm of this special coverage. furthermore, i have repeatedly taken my car in for service to this same dealership over the 5+ years of ownership and never once did the gm dealer notify me of the special coverage. at least 2 times, i took my car in for steering issues."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2019-04-06

Complaint:
"vehicle steering wheel becomes very tight/ difficult to turn at times while turning, parking & reversing."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2020-10-04

Complaint:
"the power steering gives out when the car is travelling at slow speeds. it basically seizes up mid turn and needs an incredible amount of power to turn the wheel. this has been happening since about the 70,000 mile mark"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2018-08-10

Complaint:
"i brought my vehicle last november of 2017 and for the last couple of months i have had a problem with my steering it locks up when trying to pull into a parking space or just simply turning a corner it takes a lot of strength to turn this wheel and also other driver's seem to think i'm holding traffic up because i can't turn the wheel also when backing up into traffic the wheel locks up it doesn't happen all the time but i almost hit another vehicle because the wheel locked up i'm afraid to drive the car on the highway for fear it may lock up going straight is fine only when turning backing up and no parallel parking can be done at all, i would not be able to get out at all."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2018-03-06

Recalls for the 2009 Buick ENCLAVE

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

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.

Component(s) Involved: SEAT BELTS
Date of incident: 2014-05-20

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT AS INTENDED DURING A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
Remedy:

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.

Component(s) Involved: SEAT BELTS
Date of incident: 2010-08-12

BUICK Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BUICK ranks 20 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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