YearToAvoid

2008 Buick Enclave Airbags Problems

NHTSA has 113 owner complaints about airbag problems in the 2008 Buick Enclave, 21% of all 536 complaints for this model year. That is #3 highest airbag complaint count among 18 Enclave model years. These complaints report 4 crashes and 5 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 85,500 miles.

Airbags complaints
113
21% of 536
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
5
Median mileage
85,500 mi
Related recalls
2

When 2008 Buick Enclave airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Sep 11, 2007, latest Aug 12, 2024.

2008 Buick Enclave airbags complaints: complaints filed per quarter102007 Q32010 Q22013 Q42015 Q22016 Q42018 Q22020 Q12022 Q3
113 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2007 Q3 to 2024 Q3; peak 2014 Q2 (10).

Airbags recalls for the 2008 Buick Enclave

  1. NHTSA 21V782000Oct 7, 2021Airbags555 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: 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.

  2. NHTSA 14V118000Mar 17, 2014Airbags1,176,407 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window

    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.

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

Airbags complaints by Enclave model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 2008113 (21%)
  2. 20099 (4%)
  3. 20106 (2%)
  4. 201138 (18%)
  5. 201221 (16%)
  6. 201310 (14%)
  7. 2014205 (70%)
  8. 2015105 (61%)
  9. 2016110 (78%)
  10. 2017145 (81%)
  11. 20182 (3%)
  12. 20192 (5%)
  13. 20201 (2%)
  14. 20210 (0%)
  15. 20220 (0%)
  16. 20231 (5%)
  17. 20241 (14%)
  18. 20251 (3%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Buick Enclave have airbag problems?
NHTSA has 113 owner complaints about the airbag in the 2008 Buick Enclave, 21% of all complaints for this model year, including 4 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 85,500 miles.
Which Buick Enclave year has the most airbag complaints?
The 2014 Buick Enclave has the most airbag complaints (205), compared with 113 for the 2008.
Is there a airbag recall for the 2008 Buick Enclave?
Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns for the 2008 Buick Enclave concern the airbag: 21V782000 and 14V118000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.