One of the most important factors to consider when shopping for a car is its reliability. The Buick Enclave is a popular midsize SUV that has been in production for over a decade. While the Enclave is well-recognized for its spacious and comfortable interior, smooth ride, and advanced features, some owners have reported experiencing vehicle maintenance issues.

Certain model years of the Enclave experience more problems than others. Here are three of the worst Enclave model years that have received the most complaints from their owners.

The 2008 Buick Enclave has the most complaints

CarComplaints tell us the 2008 Buick Enclave has had the worst maintenance issues, with the most common being transmission failure and power steering failure. Transmission failure tends to occur around 92,050 miles, and the most common solution for this issue is to replace the transmission entirely. Replacing the Enclave’s transmission can cost up to $3,570.

On the other hand, power steering failure has been reported to occur after the vehicle has been used for around 90,000 miles. Replacing the power steering pump is the common solution to this problem, and it costs $1,800.

In addition, the 2008 Enclave has had reports of engine failure after 111,000 miles. Repairing this requires an engine replacement, which costs about $7,000. Other issues that have been reported for the 2008 Enclave include light problems, air conditioning failure, and various electrical problems. However, these occur less frequently when compared to its main issues.

Engine problems are common with the 2009 model year

Another model that has had many problems is the 2009 Enclave. The most common issue with this model is that after an average of 73,550 miles, the check engine light turns on and stays on. Some owners claim that they had to replace the vehicle’s timing chain, while others had to replace the engine. This issue costs its owners an average of $3,330 to fix.

Similar to the 2008 model, this vehicle experiences power steering failure after it has been used for around 81,950 miles. Replacing the vehicle’s power steering has proven to be effective in solving this problem. Repairing this model’s power steering costs about $1,460.

Also, the vehicle’s transmission has been reported by a number of owners to start slipping after the vehicle has been in use for an average of 91,350 miles. The most common solution to this is replacing the car’s transmission, which costs $3,440 on average. Other issues common with this model are A/C failures, paint wear, and suspension problems.

Owning the 2010 Buick Enclave can be a driver’s worst nightmare 

Although the 2010 Enclave has fewer maintenance issues, its owners still encounter some problems. The timing chain stretches out after the vehicle has traveled roughly 105,500 miles. This is fixed by either replacing the timing chain or replacing the car’s engine. Typically, this problem will cost $3,030 to repair.

In addition, this vehicle also starts experiencing power steering failure after it has been used for 71,400 miles. Owners say that this can be fixed by either replacing the power steering pump, replacing the steering rack, or simply repairing the rack. To repair this issue, owners pay maintenance costs of about $1,630.

Moreover, the 2010 Enclave has also been reported to stop working after it has been used for just 110,000 miles. This is usually caused by the engine. Replacing the timing sensors has helped some owners fix this issue, and it costs $3,780 on average to fix.