Buick Enclave Safety and Safety Equipment

danitalks

I just bought an AWD CXL Enclave. I love everything about it...except was totally surprised by the rapid roll back on a hill at stop sign or red light. Is this commonly happening with all drivers of Enclaves? This roll back almost caused a serious accident, and requires a two foot brake and gas approach, to mount a hill...

zman3

I'm not trying to be flippant here but how would a slight roll back cause a serious accident? While our Enclave may roll back ever so slightly before getting on the gas, I would not consider it a safety issue.

danitalks

Actually the roll back is not slight, but dramatic. i researched that similar cars in the same clas: Acura MDX, Lexus, Mercedes, Citroen, Toureg,... have the safety feature Hill Roll Back Control, aka Hill-Start Assist as a standard feature. Although you dont consider this a safety issue, the above manufacturers felt compelled to resolve what they call a serious safety issue. Are there other Enclave owners who have experienced the same thing?

zman3

Try this forum:

http://www.enclaveforum.net/

I don't recall anyone else complaining about this but you can give it a shot. And I am trying to help but you did not answer my question. How far does it roll back? The time between releasing the brake and applying gas should be fraction of a second.

zman3

On the Acadia equivalent of the Enclave forum I posted above, some people now claim that a transmission reflash has helped with a rollback issue. The reflash is meant to improve responsiveness of the transmission.

danitalks

Re: the orginal post on the Enclave rolling back unexpectely on an incline in Drive, or even slipping forward, while on an incline trying to go in Reverse, this comment has solicited 50 + responses on the Encave forum...Great feedback is there about design deficiencies, and comparisons with other in-class manufacturers' standard safetyfeatyre known as : Hill Control Assist...There is power in numbers, and i believe we may instigate GM to take responsibility for this design problem. Check out the Enclave forum.

tyro

The roll back can be very dramatic and indeed can cause a serious accident; it all depends on how steep the hill or incline is. I parked at a Boston Market where there was a fairly steep incline only to find the car moving forward rapidly. I had to slam on the brake and I did panic based on how fast it started rolling forward. Gunning the engine immediately after taking my foot of the brake prevented any roll but I can testify based on my experience that it can be quite dramatic. The week before I had mentioned this issue to the dealer and I was told it was normal but never had I experienced it on an incline steeper than the hill where it usually happens. If something can be done to correct this they should put it into effect. Would I buy the car all over again. CERTAINLY!

fireco52

yes I have the same problem on a 2010 enclave

jjr12

I have just purchased a 2011 Enclave and have the same problem. It is Absolutely a safety issue to the point, I can't let anyone else drive my car. If you stop at a light and there is an incline either forward or backwards, and you take your foot off the break, you will roll back and continue roll according to the incline. If you park on an incline and there is a cliff in front of you, you better know how to 2 foot it or your in big trouble. It's like driving a standard on a hill with a clutch. Clearly a safety issue. I have an appointment next week with the dealer. I can imagine what kind of smoke they are going to try to blow up my [non-permissible content removed].

zman3

I have a 2011 as well. Love it. Ours will roll back but what I don't understand is how it is a safety issue. Keep your foot on the brake. If you take your foot off, use the accelerator. If you take your foot off the brake, start rolling, and then do nothing about it, you kind of have yourself to blame.

gmcustsvcsarah

Keep us posted on the progress of your visit at the dealership! If we can look into anything, please contact us at socialmedia@gm.com
Sarah, GM Customer

kirkaliciasmom

Hi, I purchased my 2012 Enclave just over a month ago and have noticed how the car rolls when in the driveway (slight incline) when in drive and my foot is off the brake. I consider this a huge safety concern. I could imagine driving in SF, what potential problems ( wreaks) I could have. This is very scary hearing about this problem from other Enclave owners. I have notified the dealership I bought it at and will be setting up a service appt later in the week.

gmcustsvcsarah

All the best during your appointment this week, kirkaliciasmom. Please keep us posted on your progress!
Sarah, GM Customer Service

mtndriver1

Hey Z-Man, Really? If you don't see a safety issue, it's because in your world all conditions are perfect and everyone drives just like you. No safety issues exist: if the person driving has been told that the car will roll, and if that person acts fast enough, or if the driver behind is not extremely close, and if the car is not in stop and go up-hill traffic, then no safety issues exist.
But WAIT! What about the two year old who does not know that the car will roll back, and neither does his daddy who is driving but is not the owner? What happens when Daddy takes his foot off the accelerator and does not get his foot to the brake in time... That is reality. We do not live in a perfect world, so it is important that vehicles operate in a predictable, safe way. Rolling backwards while in drive is very, very, unsafe in our imperfect world.

mtndriver1

My 2011 Enclave will roll backwards for at least 15 feet on a hillside while in drive, and will go a few inches to a foot while trying to park if there is any incline at all. This would not a problem, I suppose, if you live in Kansas or Florida and your driveway does not have a slant. The first time this happens it is startling to say the least. I live in Colorado and driving in the Rocky Mountains can be challenging for even those of us who are good at it. Picture after-ski traffic on ice packed roads, heading up to the Eisenhower tunnel to 12,000 ft, in stop and go traffic at the end of the day. A manual shift is not easy, but predictable. My Enclave rolling quickly backwards, unless I put my left foot on the brake before I take the right foot off the brake, is not a normal or predictable way for an automatic transmission to perform.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS CAR! Buick knows it is dangerous and has altered the 2012 models to have "hill assist". But there is no recall for those of us stuck with dangerous cars. I have to warn my family and friends about the rolling before letting anyone else drive! No one can believe that such a nice vehicle has this problem, until they return with a "WOW, that's really Bad" after driving it.
I hope Buick will fix this safety issue, before people are killed (it's a miracle if no one has been). As for me, having spent close to $50,000 for this luxury SUV, I cannot keep it if it's dangerous and not fixable. Sadly, it looks like my Enclave is morphing into a Lexus or Audi. I wanted an American car, but I want a safe car even more.

gmcustsvc

Good morning mtndriver1,

I can certainly appreciate, given your description here, why you are concerned about the way that the vehicle will roll if stopped on an incline. I checked the manual and see that this is normal and is due to the torque converter designed to improve fuel economy and performance.

If you wanted for us to check into this to see if there is any thing we can do (although I cannot make any promises up front), please email us at socialmedia@gm.com with more information (including your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, the name of your preferred dealership, and a brief recap of the situation).

Sarah, GM Customer Service

angd

I am in the market for a used car and test drove a 2009 buick enclave. My wife currently has an automatic SUV and myself I drive a manual car. I was driving the enclave during the test drive. While on a downslope the vehicle rolled forward while in reverse. This totally caught me by surprise. I had to slam the brakes on and I immediately told the sales person there must be a maintenance issue with the enclave. I would never expect (therefore not "NORMAL" for most of us) this to happen with an automatic car. I understand that the torque converter is not set to provide enough torque to hold a slight incline.

This is NOT acceptable and very DANGEROUS. I am not sure if we will purchase the used vehicle as we would not want to injure someone or damage property with it. Driving with two feet is not acceptable as this is not a NORMAL way to drive an automatic car. If it were advertised as a semi-auto/manual vehicle then maybe people would accept the difference in driving experience.

This is kind of like saying would you accept a car that would turn right when your turn the stearing wheel to the left. Sure you may get accustom to it, but it is not NORMAL and can be dangerous to those that are not used to it or are not hyper aware of the differences. GM needs to fix this issues ASAP before some gets hurt.

mona2016

I have a 2010 Buick Enclave and just found this forum. I spoke to a Buick Customer Relations on today regarding the rolling forward and backwards when on an incline - that the severity of this issue. They were unaware - I am going to direct them to this forum. I was told by the dealership that the Hill Stop Assist was not included in this model. the car is performing as it should, I told them that it was a dangerous characteristic flaw and knowing this that if an accident occurred they could be at fault. I should receive a call in 48 hours.

pchobbynut

I have a 2016 Buick Enclave and it is equipped with brake assist. It took a while to learn how to use it but once I figured it out it works great on hills of any sort and wether in reverse or forward it will hold the vehicle. You have to be completely stopped and let off the brake just a bit ( not enough to roll) and then press back on the brake pedal and it will engage. It holds brake pressure for just enough time for you to get back on the gas to start back in motion. Takes a bit of practice to master but after you figure it out it works great. Hope this helps and be advised all models may not have this feture. Love My Buick Enclave Premium AWD!!!