NHTSA Complaint #10375127 — 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE

2008 BUICK ENCLAVE WATER PUMP FAILURE. 48000 MILES ON VEHICLE. DRIVING HOME ON FREEWAY AT NIGHT LOOKED DOWN AT TEMP GAUGE AND SAW IT WAS ON RED. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE BACK OF THE CAR AS WELL AS THE HOOD AREA. I WAS AFRAID TO PULL OVER ON THE FREEWAY SINCE I WAS IN DEAD CELL PHONE ZONE AND AM FEMALE. I WAS AN EXIT FROM HOME SO I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME. AS I APPROACHED MY DRIVE WAY THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON AS WELL AS "CHANGE OIL SOON" INFO FLASHED ON THE DISPLAY, BY THIS TIME CAR WAS SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AS WELL AS THE UNDER THE CAR. CALLED TOW COMPANY NEXT MORNING TO TOW TO NEAREST GM DEALER. WAITED TO HEAR FROM THEM ALL DAY AND NOTHING FINALLY CLOSE TO 5 PM THE REP CALLED AND SAID I WOULD GET A RENTAL ON GM OVERNIGHT UNTIL THEY CAN LOOK AT IT. NEXT DAY I WAS TOLD WATER PUMP FAILED. SECTION 5 PAGE 27 OF OWNERS MANUAL SAID MOTOR OIL WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED AFTER OPERATING IN OVERHEATED VEHICLE ENGINE PROTECTION MODE, ASKED DEALER IF THEY WOULD BE CHANGING THE OIL SINCE IT WAS WATER PUMP FAILURE THAT CAUSED OIL TO BREAKDOWN AND THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THIS IS NO OK GM SHOULD CHANGE THE OIL AS WELL AS FILTER INCLUDED IN WARRANTY REPAIR. THE WATER PUMP FAILURE LEAD TO HAVING TO RUN IN OVERHEATED ENGINE PROTECTION MODE IN THE FIRST PLACE. LOCAL DEALER JUST RETURNED MY CALL IN TO SUPERVISOR. THEY ARE NOW WILLING TO CHANGE THE OIL AND FILTER ON THEM. WATER PUMP SHOULD NOT GO OUT IN A 2 YEAR OLD VEHICLE! PLEASE HELP PROTECT CONSUMERS. I WANTED TO BUY AMERICAN BUT THIS IS THE 5TH TIME ENCLAVE HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALER. ONE TIME IS BAD ENOUGH BUT 5 NOT ACCEPTABLE. *TR