2004 BUICK RAINIER Complaints

2004 BUICK RAINIER SPEEDOMETER & GAS GAUGE WENT HAYWIRE AT 43,000 MILES. THE NEEDLES POINTED RANDOMLY AND THE GAS GAUGE SHOWED 180 DEGREES OFF THE MARKINGS, POINTING STRAIGHT DOWN. COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO STATED THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT AND REPLACED THE ENTIRE UNIT FOR A $100 DEDUCTIBLE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *AK

I WAS IN THE MIDST OF A 10 HOUR ROAD TRIP OVER THE HOLIDAYS WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER ORIGINALLY QUIT WORKING. I WAS TRAVELING AT A RATE OF 70 MPH. THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED INCHING UP AND BURIED ITSELF AT 120 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE SPEEDOMETER TO GO BACK DOWN BUT IT SETTLED ON 60 MPH WHILE IN PARK. I CONTINUED ON W/MY TRIP AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP UPON ARRIVAL IN ABILENE, KS. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM IN THE CLUSTER AND CHECKED BULLETINS FOR PAST PROBLEMS W/SPEEDOMETERS. OVER THE COURSE OF 3 MONTHS THE SPEEDOMETER CONTINUED TO REPEAT THIS ACTION. I HAD IT INTO A DEALERSHIP IN AUSTIN, TX ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS W/THE SAME RESPONSE FROM THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL THE SPEEDOMETER FINALLY QUITE WORKING ALTOGETHER. THE DEALER TOLD ME HE HAD SEEN THIS IN A FEW OTHER MODELS BY GM. I CALLED AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GM AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. I THEN HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE CLUSTER REPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2007. THREE WEEKS LATER THE CAR WAS BACK IN B/C THE ENTIRE SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AND THE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAW THE PROBLEM UPON ARRIVAL BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROLONG. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER WITH A FAILURE MILEAGE OF 47,000 AND A CURRENT MILEAGE OF 57,000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED THE INCORRECT SPEED. WHEN SHE PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWED THAT THE SPEED WAS ABOVE ZERO. THE REGISTERED SPEED VARIED. WHEN SHE STARTED THE VEHICLE IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY DISPLAY A SPEED WHICH WAS ABOVE ZERO. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED TO DRIVE THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD KEEP GOING HIGHER UNTIL IT REACHED 120. THE CONTACT HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER OR SPOKEN TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION I WAS HIT IN THE FRONT RIGHT QUARTER OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS HIT BY A PERSON RUNNING A RED LIGHT. HE WAS DOING 40 TO 50 MPH IN A LIGHT TRUCK AND KNOCKED MY SUV SIDEWAYS ABOUT 15 FEET. THERE IS MORE THAN $8,000 DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE BUT THE SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND SOFT TISSUE INJURIES. GM TOLD ME I HAD TO GET HIT IN A CERTAIN WAY FOR THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THEY DON'T TELL YOU THAT WHEN SELLING THE CAR. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THE BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED? *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD REPETITIVELY UNTIL THE FRONT WHEELS WERE STRAIGHTENED OUT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ISSUE WAS A RESULT OF THE DESIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS THE COMPUTER READING THAT ONE WHEEL WAS TRAVELING FURTHER THAN THE OTHER, AND COMPENSATING FOR THIS BY ENGAGING THE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE.

AT NIGHT, HEADLIGHTS FLICKER BETWEEN DIM TO BRIGHT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEMS SINCE APRIL 2004. BUICK SERVICE MANAGER ADMITS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FIX IT.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S SPEEDOMETER HAS INADEQUATE LIGHTING. WHILE DRIVING IN THE DAY TIME THE LIGHTING IN THE DASH IS NOT ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO LIGHT THE SPEEDOMETER MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE THE SPEED THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. UPDATED 2/27/2006 - *NM

DT: HEADLIGHTS FLICKER ON/OFF, AND GM DOESN'T HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM. HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY CANNOT FIX IT. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. *AK *NM

2004 RAINIER EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT POPPING NOISE. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL. THE BRAKES MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES. *MR THE DRIVER HEARD WIND NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER ALSO HEARD IDLING NOISES. *NM

I WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TO CHANGE. ONE VEHICLE WAS IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS IMPACTED FROM THE REAR BY A THIRD VEHICLE TRAVELING AT A RATE OF SPEED I WOULD ESTIMATE AT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MPH. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT THREW MY CAR INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IN ADDITION TO THE SIGNIFICANT REAREND DAMAGE SUSTAINED, THE IMPACT DESTROYED THE FRONT END OF MY SUV, INCLUDING BUMPER, RADIATOR, HOOD AND DAMAGE TO BOTH FRONT QUARTER PANELS. AND YET THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I'M RECOVERING FROM BACK AND NECK STRAINS AND PAINS FROM THE WHIPLASH EFFECT OF THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, I AM SURE THAT I WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED AND ENDURED LESS TRAMA HAD THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE 2004 BUICK RANIER SUV HAS BEEN TOWED FROM THE SCENE. TODAY OR MONDAY, THE INSURANCE ADJUSTOR WILL DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRABLE. BELOW, I HAVE REFERENCED ALL COMPONENT CHOICES RELATED TO THE AIRBAG BECUASE IT DID NOT DEPLOY. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC PART RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG.