2004 BUICK RAINIER Complaints

AWD DOES NOT ENGAGE. VERY DANGEROUS ON A SLICK ROAD. HAD SUV TO DEALER 3-4 TIMES. THEY NEVER FIX THE PROBLEM. FRONT WHEELS OF SUV MAKE GRINDING NOISE AFTER A FEW HOURS OF DRIVING. HEADLIGHTS GO DIM/AND EVEN TURN OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. TOOK TO DEALER, OF COURSE NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. SOMEONE'S GOING TO BE KILLED BECAUSE OF BOTH THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE BUICK RAINIER.

DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ALONG AND VEHICLE STARTS SPUTTERING AND THEN DIED OUT IN THE ROAD. AFTER THE 1ST INCIDENT VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE DRIVER DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER WHO INDICATED THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE CONSUMER GET A SECOND OPINION. THE CONSUMER HAS PARKED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE HE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT FOR SAFETY REASONS. *NM

AT DAWN OR DUSK THE SPEEDOMETER FADES OUT AND THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW FAST SHE WAS GOING. THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. *AK GM SUGGESTED THAT THIS WAS AN ENGINEERING DESIGN PROBLEM. THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE ODOMETER WOULD FADE AWAY WHEN IT WAS DUSK OR DAWN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED IN JUNE 2004. THE CONSUMER MARKED MARCH 22, 2005 AS THE INCIDENT DATE. *SC *JB

HEADLIGHTS DIM WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE HEADLIGHTS SOME TIMES FLICKER BRIGHT TO DIM THEN BACK TO BRIGHT AND THE VOLTAGE GAUGE FLUCTATES. THIS HAS ESCALATED TO WHERE FOR NO REASON THE HEADLIGHTS WILL GO DIM FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 SECONDS THEN RETURN TO NORMAL, AT THIS TIME THEY GO DIM ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN'T SEE WHEN DRIVING AND HAVE TO PULL OVER. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS SPOKE TO GM AND BUICK REPRESENTITIVES FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD: THERE IS A PROBLEM - WE'RE AWARE OF IT - WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT.*AK

AT DAWN OR EARLY EVENING THE DIGITAL DISPLAY SPEEDOMETER DISAPPEARS, AND MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE HOW FAST CONSUMER IS TRAVELING. MANUFACTURER STATES THE VEHICLE IS DOING WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO DO.*AK...ALSO, DOES IT DURING DAY IF IT GETS VERY CLOUDY LIKE IT IS GAONG TO SNOW, ETC. IN MICHIGAN, WHER ECONSUMER LIVES, THERE WERE SEVERAL SUCH DAYS. *AK

CAR IS 2004 BUICK RAINIER WITH AWD. LESS THAN 2000 MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT. TEMP 0 F, 4" FRESH SNOW. RETURNING HOME AT 5:00 P.M., TURNED INTO 100' LONG DRIVEWAY AND PROCEEDED TOWARD GARAGE. BECAUSE OF SNOW IN DRIVEWAY, HAD TO ACCELERATE TO REACH FRONT OF GARAGE WHEN NORMALLY I JUST COAST BECAUSE IT IS A SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL APPROACH. CAR WOULD NOT STOP BY PUSHING BRAKES AND HIT GARAGE DOOR. CAR SEEMED TO BE ACCELERATING AS IT PUSHED GARAGE DOOR INTO SNOW BLOWER AND SNOW BLOWER INTO STORED VEHICLE INSIDE GARAGE CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH. SPEED WAS LESS THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. INCIDENT REPORTED TO INSURANCE COMPANY NEXT MORNING AND INSURANCE COMPANY SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER. DEALER PROVIDED ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS BUT DID NOT INVESTIGATE FOR MECHANICAL FAILURE. RETURNED VEHICLE TO INVESTIGATE AFTER CHRISTMAS BUT NOTHING FOUND TO HAVE CAUSED INCIDENT. *JB

IN SEPTEMBER 2004 WHILE DRIVING THE FUSE BOX BLEW AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. ON JANUARY 14, 2005 THE DASHBOARD COMPLETELY FAILED.*AK

THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE HAS BEEN SPUTTERING, MISSING AND SURGING SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. *NM THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE BATTERY FAILED. WATER LEAKED THROUGH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR. WATER ALSO LEAKED INTO THE VEHICLE BY THE HOOD RELEASE LEVER WHEN RAINING. THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FENDER RATTLED. HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY SEEMED LOOSE. RACK AND PINION LEAKED. *NM

WINDSHIELD ICING EVEN WITH FULL DEFROSTER AT MODERATE AIR TEMPERATURE/AIR DUCT TOO SMALL FOR WIDTH OF WINDSHIELD,DEALERSHIP WILL NOT FIX. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, BUT STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR. THE OTHER DRIVER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE BRAKE LIGHTS FROM BEHIND. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE HOME. WILL CALL THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN APPOINTMENT. *AK