2004 BUICK RAINIER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND ABOVE, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WOULD FAIL ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LATER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED A BROKEN AXLE ACTUATOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE PART NEEDED FOR REPAIR WAS ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND WAS DISCONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED THE CONTACT A DISCOUNT TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RENDERED AS NON-DRIVABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,749.

THE FUEL GAUGE IS NOT SHOWING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL. IT WILL GO FAR BEYOND FULL AND WAY BELOW EMPTY. OVER THE COURSE OF A MILE IT CAN GO FROM FULL TO EMPTY OR ALL BETWEEN. *TR

NOISES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD; RATTLE, JINGLE, CLUNK; CONSTANT. SOUNDS LIKE METAL IN A WASHING MACHINE, BUT FINE DRIVEABILITY AND COMFORTABLE SOUNDING HIGHWAY DRIVING. DRIVING IN PARKING GARAGE IS NOISY WHEN ACCELERATING, AND QUIET WHEN COASTING. NOISE IS QUIETER WHEN AC IS OFF. NOISE IS LOUDER WHEN ACCELERATING, OR AT IDLE. AFTER 30 MINUTE DRIVE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AUTO STORE GAVE CODES THAT SHOWED REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE COOLING FAN CLUTCH OR EV FAN MOTOR. LESS THAN 70K MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED AND DISPLAYED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS HALF FULL BUT AN INDICATOR FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD STATING THAT THE FUEL WAS LOW AND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD FIVE MILES TO EMPTY. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FUEL GAUGE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTION COULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF FUEL ON THE HIGHWAY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

THE FIRST INCIDENT WE RAN OUT OF FUEL WITH THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWING WE STILL HAD FUEL IN THE TANK. NEXT INCIDENT, THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATED A VERY HIGH OIL PRESSURE READING, LEADING ME TO BELIEVE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. TOOK THE CAR HOME AND DROVE ANOTHER VEHICLE UNTIL I COULD DO SOME TESTING ON THE VEHICLE. OIL GAUGE RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. IN APRIL OF 2010 I WAS DRIVING EXITING AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY ONTO A FOUR LANE ROAD AND THE SPEEDOMETER READING BECAME INACCURATE. I WAS TRAVELING FASTER THAN THE INDICATED SPEED. AFTER STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION THE SPEEDOMETER NEVER MOVED FROM ZERO WHEN I WAS MOVING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS OCCURS AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF DRIVING. MECHANICS I HAVE SPOKEN TO INFORM ME THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE. GAUGES SUCH AS FUEL GAUGE, OIL PRESSURE, TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER ARE NOT TRUSTWORTHY AND GIVE INACCURATE READINGS. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE ITEM TO REPLACE AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE YOU CANNOT DETERMINE YOUR SPEED AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD BECOME STUCK AT 40 MPH AND SPORADICALLY, WOULD NOT RETURN TO ZERO WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE STEPPER MOTOR IN THE SPEEDOMETER HAD FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE 71,488.

I BOUGHT THIS CAR MONDAY AND THE DEALER STATED IT HAD ALL SCHEDULED SERVICE, INCLUDING THE 130K MILE SERVICE ON FEBRUARY 26, 2011. WE DROVE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CAR SEEMED TO DRIVE BEAUTIFULLY, AND APPEARED TO BE IMMACULATELY MAINTAINED. UNTIL I DROVE TO WORK THIS MORNING, AND THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER, REACHING 80 MPH, EVEN THOUGH I HAD SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. IT APPEARED NORMAL FOR THE FIRST 30 MPH, THEN STUCK AT 40, EVEN THOUGH I WAS FOLLOWING TRAFFIC IN A 70 MPH ZONE. IT STAYED AT 40 MPH, EVEN AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM IN GM CARS, AND WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN CORRECTED AS THE RESULT OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. THERE ARE SEVERAL TSBS RELATED TO THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGES, OR OTHER INSTRUMENTS IN THIS CLUSTER. I FIND IT UNFORGIVABLE THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS ALLOWED AN UNSAFE CONDITION EXIST IN VIRTUALLY AN ENTIRE BRAND OF CARS FOR OVER 7 YEARS AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES. THIS ALLOWED THE DEALER TO SELL THE CAR, KNOWING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT NOT REQUIRED BY LAW, TO DISCLOSE IT. AND SHOULD I BE ON THE HIGHWAY, DRIVING ALONG AT 90 MPH, WHEN MY SPEEDOMETER SAYS 60, NOBODY IS SAFE. NOT ME, NOT THE OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD, CERTAINLY NOT PEDESTRIANS, SINCE THE BRAKING DISTANCE IS OBVIOUSLY FAR LONGER THAN MY SPEEDOMETER LEADS ME TO BELIEVE IT IS. HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DEFECTIVE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE ROAD IN THE LAST 7 YEARS? HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOUR 5 YEAR-OLD RODE A BICYCLE INTO THE STREET AS I DROVE BY? THINKING I WAS GOING 30, BUT REALLY GOING 60? THIS ISN'T JUST AN INCONVENIENCE, IT IS A FATALITY WAITING TO HAPPEN. YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY, AND THE MORAL RESPONSIBILITY, TO FIX IT. RECALL THESE CARS BEFORE SOMEBODY DIES. *TR

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IN MY BUICK RAINIER. IT STARTED WITH THE SPEEDOMETER WHICH WAS EITHER TO FAST OR SHOWING BELOW ZERO AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO BUT AT THAT TIME IT HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY. THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO MIGRATE TO OTHER GAUGES IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL-- THE OIL PRESSURE READS ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO THE 80 OR PEG, THE TACK WILL READ BELOW ZERO AT HIGHWAY OPERATING SPEEDS AND THE VOLT METER READS 14+. THESE PROBLEMS HAPPEN INDIVIDUALLY OR SEVERAL AT ONCE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND THEY DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT AS A PROBLEM AND OFFER NO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH A REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR. THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FOR $370 FOR PARTS AND LABOR AT $92/HOUR - APPROXIMATELY $600. I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS IN CERTAIN VEHICLES DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME BUT MY VEHICLE IS NO INVOLVED. IF YOU RESEARCH THIS ON THE INTERNET YOU WILL FIND SEVERAL SITES WITH DISCUSSIONS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE, INCLUDING THIS SITE. I THINK THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED WITH A MANDATED GOVERNMENT RECALL. I HAD AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM WITH A 2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE XT AND THERE WAS A RECALL AND FREE REPLACE FOR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *TR

ERRATIC WINDSHIELD WIPER OPERATION. WHEN YOU TURN THE WIPERS ON FOR USE THEY IMMEDIATELY GO TO "NORMAL" MODE OF OPERATION AND CAN BE SWITCHED TO "HIGH SPEED" AND BACK TO NORMAL BUT WILL NOT GO TO "DELAY" OR TURN OFF. THEN THEY MAY STAY ON FOR DAYS BEFORE THEY WILL STOP ON THEIR OWN. THEY DO NOT TRUN OFF WITH THE SWITCH. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS BUT IS GETTING WORSE. *TR