2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS Complaints

WE HAVE A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS WITH 60,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL. WE HAVE TWICE EXPERIENCED LOWER INTAKE GASKET FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN TWO EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILLS. LUCKILY THE LEAKS WERE NOTICED BEFORE THEY COULD CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE. DURING THE LAST FAILURE, WE HAD LOST MOST OF THE COOLANT, WHICH WAS NOT INDICATED BY THE "LOW COOLANT" ALARM. LUCKILY WE HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR WINDOW SERVICE AT A GM DEALER AND THEY NOTICED THE PROBLEM DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE PREVIOUS REPAIR, WHICH WAS DONE AT ANOTHER DEALER, DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAD FAILED TO NOTICE THE HEAD GASKET SEALS WHICH WERE LEAKING AND LED TO THE INTAKE GASKET FAILURE. THEY DID REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS AND SEALS AT "GM GOODWILL" WITH NO COSTS FOR THE PARTS. WE HAVE NOW SPENT OVER $3000 IN REPAIRS TO THIS ENGINE ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ALONG THIS LINE ON OTHER FORUMS AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED . *TR

BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WINDOWS ON OUR 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS HAVE STOPPED WORKING. WE'VE BEEN TOLD IT COULD COST UP TO $400 PER WINDOW. WE'VE COME ACROSS SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF GM PRODUCT. *TR

OUR VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN NORTH CAROLINA FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21ST WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND WE ARE SHUT DOWN. AFTER TOWING TO A LOCAL GARAGE WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE VEHICLE AT ALL. WE KNEW THAT THE OIL CHANGE HAD BEEN DONE VERY RECENTLY AND WAS COMING DUE AT 3000 MILES BUT THE OIL LIFE WAS STILL 38% MEANING WE STILL HAD OIL AND IT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION UNTIL THE LIFE WAS 0%. SO THE OIL LEAK WAS A MYSTERY. THEY RECOMMENDED WE LEAVE THE VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE ENGINE. WE CHOSE TO DRIVE ON TO VIRGINIA SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AND NEW OIL PUT IN. CHECKED ALL THE WAY-NO OVERHEATING ETC. CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY TOLD US TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR ASSESSMENT. THEY FINALLY GAVE US THE BAD NEWS ON TUESDAY. ENGINE NEEDS REPLACEMENT. WE WERE STRANDED IN DC FOR 6 DAYS WAITING ON GM TO TELL US IF THEY WOULD ASSIST WITH ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND THEY WILL NOT. HAD TO LEAVE OUR VEHICLE THERE AND COME HOME. NOW THEY WANT US TO PAY $6000 FOR A NEW ENGINE ON A VEHICLE WORTH $8000, BUICK RENDEZVOUS 2003 WITH 55K MILES. WE HAVE COMPLETE MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWING WE TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF THE VEHICLE. WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT THAT INVOLVES OUR VEHICLE AND RELATES TO ENGINE FAILURE. ACTION ENDED OCT 2008 SO WE HAVE NO CHANCE OF PARTICIPATING-PLUS THERE IS A CANADIAN CLASS ACTION FOR THE SAME ISSUES-WE KNEW NOTHING FROM GM ABOUT DEFECTS THAT WOULD CAUSE OUR ENGINE TO FAIL. NOW I AM STRANDED AT HOME (LUCKILY I WORK FROM HOME BUT MANY OTHERS WOULD BE UNABLE TO WORK WITH OUT A RENTAL). CAN SOMEONE HELP WITH EXPOSING THIS ISSUE BEFORE MANY OTHERS SUFFER FROM THIS TERRIBLE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND FAILURE BY GM TO FACE THE PROBLEM? ACCORDING TO ALL RESEARCH THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE AT LEAST 2004 AND THERE HAVE BEEN TBS ISSUED TO DEALERSHIPS. *TR

INTAKE GASKETS ON 2001-2003 (MAYBE MORE) LEAKS PREMATURE. BUICK HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS AND HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. CLASS ACTION SUIT IN CANADA ABOUT THIS NOW. THIS PROBLEM GASKET WILL LEAK WITHOUT ANY INDICATION AND CAUSE ENGINE TO OVER HEAT. HAVE TO PUT THE RENDEZVOUS IN THE SHOP TO HAVE FIXED( APPROX. $600.00) BUICK WILL NOT HELP IN THE COST. RENDEZVOUS HAS APPROX. 52,000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LEAK ANTIFREEZE, WHICH CAUSED IT NOT TO PRODUCE A LOT OF HEAT. THE VEHICLE HAD TO HAVE ANTIFREEZE ADDED EVERY MONTH, BUT THE CONTACT NEVER ACTUALLY SAW IT LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT ANTIFREEZE AND OIL WERE LEAKING INTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $700. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO CURRENT RECALL; THEREFORE, THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY EXPENSES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

HAD TO REPLACE FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING ON 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS CZ (AWD) AT ABOUT 65,000 MILES. NOW THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING IS BEING REPLACED AT 70,000 MILES. THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT IN THIS BUICK PRODUCT AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR

THERE IS A RECALL - INVESTIGATION # EA 07-006 THAT DESCRIBES A GAS LEAK NEAR THE INLET OF THE GAS TANK. I SMELL GAS FUMES IN MY GARAGE EVERY DAY AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK AND THERE IS RESIDUE UNDER THE TANK INLET ON THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE BUICK DEALER ON 10/4/08 AND THEY INDICATED THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF CRACKS AND THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I AM STILL HAVING THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALER HAS PROVIDED NO REMEDY. THERE IS GAS RESIDUE ALONG THE SIDE OF THE TANK. WHAT CAN I DO? SO FAR THE DEALER HAS DONE NOTHING BUT INSPECT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN DECEMBER OF 2007, THE CONTACT NOTICED A LOUD NOISE WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS REPAIRED FOR FREE. TWO MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED HER THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BOX FAILED AND WAS REPAIRED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL. SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT GEARS, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE BRAKE OIL WAS CONTAMINATED AND THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED SINCE THE LAST INCIDENT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,874 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,300.

SMOKE BEGAN TO BILLOW INTO VEHICLE SHORTLY AFTER OUR BABYSITTER PULLED OUT FROM PARKING LOT. SHE PULLED OFF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. AFTER VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN FOR REPAIR, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INSULATION ON THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS HAD WORN THROUGH WHERE THE WIRES RUBBED AGAINST THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG. DEEMED BY MECHANIC TO HAVE BEEN A DESIGN FLAW THAT NEARLY RESULTED IN A FIRE. I HAVE THE REMAINS OF THE WIRING HARNESS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR INSPECTION IF NECESSARY. *TR

ON JUNE 4TH,2008 OUR 2003 BUICK RENDEVOUS # BEGAN LEAKING FUEL FROM THE VICINITY OF THE FUEL FILLER NECK. WE WERE ON VACATION WITH OUR THREE GRANDCHILDREN AND TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THEY SAID I HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE FUEL TANK REPLACED. I HAD IT REPLACED AND LEARNT LATER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAD MY DEALER LOOK AT THE CAR AND THEY ADVISED ME TO SEND IN A CUSTOMER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST. BUICK HAS ADVISED ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED , BY SERIAL NUMBER EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN THE SAME PLACE EVERY OTHER ONE WAS FAILING AT. I HAD BROUGHT THE CAR TO SPECIFICALLY CARRY MY GRANDCHILDREN WITH THE THIRD SEAT. THEIR AGES ARE 4,3 AND 1 1/2. LUCKY WE DID NOT HAVE A FIRE. THE THRUST OF MY COMPLAINT IS THAT REGARDLESS OF THE SERIAL # ISSUE, THEY HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM WITH A LOT MORE FUEL TANKS THEN THEY ARE WILLING TO ADMIT TO. IN MY 45 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER HAD A FUEL TANK PROBLEM .AND THE DEALERS I HAVE TALKED TO AGREE WITH ME. I THINK I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED AND YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS CONTINUING FUEL TANK ISSUE BEFORE SOME INNOCENT CHILDREN GET BURNT ALIVE. AWAITING YOUR REPLY. JIM RYAN *TR