2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS Complaints

BRAKE FAILURE ON A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS, 36,440 MILES DUE TO RUSTED THROUGH BRAKE LINE AT FIREWALL ABOVE EXHAUST. MY WIFE WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THE CAR SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER; NOT WARRANTY; VERY EXPENSIVE; TOWED TO TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR REPAIR. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. HE FIRST BECAME AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHEN HE SMELLED GAS IN THE GARAGE FROM THE FILLER HOSE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY TIGHTENED THE HOSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THE RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO THE YEAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 57,000.

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM LITTLE APPLE TOYOTA IN MANHATTAN, KS ON JUNE 2, 2006. THE VEHICLE WE PURCHASED WAS A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS AND THIS WAS DONE THROUGH TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT CORPORATION. WE EXPLAINED TO THE GENTLEMEN NAMED TIM THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING A FEW TRIPS BACK AND FORTH FROM KANSAS TO TEXAS. ALSO, MY HUSBAND WANTED PEACE OF MIND WITH HIM DEPLOYING TO IRAQ THAT WE WOULD BE SAFE. WE WERE INFORMED BY HIM THAT THIS VEHICLE WOULD BE ACCEPTED EVEN UNDER THE MILES PROGAM AND THAT OUR VEHICLE WOULD MEET AND EXCEED THOSE. WE TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND HEARD SOME GRINDING AND HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD PUT ON NEW BRAKES THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY THE CAUSE. SO ANYWAY WE HAVE IT A YEAR TO DATE AND I AM MAKING A TRIP TO KANSAS WHEN IT GOES HAYWIRE. I TAKE IT TO LITTLE APPLE WHO WILL NOT HELP ME AND THEY SEND IT TO STAGG HILL TRANSMISSION WHO TELLS ME IT'S GOING TO BE $4,000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THAT ALL MY WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED REPLACED, BUT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO FIX THAT. I GUESS BOTTOM LINE IS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO MAKE GOOD ON A VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE ONLY HAD FOR 1 YEAR. THE TRANSMISSION SHOULDN'T JUST GO OUT AT 24,000 MILES. I WENT TO A SITE AND FOUND OTHERS COMPLAINING OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR BUICK RENDEZVOUS. I THINK THEY NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO MORE CAREFULLY. I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND ANYONE BUY ONE. NOW I AM STRANDED, CAR LESS, AND MY HUSBAND IS DEPLOYED AND CAN'T HELP TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUES. I WOULD LIKE THE BUICK RENDEZVOUS 2003 INVESTIGATED. *TR

THE FIRST INDICATION OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE WHEN THE HEATER WAS TURNED ON, IT WOULD NOT GET WARM OR HOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED THAT IT WAS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, WHICH IS A $900 REPAIR. WHAT THEY DID NOT TELL ME WAS THAT, WHEN THIS GASKET LEAKS COOLANT, IT WILL MIX WITH THE ENGINE OIL AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO BLOW OR SEIZE. IN RESEARCHING ON-LINE, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM THAT BOTH GENERAL MOTORS AND BUICK ARE WELL AWARE OF. IN FACT, GM SENT OUT AN INTERNAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN JULY 2001 STATING THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT WHEN BROUGHT IN TO THE SERVICE DEPT., IT SHOULD BE FIXED. ONLY THEY WILL NOT RECALL THE DEFECTIVE PART OR PAY FOR OR REIMBURSE CONSUMERS FOR THE REPAIR. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! THERE ARE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE STATING THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM, YET GM REFUSES TO RECALL IT! THERE IS A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT IN CANADA FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM AND A PETITION FOR GM TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PART IN THE U.S. GM SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PART THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DECEIVING CONSUMERS ABOUT ALL ALONG. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR CONTINUING TO SELL VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM AND NOT SO MUCH AS DO A RECALL. I WANT TO GM TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AS WELL AS RECALL THE PART. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT OVER $700 IN REPAIRS TO THE CAR, INCLUDING WHEEL BEARING SENSORS, BRAKES, AND A GAS-LINE LEAK. THESE ARE ALSO WELL-KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE BUICK RENDEZVOUS.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GAS TANK IS LEAKING IN THE WELDING SEAM, WHERE THE CHECK VALVE IS WELDED INTO THE TANK. HE HAS NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL, NOTHING CAN BE DONE UNLESS THE CONTACT AGREES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER COVERT BUICK CLAIMED WATER INTRUSION INTO FUEL PUMP/GAUGE HARNESS CAUSED CORROSION AND CIRCUIT FAILURE. REPLACED HARNESS AND CLAIMED REPAIRS TO PREVENT FURTHER WATER INTRUSION. FOUR DAYS AFTER COMPLETION OF REPAIR "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. DEALER NOW CLAIMS WATER INTRUSION FROM PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND IS SEARCHING FOR SOURCE OF WATER. DEALER WAS ADVISED OF POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH FILLER PIPE/FUEL TANK INTERFACE BUT DISCOUNTED THIS AS CAUSE. DEALER IGNORED REQUEST BY CUSTOMER TO EXAMINE DAMAGED PARTS TO DETERMINE IF METAL CORRODED BY WATER OR INSULATION DESTROYED BY HYDROCARBON EXPOSURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. ONCE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TRAVELING UPHILL, IT SLOWED DOWN AND THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE POWER BOOSTER BOX BURNED UP AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AND THE ROTORS ONCE WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 42,000.

ENGINE RAN HOT. SERVICE REPAIRED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. ALL COOLENT WAS LOST, BUT NO LEAK WAS FOUND UNDER CAR. GASKET WAS REPLACED. *AK

HAD TO REPLACE LEAKING INTAKE GASKET @ 56,000 MILES ON 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICES SAID THIS FAILURE WAS TO BE EXPECTED ON A VEHICLE WITH 50,000 MILES. TRADED RDV ONE YEAR LATER WHEN HEAD GASKET FAILED. *JB

2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS @ 59000 MILES NEEDS REAR HEAD GASKET REPLACED. FIRST NOTICED AN OVERHEATED CONDITION. TOOK IT TO A MONROE SHOP AND WAS TOLD RADIATOR CAP WAS BAD. THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND TOOK IT TO GM DEALERSHIP 2-02-07. TOLD THAT IT HELD PRESSURE AND NO LEAKS. FOUND ORANGE SNOW UNDER CAR 2-14-07. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER AND TOLD IT IS LEAKING AT REAR HEAD GASKET. COST FOR REPLACEMENT IS $1500. CALLED BUICK CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY ARE HELPING. FOUND THAT CANADIANS ARE SUING GM FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE GASKET MATERIAL BREAKS DOWN WHEN DEX-COOL IS USED. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES COOLANT LEAK. ENGINE SEIZURE, GELLED OIL AND POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE CAN BE POSSIBLE RESULTS. I WOULD HATE TO BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE SEIZED UP. COULD BE AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. GM CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WILL COVER SOME OF THE COST OF THE REPAIR AND I WILL PAY A DEDUCTIBLE AMOUNT. I AM TAKING IT IN TO BE FIXED 2-16-07. *NM