2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THIS OCCURRED AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIMMY BECAUSE OF LOSS OF STEERING AND IT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND TURNED OVER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE AGENCY. THE POLICE WERE NOT ALERTED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V052000 REGARDING THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER THE RECALL LETTER WAS NOT RECEIVED UNTIL AFTER THE INCIDENT UPDATED 2/27/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 03V454000 REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM, STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED.*AK

2. A.HEATER DOES NOT WORK WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE 2. B. ABS STOPPED WORKING AFTER 38,000 MILES. ABS LIGHT IS ON 2. C. TRACTION CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT IS ON. SINCE, I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER, I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR FOR REPAIRS AND IT IS TURNING OUT TO BE A EXPENSIVE ONE. *NM

2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS LEFT FRONT HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AT 36606 MILES. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED AT 39933 MILES. *TS A LEAK WAS COMING FROM THE MAIN SEAL ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP THEREFORE IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN 4/05 ONE OF THE FRONT TIRE HUBS WAS DEFECTIVE CAUSING A LOUD NOISE. ON 11/10/05 THE CONSUMER HAD TO TAKE THE BUICK IN FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. AGAIN THE CONSUMER WAS HEARING A NOISE BECAUSE BOTH FRONT TIRE HUBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DUE TO THE FACT THAT ONE WAS REPLACED IN 4/05, IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE PARTS WARRANTY. THE CONSUMER INCUR THE COST OF REPLACING ONE HUB. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED OTHER LOCAL GENERAL MOTOR DEALERS TO FIND OUT IF THEY HAD SEEN SIMILAR REPAIRS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE CONSUMES WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF BUICK RENDEZVOUS AND PONTIAC AZTEC'S COMING IN FOR REPAIR AND NEEDING FRONT AND REAR TIRE HUBS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT GM WAS WAS GOING TO CHANGE HUB MANUFACTURER TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. *NM

GAS TANK WAS LEAKING GAS TANK CRACKED. ALSO THE WHEEL COVERS HAVE PLASTIC BOLTS AND THEY BREAK OFF EASILY AND WHEN YOU ROTATE TIRES THEY BREAK OFF. PEOPLE AT THE SHOP USUALLY DO NOT TELL YOU WHEN IT BREAKS OFF BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY/OR THE EMPLOYEE THERE WILL BE IN TROUBLE THEN YOU LOSE THOSE WHEEL COVERS WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT NOTICING IT. I HAVE LOST 2 OF THEM AND COULD BE HAZARD ON THE ROAD FOR OTHER VEHICLES. *JB

MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS LOCKED AT THE TIPS DURING A DOWNPOUR ON THE FREEWAY. THIS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY WHILE UNDER WARRANTY 10 MONTHS AGO, A PART WAS REPAIRED AND NOW IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS WILL KILL SOMEONE LESS FORTUNATE OR ME THE NEXT TIME. IT IS IN THE SHOP BEING REPAIRED AGAIN. *JB

I HAVE A 03 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. IN 4/05 ONE OF THE FRONT TIRE HUBS WAS DEFECTIVE CAUSING A LOUD NOISE. NOW ON 11/10/05 I HAD TO TAKE THE BUICK IN FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. AGAIN I WAS HEARING A NOISE BECAUSE BOTH FRONT TIRE HUBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DUE TO THE FACT THAT ONE WAS REPLACED IN 4/05, IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE PARTS WARRANTY THEREFORE, I WOULD ONLY INCUR THE COST OF ONE HUB. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE MAN. WHY TIRE HUBS WOULD BE FAILING ON A 2 YR. OLD CAR WITH ONLY 44,500 MILES, HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPLANATION EXCEPT WEAR AND TEAR. I CONTACTED OTHER LOCAL GENERAL MOTOR DEALERS TO FIND OUT IF THEY HAD SEEN SIMILAR REPAIRS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD YES! THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF BUICK RENDEZVOUS AND PONTIAC AZTEC'S COMING IN FOR REPAIR AND NEEDING FRONT AND REAR TIRE HUBS REPLACED. THEY ARE SEEING AT LEAST ONE TO TWO VEHICLES PER WEEK NEEDING THESE SAME REPAIRS. THIS SOURCE SAID HE WAS TOLD BY HIS DISTRICT MANAGER THAT THERE WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE HUBS THAT GENERAL MOTORS WAS GETTING FROM A SPECIFIC MANUFACTURER AND THAT THEY WERE NOW CHANGING MANUFACTURERS. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALER AND ASKED HIM TO INITIATE CALLS TO HIS DIST. MANGERS. AND LOOK INTO THE PARTS AND WHAT MANUFACTURER THEY WERE COMING FROM. I DIDN'T WANT THE SAME MANUFACTURERS PARTS USED ON MY VEHICLE AGAIN. HE SAID HE WOULD TRY TO GET SOME ANSWERS BUT COULDN'T IMAGINE THERE WOULD BE ANY CHANGE IN PART NUMBERS (WHICH WOULD INDICATE A CHANGE IN MANUFACTURER) HE CALLED ME BACK, HE FOUND OUT THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAD A NEW PART NUMBER COMING OUT FOR THE TIRE HUBS AND THAT THEY HAD CHANGED SUPPLIERS. HE FELT THAT THIS CONFIRMED MY INFO. & AGREED TO THE REPAIR AT NO COST TO ME. HOWEVER I AM STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE REMAINING 2 REAR TIRE HUBS ON MY VEHICLE THAT STILL HAVE THE OLD MANUFACTURER HUBS ON. NOT TO MENTION ALL THE OTHER OWNERS OF BUICK RENDEZVOUS AND PONTIAC AZTECS THAT COULD BE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAVE A TIRE HUB BREAK. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED IN APRIL 2004,SHE HEARD A LOUD ROARING NOISE AS VEHICLE ACCELERATED. IT SEEMED TO BE LOUDER AS SHE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED ONE OF THE FRONT TIRE HUBS UNDER WARRANTY. SHE WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT. JUST RECENTLY SHE HEARD THE SAME NOISE, AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH FRONT TIRE HUBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED IN JULY 2005. AFTER HAVING THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED SHE WAS HEARING THE SAME NOISE . THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THE PUMP THEY HAD ORIGINALLY PUT ON WAS BAD, AND THEY WERE GOING TO REPLACE IT. THEN, SHE WAS TOLD THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN BECAUSE THE PUMP WAS LEAKING FLUID.*AK

SPOUSE WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 55-65 MPH. SHE HIT A LARGE SKUNK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE IMPACT OF THE SKUNK WITH THE FUEL TANK FILL HOSE SNAPPED THE GOOSE NECK 3/4 OF THE WAY OFF OF THE PLASTIC TANK. SHE WAS LOW ON GAS, SO THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED WHEN SHE FILLED UP TWO DAYS LATER. MOST OF A TANK OF GAS WAS SPILLED AT THE GAS STATION, OR ALONG THE ROAD TO GET IT HOME UNTIL I COULD GET IT FIXED. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER TO INQUIRE IF THERE WAS A PROTECTIVE PLATE MISSING, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NONE SHOWN IN THEIR SYSTEM. THE FILL HOSE IS COMPLETELY EXPOSED, WITH NO BARRIER BETWEEN THE FILL HOSE BY THE BACK WHEEL, AND THE FRONT WHEEL. JUST GOING OVER A ROAD WITH BIG RUTS COULD POTENTIALLY DAMAGE THE HOSE.*JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKES WERE MAKING SQUEAKING NOISES. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION HE DISCOVERED THE WEAR INDICATORS ON THE BRAKES WERE MAKING THE NOISE, AND THE CLIPS THAT HOLD THE BRAKE SHOES WERE MISSING. HE PURCHASED A SHOE CLIP KIT AND PLACED THESE ON THE FRONT BRAKES. SINCE THIS CORRECTION THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. *AK UPDATED 11/29/05. *JB