2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS Complaints

2004 BUICK RENDEVOUS 64K MILES - COMPLETE ATO TRANSMISSION FAILURE - INCLUDING TRANSFER ASSEMBLY. OCCURED 40MPH WITH NO PREVIOUS SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS - ALMOST CAUSED REAR END COLLISION. LOST ALL GEARS, 1,2 AND REVERSE - ONLY 3RD BARELY OPERABLE. 5 MILES FROM DEALER - HAD TO BE TOWED. SUPERIOR BUICK (KANSAS CITY) PULLED PAN - SAID LOT OF GROUND UP METAL. INITIAL COST $5K! INVESTIGATING OTHER CASES - FINDING GM KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM - IN SOME CASES DEALERS BUYING BACK '02 RDV'S. FINDING THIS EXACT SAME OCCURANCE WITH OTHER OWNERS IS NOT JUST A RANDOM - BUT MANY FAILURES. JUST 30 DAYS AGO ALSO HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE AC CONDENSER UNIT $1,500 - NOW FINDING THIS TOO IS A GM DEFECT WITH LOT OF OTHER RDV OWENERS. WILL TRY TO PURSUE VEHICLE BACK BY FROM GM - SEEING A LOT OF 'LEMON' CASES OUT THERE.

BOUGHT 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS CXL FROM CARMAX WITH 29K MILES. SEEMED TO RUN OK FOR FIRST COUPLE MONTHS...AT AROUND 36K MILES, THE CONDENSER WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ODOMETER STARTED TO DISPLAY "ERROR". UNACCEPTABLE FOR CONDENSER TO FAIL WITH JUST 3 YEARS OF LIGHT USE. ALSO, HAD TO REPLACE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO GET RID OF ERROR - TOOK A WEEK TO SHIP THE ERROR PANEL TO FACTORY SO THEY COULD READ MILEAGE AND SET ON A NEW PANEL TO SHIP BACK TO THE DEALER. LUCKILY I PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT I STILL HAVE A 75 DEDUCTABLE FOR EVERY REPAIR AND RENTAL VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED.

DT: WHILE DRIVING THE BODY CONTROL MODULE CUT OFF THE TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, AIR COMPRESSOR, HEADLIGHTS, AND LOCKED THE WINDOWS TO THE CAR SO THAT ONE COULD NOT ROW DOWN THE WINDOW. THE BODY CONTROL MODULE COULD GO OUT AT ANYTIME WHILE DRIVING.*AK

MY 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS CXL SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT ALSO WILL NOT START AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. THE PROBLEM ALWAYS OCCURS IN HOT WEATHER. TYPICALLY, IT'S A HOT SUMMER DAY AND I HAVE TO WAIT FOR ABOUT 1 - 2 HOURS BEFORE THE CAR WILL START. ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR STALLED, ONCE ON THE INTERSTATE AT 60 MPH.

2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS STARTED MAKING NOISE. WHEN TURNING ON VENTILATION CONTROL TO 60 DEGREES TO GET A/C TO TURN ON DUE TO IT BEING OUR FIRST HOT DAY OF THE SEASON, NOTICED COMPRESSOR WAS NOT KICKING IN NOR WAS THE VEHICLE COOLING OFF. DEALER STATES CONDENSER HAS FAILED AT 40,000 MILES AND REQUIRES REPLACING. COST AT DEALERSHIP $925. SEEMS TO BE A PATTERN OF THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RELATED TO CONDENSER.

HAD MY LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACE REAR BRAKES. STILL GETTING NOISE FROM REAR WHEELS, TOOK IT TO BUICK DEALERSHIP TO INVESTIGATE. THEY ADJUSTED BRAKES AND THEY FAILED WITHIN A WEEK. I WAS THEN CHARGED $1000 PLUS A $400 RENTAL CAR BILL WHILE THEY "FIXED THE BRAKES." AFTER GETTING MY CAR BACK IT WAS STILL "WHIRRING", TURNS OUT THE PROBLEM WAS A HUB BEARING FAILURE ON ALL FOUR TIRES.

(1)LOUD ROAD NOISE FROM RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, DEALER REPAIR-VERY EXPENSIVE! (2)AC NO LONGER WORKED - AC CONDENSER FAILURE. DEALER REPAIR ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE!! (3) GAS GAUGE QUIT WORKING , MISC ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS- AT DEALER RIGHT NOW PROBABLY EXPENSIVE!!!

LOW ROAR IN FRONT UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE, 53,000 MILES. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP. TOLD IT WAS A FRONT WHEEL BEARING AND WOULD COST $450+ AND $36 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. TOOK TO INDEPENDENT AND HAD SERVICE DONE FOR $330 INCLUSIVE. ON MARCH 10, SAME NOISE OCCURRING. OTHER FRONT WHEEL BEARING, 65,000 MILES. COMPLAINED TO GM. THEY ASSURED ME IF I TOOK TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR THAT GM WOULD REIMBURSE. DID SO AND THEN WAS DENIED. TOTAL COST WAS $494 FOR SECOND WHEEL BEARING. REASON FROM GM: WEAR & TEAR. I WAS ABLE TO PUT 65,000 MILES ON ORIGINAL TIRES. OBVIOUSLY NOT A 'WEAR AND TEAR' SITUATION. OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT. GM SHOULD BE LIABLE!

PARKING BRAKE GOES TO THE FLOOR. DOES NOT HOLD THE CAR. HAS BEEN FIXED AT LEAST 6 TIMES.*AK

THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. MY MANUAL SUGGESTED THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE EMMISSIONS SYSTEM AND MY PERSON THAT DOES MY OIL CHANGES HAD TOLD ME THAT THEY SHOULD CHANGE THE FUEL FILTER AND CLEAN EMISSIONS SYSTEM. I TOOK AND HAD THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED DONE. LIGHT STILL ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO SAID THAT THE COMPUTER INDICATED A TRANSMISSION SOLONOID BUT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER AND HOPE THAT WOULD UNSTICK SOLONOID. TO DRIVE FOR A FEW DAYS AND SEE IF IT CLEARED. LIGHT STAYED ON. I TOOK TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND HE TOOK TRANSMISSION APART, CHECKED ALL PARTS (INCLUDING THE SOLONOID) ALL PARTS WERE FINE. HOWEVER, HE DID PUT IN A NEW SOLONOID. LIGHT WAS STILL ON. HE CONSULTED GM (BUICK) DATABASE TO LEARN THAT THIS IS A WIRING PROBLEM THAT GM IS AWARE OF. THAT THERE IS A SHORT SOMEWHERE IN THE WIRING AND CAN CAUSE TRANSMISSION TO BURN UP.