Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| 060309003 | 05/01/2006 | 10020812 | Revised ball joint inspection procedure and independent rear suspension. *kb | 01/22/2007 | |
| 3065 | 10010358 | A loose lumber/clunk noise from the rear suspension an all awd models. *tt | 11/17/2004 | ||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 10/12/2011 | 140000 | ||
| Vehicle handled very poorly at highway speeds. right rear coil spring broken in 1 place, left rear broken in 2 places. aftermarket replacements had more windings. bought this car new - gets normal use, no accidents, never run over anything, e.g. curb. many other owners complaining of same issue online. | |||
| 12/08/2005 | |||
| I purchased a used 2002 buick rendezvous in april of 2004 from a gm dealership (above). it is an awd v6 cxl suv. my car manual specifically states not to use anything other than dexcool antifreeze. i never received any notice from gm or the dealership or dexcool regarding the problems on this vehicle and dexcool. even after the lawsuit against gm in 2008 i did not get notified in any way, and the dealership never told me to stop using dexcool, so i have been continuing to experience engine problems! when i bought this car it had 37,591 miles on it. i paid just under $20,000 for it. on 12/8/05 i did a transmission flush. four months later, on march 9, 2006, the car was found to have the intake manifold gaskets leaking oil and coolant, and the front timing cover seal was leaking. it also needed front and rear brakes. at that time they told me the coolant was leaking all over everything and was getting into the transmission (and the brakes, too, i think.) had to have another transmission flush done and i think coolant flush done - cost was $222. i had 3 estimates done for the rest of the work and they ranged from $3,300, to 1700 to $1,380. it cost me $89 and $73 for two of the estimates. had work done at 4th shop on 4/20/06, cost me $730. on august 22, 2007, i had to have the intake gasket done again as well as a coolant flush; cost me $492. on august 11, 2009 i had to have the oil pressure switch replaced as it was leaking plus other work; total was $257. i was told about a year ago that the intake gasket was leaking oil and coolant again and had to be replaced again. the car did not pass inspection in june, 2010; one of the problems is transmission is slipping. is that a result of the dexcool coolant contaminating the tranny? other work needed is steering rack (again), air compressor, & rear air shocks. the coolant leaking has caused the failure of many of the parts i have had to have fixed on this car, not just the gasket. | |||
| 07/15/2008 | 49000 | 1 | |
| Multiple issues with regard to 2002 buick rendezvous: with less than 50,000 miles, i have had to replace the onboard computer ($900), left front hub assembly ($1100) and a/c condenser ($1300). among other issues related to design defects, the odometer is located inside the onboard computer, so the vehicle was in the repair shop for 5 days while the part was shipped to california (from virginia) for repair. recalls have not been issued for these parts, though there are numerous complaints on web forums (recommend initiating google search for 2002 buick rendezvous complaint). *tr | |||
| 04/01/2007 | 109000 | 4 | 04/01/2006 |
| Buick rendezvous 2002 failure with blown transfer case & transmission, main exhaust pipe loose from head, rear end noise, passenger door sticks. *tr | |||
| 03/28/2006 | 58000 | 2 | 03/23/2004 |
| Bearings and sensor on anti lock went out. car stopping, locking up, not re-starting. *tr | |||
| 06/29/2006 | 86000 | 10 | 09/01/2003 |
| I purchased my 2002 buick rendezvous cxl in early 2003. by 2004 i had to have the a/c condenser replaced, the shocks & struts replaced and numerous problems with the a/c. then in summer of 2006 the car engine started misfiring and the car stalled out with smoke coming out of the hood, etc. had it towed to buick, they said the engine had a leak somewhere and water leaked into the oil...huh? anyway, of course even though i had the extended warranty, i was just out of warranty and they refused to fix it. the option was to replace the engine for $6,000. this vehicle was already paid off and worth about $14k prior to the engine blowing up. i ended up selling it for $3k. is this normal? i think not. i submitted my case to several lawyer claiming to specialize in this type of rip off activity by car manufacturers but they said it wasn't worth it to them to pursue it. maybe if someone had died it would be worth more. i would like to see buick at least admit poor manufacturing and refund me some of my money. i took a loss of $11k on this vehicle. *jb | |||
| 02/22/2005 | 37342 | 1 | 02/17/2002 |
| I took my car to the dealer complaining of a rubbing/clunking noise while driving. the diagnosis was the exhaust was bent and was rubbing on the driveshaft. dealer replaced complete exhaust system and driveshaft. i was told this could only have happened due to rear end impact. no impact occurred that i am aware of and no visible damage to vehicle. i contacted my insurance company and they inspected the vehicle and did not find any evidence of rear end damage. they suspect design/safety defect and asked the dealer to provide them with the drive shaft. dealer said they have seen this happen one other time. i am concerned about the safety of this vehicle | |||
| 06/15/2004 | 62500 | 4 | 11/06/2001 |
| The consumer stated the horn would blow and the radio would come on for no reason. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection; however the mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *ak the consumer had taken the vehicle to another dealer and they fixed the module the same day. there has been no other problem. currently the vehicle is in security mode. the consumer was unable to open the windows and the rear doors. *sc the consumer noticed the floor mats were discolored , it was determined that the air condition system had malfunctioned. there was a screeching noise in the steering column, but no problem was found. the left front hub and bearing was replaced the brakes were replaced.*jb | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 37502 | ||
| Front wheel bearings defect twice in six months. (cannot understand how this could happen twice in one year on a new car. i only do highway driving live in ny and work in ct. i was told part (hub kit 6.307 r )on back order for at least three weeks. i could not be without a car for three weeks nor could i rent a car for three weeks. so i took it to my mechanic who fixed it in one day. | |||
| 08/01/2001 | |||
| Vehicle pulled to left when accelerating. dealer rotated tires and did an alignment. currently, vehicle pulls to right. vehicle has been taken to dealer a total of 7 times, dealer stated there was nothing else they could do.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 10/13/2007 | 86000 | 1 | |
| We have a 2002 buick rendezvous and had to replace the wheel bearings at only 86k miles and now the air conditioning condenser has failed. these are expensive repairs and there seem to be many of the same complaints on this vehicle ... buick should fix these as they are a common occurrence! *tr | |||
| 06/15/2004 | 62000 | 1 | 11/06/2001 |
| When driving 55 mph rear right tire blewout. this caused the consumer to pull of the road and change the tire. consumer stated that the tire looked like it just melted ,and there were no objects and the road. this was a firestone tire. *ak the consumer noticed that the passenger side front floor mat was wet. the technician determined that the a/c evaporator drain was clogged due to leaves coming from the windshield cowling. the dealer cleaned the drain and removed the leaves. the left front hub and bearing had excessive play and were noisy. the check engine light illuminated. the trouble codes indicated that the gas cap may have been loose. the vehicle body control module (bcm) failed and had to be replaced. it caused the security lights to remain on, the a/c not to work and at night the horn would sound when the vehicle was off. after the consumer locked the door the vehicle radio would come on. this caused the battery to drain and as a result the vehicle had to be jump started. *nm | |||
| 03/26/2004 | 1 | 07/15/2001 | |
| I have a 2002 rendez vous with 37,000 miles on it. the handling on this car is extremely poor and seems to be getting worse. it understeers horribly and has an excessive amount of body roll on even the most gentle turns. i feel that some sort of aftermarket stiffening of the suspension is required. i purchased new, firmer tires and this did not improve this dangerous problem. i find it hard to believe that gm would let a vehicle like this get on the highway with its poor handling. i am frightened to let my wife drive this car. in an emergency maneuver it will roll. i have no doubt. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB | |||
| 02/25/2008 | 83054 | 1 | 11/10/2005 |
| General motors 3.4 liter engine failure at 83,000 miles. front hub assembly failure driver and passenger side. *tr | |||
| 01/20/2006 | 35000 | 100 | 01/30/2005 |
| Dt*: the consumer stated a whining noise was heard when driving around 30 mph. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the local mechanic discovered the front hub bearings were worn and recommended replacing the hub bearings. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 08/26/2004 | 88000 | 3 | 02/16/2004 |
| Air conditioner went out at 41,000 miles---can't afford to replace front wheel-bearing went out at 80,000---can't afford to replace intake gasket blown at 89,000---can't afford to replace. *tr | |||
| 06/09/2007 | 60000 | 4 | 03/01/2005 |
| Wheel bearings need replacement. fuel pump was bad. replaced tires and brakes 3 times since i hav e owned the vehicle 2 years. intake manifold was leaking, causing the car to be sluggish and not start sometimes. abs lights came on frequently. the car was a big nightmare. wish i never would of bought a buick rendezvous. *ak | |||
| 10/06/2006 | 45000 | 1 | 12/09/2002 |
| Three safety related issues with my 2002 buick rendezvous cxl. the abs sensors failed which was a difficult problem to diagnose as the problem was actually caused by water in the insulation to the sensor wiring harnesses. i'm now being notified of a front wheel bearing problem that has not yet reached a formal recall. second issue involves the awd rear axle assembly (differential). moaning noises start in the rear end, in low speed turns such as parking lot maneuvers. occurrence increases in severity and frequency fairly quickly. the rear axle is to be replaced by the dealer under my extended warranty. but i notice that this is not a random or unusual problem with this year/model buick. i would think that both of these issues due to their rate of occurrence would trigger a formal recall. why does the rear drive axle continue to fail? if it should fail catastrophically, will it pose a safety issue, especially if highway speeds are involved and the vehicle becomes unstable? *nm | |||
| 08/07/2006 | 38000 | 2 | 08/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's front wheel bearings went bad. the wheel bearings made a loud sound and were replaced. the replacement wheel bearings were also defective and had to be replaced. | |||
| 08/27/2006 | 60000 | 7 | |
| I own a 2002 buick rendezvous. this vehicle has been nothing but trouble for me since the get go (2004). i have numerous amount of problems that are going on with my vehicle as other owners. all of these problems started at or around 70000 miles. the exterior lights and interior lights go off with out warning and for no reason for sometimes up to a minute (and this has happened at nightime) major saftey issue no one can tell us why the vehicle does this. the noise that comes from the front of the vehicle when driven at 45 mph or more is outragious...it makes an awful humming sound so loud that the radio can't be heard. the vehicle also will not start at times as well...for no particular reason at all...nothing can be found wrong with it all!!! it will stall or will not start at all after several starts and turn offs. it has also done this on inclines or after filling at the gas station once as well. if you go back and try to start the vehicle in about a half hour it will start...i figured this out after calling a tow truck several times...and by the time they got to me..they tried to start the vehicle and it started. the vehicle burns a qurt of oil every 3000 miles or so. now my brakes are to the floor which i have recently had it to the shop again and the mechanic has told me that my brakes are fine that i need my abs pump (master cylinder) replaced it is leaking 800.00 +++ just for the part alone hmmmmm??? just another issue reported like all the above from other buick rendezvous 2002 owners. oh and also my driver side window regulator has broke and that will be costing me 450.00. passenger side door does not shut correctly now at all the hinges are messed up on these models. the door gets stuck all the time. all of these problems are problems that other buick rendezvous owners of the 2002 models are having and something needs to be done about it asap. *jb | |||
| 06/11/2006 | 14000 | 4 | |
| Brought a new 2002 buick rendezvous cx from a dealer. at about 10,000 miles the car started having numerous problems that were beyond normal wear and tear. starting with the engine light and other problems. they were repaired under the warranty. but about 24,000 and without warranty, the car got overheated for a 15 minutes traffic jam. turned out the front wheel bearing needed to be replaced, and the ac sensor wasn't working. replaced the front wheel bearing sensor. about 6 months later, the other wheel bearing needed to be replaced. just about 1 month ago and 35,000 miles later, the overheated problem happened again, compounded with the a/c linkage, and the abs sensor wasn't working. i paid $1,200 for fixing the overheat problem and replacing the abs sensor. i didn't fix the ac linkage because it would cost me another $900!! now i am so worry that another major problem going to happen anytime soon. i am so disappointed with this car. i am hoping gm will issue a recall and stop cheating consumers. *nm | |||
| 02/27/2006 | 26560 | 1 | 10/13/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated there was a slight thumping noise in the driver side front tire area at any speed. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop to have the tires rotated. the repair shop determined the driver side wheel bearing had significant play and needed to be replaced. also, the repair shop determined the rear brake pads were completely worn and needed to be replaced. updated 3/20/2006 - the rotors were also replaced. *nm | |||
| 10/04/2005 | 91000 | 5 | 12/14/2004 |
| Bought a used 2002 rendezvous in december of last year. first month of ownership, oil light on. took to pennzoil. oil changed. two weeks later, low oil light on. took back. low on oil. took to garage, says it's leaking from around the trasnsfer case (they think) and can't fix it. now big problem: traveling to an appointment. had just filled gas tank about 30 miles before, low fuel light came on. fuel gauge went to empty. started surging and idling so fast it could drive itself. just quit at 60 miles an hour in the middle of the road. caused a slight fender bender, but no one was hurt. everyone agreed it was ok not to call the police for a report. (mistake) called onstar. they said something about a relay getting too hot, probably causing part of the problem, but not all of it. had it checked out by a mechanic friend. related he had no idea what is causing the problem. husband took it out a few days later to see if it was acting any better, drove just fine and then did the same thing. quit in the middle of the road. will have to take it to the dealership, but have no money. stretched our budget to buy reliable transportation for our family. was told buick was a reliable automobile. has turned out to be the worst we've ever owned. also, have had to have the wheel bearings changed twice, and we've only had it since december. mechanic says it's a chronic problem with rendezvous. the ones we got to replace the bad ones were even bad. have no idea where to turn. it is unsafe! i have no way to transport my children without taking our two smaller cars everywhere. i would apppreciate any assistance you could provide. thanks and have a blessed day! *jb | |||
| 08/10/2005 | 3 | 02/16/2002 | |
| Left front wheel bearing failed....replaced. odometer failed at 5000 miles...replaced. odometer failed at 52000 miles... replaced. *jb | |||
| 06/09/2005 | 35000 | 2 | 08/06/2002 |
| Both right and left front wheel bearings had to be replaced on the vehicle. the first (left) was replaced at approx 35,000 miles. the right bearing was replaced at 43,000 miles. the vehicle has no heavy use and is driven approx. 1,400 miles per month. | |||
| 12/23/2004 | 53000 | 08/21/2002 | |
| 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! | |||
| 02/02/2005 | 67000 | 1 | |
| Both front wheel bearings need replaced at 67,000 miles. along with right axle. bearings squeal. right axle has crunching noise along with | |||
| 12/21/2004 | 46000 | 1 | 07/02/2003 |
| While driving at any speed consumer heard a noise coming from the vehicle. it was taken to a repair shop, and mechanic determined that the front wheel bearing on the driver's side needed to be replaced.*ak | |||
| 11/10/2004 | 40000 | 2 | 11/08/2003 |
| Increased noise and excessive tire wear at 40,000 miles. bad wheel bearing on passenger side and was replaced. two weeks later, increased noise again. drivers side wheel bearing is also bad and will have to be replaced. *jb | |||
| 11/18/2002 | 30000 | 2 | 12/24/2001 |
| Front left side wheel bearing failed at 30,000 miles of wear. within two week or less the right side wheel bearing failed. dealer was notified and made the repairs.*ak | |||
| 07/26/2004 | 43000 | 1 | |
| Consumer states that wheel bearings failed at 43000 miles. the cause has yet to be determined. *ak | |||
| 03/04/2004 | 99500 | 4 | 05/22/2002 |
| I have had all four wheel bearing on my 2002 buick rendezvous clx which was purchased new in may, 2002. i drive alot of miles, perform all regular maintanence and the vehicle currently has 120,000 mile. the first wheel bearing went bad at around 92,000. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 43000 | 2 | 08/01/2001 |
| Front right wheel bearing has been replaced tow times in the past 6 months. *jb | |||
| 01/02/2004 | 64122 | 1 | 05/12/2002 |
| Front left wheel bearing failed with 64,000 on the vehicle. right rear wheel bearing was replaced at the same time. left rear bearing has been diagnosed as bad and must be replaced. both front bearing failed at 30,000 miles and need to be replaced. right front bearing was replaced a second time at 43,539 miles.*ak | |||
| 09/03/2003 | 25391 | 2 | 01/31/2002 |
| While driving 65 mph vehicle suddenly lost power, was not able to shift any gears. managed to pull over to side of road. vehicle was towed to dealership, and the mechanic said that problem was had to with the transmission. *ak the transmission began to slip and make noise while driving. the vehicle was towed and repaired. one week later the transmission suddenly failed while driving. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where they overhauled the transmission. the consumer has not faith in the transmission. the front left and right bearing separated occasionally. *ph *nlm | |||
| 05/01/2003 | 20000 | 1 | 12/28/2001 |
| While driving , the front of the vehicle started to vibrate. this was caused by front wheel bearing assembly failure. the part was replaced. *ak the driver's side was the partial failure and the passenger's side was near catastrophic failure and may have resulted in the wheel locking up after continued use. *ph *jb | |||
| While driving the consumer heard a grinding noise. upon inspection it was noted that the front wheel bearings failed prematurely. *nlm | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 08/30/2006 | 92000 | ||
| Buick rendevous 2002 model cx fwd fuel leaking where filler neck attaches to gas tank. rear spring broken; vehicle not used for towing or heavy loads. | |||
| 04/24/2009 | 89000 | 1 | |
| The complaint is the lack of availability of a part from gm for my vehicle, a 2002 buick rendezvous. without these replacement parts, my vehicle is unsafe, unable to pass inspection and my tires are wearing out considerably faster. my mechanic has been told that the parts are on back order and that i have been placed on a waiting list. *tr | |||
| 05/19/2009 | 121000 | 1 | |
| 2002 buick rendezvous with all wheel drive: left rear spring discovered broken. right front spring found broken in 2008. highly unusual that springs would break. if springs break while driving, broken spring could puncture tire and cause accident. suspect poor design of spring or substandard metal or wrong spring used by manufacturer. *tr | |||
| 01/15/2009 | 1 | ||
| I have a 2002 buick rened. i have had an on going problem with the car overheating and no ac. i have had the ac replaced on the vehicle, the temp gauge, the thermostat, the water-pump, 2 blown head gaskets, the fuel sensor, anti lock brake sensor and the fuel pump. i also have had to replace the window regulator on the passenger side window. i have receipts for all repairs but no i do not have the old parts. these repairs have costs me at least $5000k if not more. *tr | |||
| 12/17/2007 | 107000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick rendezvous. the contact stated that the vehicle overheated when he used the air conditioner. he took vehicle to dealer but because of the costs, he decided to have a friend repair it. however, the issue still occurred. the other issue with the vehicle was that it did not get the fuel mileage that it was supposed. he also noticed that the rear end of the vehicle was making noise, a grumbling noise to be exact. he changed rear end fluid but could still hear noise. the noise would be heard when he turned right or left. he received recall notices for his vehicle (02v222000, 07v349000, 07e021000) but when he consulted the dealer and manufacturer, he was told very conflicting stories about whether the recalls on his vehicle existed and if they had been previously performed. at this time, the contact did not know if the recalls could affect his vehicle and how to get the issues remedied. the current mileage was 112,000 and failure mileage was 107,000. updated 09/10/08. *lj updated 09/11/08*jb | |||
| 09/15/2006 | 55000 | 1 | 06/14/2004 |
| I have had nothing but trouble with this vehicle. i took it into the dealer the other day to have the front wheel bearing replace (paid for by gm) and in the process, the mechanic found another serious problem. i had been hearing a banging noise coming from the rear end for a few months now. i jacked the rear end of the car up and couldn't find the source of the noise. i was told by the mechanic that it is the right rear knuckle that was making the noise. when they got it on the rack, they found that the tire is moving front to back about 2 inches. i was told that this is a serious safety issue and that i will need to get it fixed asap at a cost of about $750. i took my vehicle to another mechanic to get a second opinion. i got the same diagnosis from the second mechanic with the addition of we've never seen one of these go bad. you should never have to replace this part they went on to say that they didn't want to do this work because it is extremely labor intensive and not their specialty. i am going to take it to a frame specialist and have the work done there. did i mention that i had to replace the body control module two weeks ago?. *jb | |||
| 05/20/2002 | 2 | 03/01/2002 | |
| 1st time/rear differential leak over 1-1/2 quarts of rear diff.gear oil all over driveway. dealer replaced with complete new rear housing assy. 571 miles later, which was 05-20-02 rear diff. leaking again. car is at dealer, and i called general motors, they are looking into the problem. i don't want the car back. calif. has lemon law 2 times for same repair, which could cause bodily harm or death we are to get another car. if the rear end locks up at 65 mph and i live thru it there will be a major law suit. i don't understand the promblem with changing me out of that lemon, into another buick rendezvous. please e-mail me with any info. you have on this. | |||