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Buick Rendezvous Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    The symptoms you described are the exact same things that happened to our 2002 RDV CXL AWD after 30,000 miles.We also didnt even have any tail lights and I had to unhook the battery to even turn the head lights off.

     

    After (3) BCM's we had so say goodbye to our RDV as we could no longer trust it.This hurt as we had driven nothing but Buicks since 1984.Once the electrical problems start there seems to be no end to them. If you want to read about lots more BCM failures read this forum from the very beginning.

     

    There are lots of good RDV's out there and there are some bad ones.We got a bad one.We now drive a 2004 Toyota Highlander Limited AWD and like it fine but there are things we miss about our RDV.
  • rewindingrewinding Member Posts: 11
    After 78,0000 miles and 3 years, I would still recommend buying this car.

     

    I am on my 4th BCM, the first 2 were replaced under warranty, I paid for the 3rd replacement myself.

     

    I had one radio replacement under warranty.

     

    I also find that in winter, I cannot play my CD-R's because using the car heater makes them really hot. I can play CD-r's without heating the car.

     

    I had the slow speed turn moaning problem.

     

    Bottom line, I got a comfortable car with a lot of cargo capacity, with AWD, pretty decent gas mileage, at a price that was 10-15 thousand less than I would have paid for a similar car. I did use 2K in GM card points.

     

    10K plus the interest on 10K buys a lot of out of warranty repairs and makes up for massive depreciation.

     

    I would not buy this car if it were not for rebates/discounts/gm card points.

     

    By the way, my current BCM was very slightly defective from day one in that my rear parking assist did work with the warning lights, but does not give an audible warning. But, I did not have time to get it reordered and replaced and now have had it for 15 months and 25,000 miles. I figure it is wise to let sleeping dogs lie.

     

    I have been very happy with my last 15 months because, my car has been relatively flawless except for the slow speed moaning which seems to have disappeared or my hearing is going bad.
  • futbol9000futbol9000 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

     

    Just bought a 2003 Rendezvous.

     

    Following the manual directions to a T to get into "programming mode" or "personalization mode" by pressing and holding the odomoter button but can't get it to work. Nothing happens. No DIC. Can anyone help? Thanks.
  • jim21jim21 Member Posts: 1
    Anybody notice a lot of brake dust on their front wheels? We also get a brake squeal when braking. Dealer says there's nothing he can do about it. Seems to be more dust and noise than any car I have owned in the past. It's a 2004 RDV.
  • nextmoonnextmoon Member Posts: 386
    I'm closing in on my end of warranty period but with low mileage (about 2 months left). Would you mind sharing how much it costs to replace each BCM out of pocket? I know dealer cost may vary slightly, but looking for an estimate. My BCM appears find but I'd like to know for down the road reasons.
  • kissmeinkykissmeinky Member Posts: 12
    I have a 2004 RDV, no squeaking, normal break dust as other if not even less dust than my last car. When you replace the breaks you can get a metalic (I think this is correct) that will have less dust.
  • gmowner2gmowner2 Member Posts: 2
    Doubt that this is the solution, but I had a noise that was noticeable when pulling into an enclosed area such as a garage. Took it to the dealer and after some time they traced it to a crack in the flywheel. They replaced the flywheel and that corrected the problem. Fortunately, the car was still under warranty at that time.
  • gmowner2gmowner2 Member Posts: 2
    A number of people have had problems with their Rendezvous not starting. I assume that they mean that the engine cranks but does not start. My wife twice has had a problem with the car cranking but not starting. Oddly it occurred either immediately after filling up the 1/2 empty tank, or the next morning after filling the tank and parking overnight. Each time it was transported to the dealer, and of course, it started immediately the first time the dealer tried it. The first time the problem happened, it was first diagnosed by a service station as a bad fuel pump. Since it was under warranty, took it to the dealer where they traced the problem to a bad fuel pump relay. Apparently that was not the problem, as it occurred once more about 6 weeks later. It has been in the shop now for 3 days with no fix in sight. My wife has also twice experienced a variation in speed on the highway with the RPMs fluctuating without any change in incline or accelator pedal. Took in to the dealer and no problem was found. Believe that all of these problems point to a bad fuel pump but hate to replace it and find out that it is something else.
  • paulmlacpaulmlac Member Posts: 27
    We had an '03 CXL. Had the exact same problem you mention in regards to dust & squeal. This was because the pads were "cupped & chipped" & the rotors were "shot". I put the words in quotes because those were the dealers words. Over 12,000 miles, we had 4 different sets of pads & rotors. Took it to 2 different dealers for these repairs. During the final repair, the dealer had the audacity to tell me that this was normal. I reminded him of his "cupped", "chipped", and "shot" wording from earlier repair attempts. Asked him to start bringing in other new Buicks from the lot so I could also verify that they were "cupped", "chipped", and "shot". He obviously refused. Told him to put brake quiet on.

     

    Drove over to the Honda dealer. Traded the RDV for an ODY. Love the Ody. Also have a Honda CR-V.

     

    I know the Buick dealer / GM doesn't care, but the RDV was my last American car.

     

    Probably a bit of an over-reaction on my part, but I just didn't feel safe transporting my 4 yr old & 1 yr old in a car that went through brake pads & rotors every 2,500 miles.

     

    Good luck!
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    gmowner2,

        I really doubt that your fuel pump is bad.When a fuel pump goes bad it never works again.You have the same electical problems that have plagued many RDV owners.

     

        Today we were at a large Buick dealership in our 2000 Regal LS and were looking at the first 2005 Buick LaCrosse that had just came in.A salesman came and asked if he could help us and we said no as earlier this year we had traded off a problem prone CXL Buick RDV so didnt need anymore payments for awhile.

     

       We got to talking Buick RDV's and I asked his opinion of them.He was very honest salesman and said that they were about the most problem plagued vehicle that they have ever sold and they sell lots more than Buicks.They have already had one GM RDV buy back,are working on another RDV buy back,and had another local RDV just traded in that had so many problems that they took it to an auction rather than sell it to a customer.

     

       He said one ladies RDV will just die while going 70 mph on a highway.She just knows she will get rearended some day.Its did this time and time again.It will get towed in and will start at the dealership.They absolutely cant find out whats wrong with it.This is very common.

     

       This salesman named off all the same RDV problems that lots are having on this forum.I asked if half the RDV's they sold were having problems and the look on his face told the story.I noticed that they had no new RDV's on the lot.

     

       I wish I had better news as I'm a Buick man.Buick needs to make things right with all problem RDV owners.
  • verdi942verdi942 Member Posts: 304
    With all those problem-plagued RDV's? I'm just a new owner with no problems so far [only 3,500 miles]looking at the situation but it sounds to me like these problems are being caused by the computer[s] running everything in the car.

     

    Now, I know those computers are the keys to getting a two-ton car with a mere 200 inch engine to cruise at 70 mph and get 25+ mpg.

     

    Not to mention the automatic lights, automatic climate control, fancy radio, Onstar, ABS, etc. These handy gadgets seem to be integrated - connected to each other - the ABS sends info to the tire pressure monitor, etc. We all know how computers can go haywire and need to be shut down and rebooted. Is this what's happening to the RDV's?

     

    If so, imagine how long it'll take for permanent fixes to become available [if ever]!

     

    As in the other forum, I'm asking if anyone with a 50,000+ miles RDV can share their experience with us.

     

    Thanks.
  • jk27jk27 Member Posts: 244
    Mass production and assembly lines create bad models in every single line (be it cars, TV's, DVD players, houses, you name it). Even though regalluvr2 points out that he had a conversation with a Buick dealer about this, the dealer's comments don't surprise me -- or really worry me. This the 3rd model year (are we into the 4th yet?) for RDV's and 150,000+ are on the road. The dealer said, they "already had one GM buyback". That doesn't surprise me at all -- given how many RDV's are out there (and after 3 model years). A few anecdotal problems mentioned by 1 salesperson at 1 dealership does not a huge problem make! Isuzu had to buy back my vehicle in 1999 -- and it was an exception to that particular line -- it was just a bad apple.

     

    And I'm not saying that people haven't experienced these problems -- or that those peoples' problems aren't real -- they are! However, just because a few people have problems does not mean the entire line is "plagued" with problems. I'm on my original BCM, computer ... and have had no electronic problems, brake problems, AC problems, etc. I did have a head gasket replaced under warranty, but I'm still very happy with my RDV. 35,500 miles on mine. I'm approaching the fated 36,000 mile mark. ;)
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    A close friend of my wife had hers for two years. None of these problems occurred for her.

     

    She just turned it in early for a new one on an early exchange offer for her 3 year lease of the first.

     

    I don't know how many miles she accrued on the first one. I'd guess it at 40K. It was the primary car for the pair of them. I'll ask next time I see her.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    occur everywhere. My Maytag refrigerator just had the plastic nub formed as an extrusion on the wall of the refrigerator tear loose. It supports the weight of the shelf and meat drawer. There was no metal support to it. 3 jugs of milk and other weight of the meat drawer pulled it away. BAD design. Maytag customer service doesn't know it's even a problem: it's easily found on the internet!!! - but they don't know about it. Sound familiar as in cars and problems there.

     

    My 3800 engine in another Buick had the intake manifold seeping around seals and deterioration of EGR tube (plastic). I had to pay at 65K. Handled poorly by company. No reimbursement.

     

    These problems with RDV should be fixable with redesign, but haven't been apparently. Some people get problems; others don't. Same occurs with Hondas and Toyos; I read those forums too.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • lgret13lgret13 Member Posts: 21
    I have an 03 rendezvous and live in New York and today its pretty cold out, (understatement) I notice today that the heat in the car was not getting as warm/hot as usual, I warmed up the car for at least 20 minutes and did some moderate highway driving, and after 40 minutes the car was warm/cool but not hot and I had the climate control on 80degrees the entire time. Also, I noticed that the engine temp gauge usually reads at the mid mark (no numbers on the gauge) but the entire time even after driving the gauge remained at the quarter mark. Could this be affecting my heat and also, is this normal for the engine temp to stay at this level in cold weather. It seems it never got up to full operating temp. (I don’t know if this makes a difference I have the upgraded radiator from the trailer towing package)

     

    Anyne else notice a similar issue

     

    Thanks for the responses in advance.
  • jk27jk27 Member Posts: 244
    Check your coolant/antifreeze levels. I responded more fully to your cross-post in "Buick Rendezvous".
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    jk27,

      I live in the rural midwest so the large Buick dealer I'm talking about has probably sold 20-25 new RDV's while my dealer in a town of 10,000 has sold 7 total.

     

      Ok,this dealer that sold 25 new RDV's has had one buy back,is doing another buy back,and had to sell one problem plagued trade in RDV at auction.That means that 3 of 25 are basically lemons so that means that over 10% are having severe problems.4-5 more were having moderate problems so that takes the ratio up to about 33%.I know every make has a few bad apples but this is far too many.

     

      My local dealer has had 2 of 7 RDV's with problems so thats nearly 30%.Again far too many having problems.If only 10% of RDV owners are having bad problems thats way to high of a percentage.

     

       A week ago we went by the Toyota dealer that only offered us $14,000 trade in for our 2002 CXL AWD.What do we see there but a AWD CXL RDV.I checked their website and its a 2004 CXL AWD with only 16,000 miles.They are only asking $16,977 so someone else is having problems and took a pounding to get rid of it,probably for a Highlander.

     

       Like I have said theres lots of things we liked about our 2002 CXL RDV but reliability wasnt one of them.I'm very happy for the 80-90% of RDV owners that are having good luck but sure feel sorry for the 10-20% that arent.

     

       I would love to know how many GM buy backs there have been for RDV's but thats a figure we will never see.If you have a good RDV enjoy it.If you have a bad one get GM to buy it back,get an extended warranty,or trade it off.

     
  • jk27jk27 Member Posts: 244
    regalluvr says, "Ok,this dealer that sold 25 new RDV's has had one buy back,is doing another buy back,and had to sell one problem plagued trade in RDV at auction.That means that 3 of 25 are basically lemons so that means that over 10% are having severe problems.4-5 more were having moderate problems so that takes the ratio up to about 33%.I know every make has a few bad apples but this is far too many."

     

    I am not denying there are problems with some Rendezvous. However, you do realize there are problems with every (EVERY) single make and model of car. Your sample sizes (that 3 were lemons and 4 others were having moderate problems) are simply too small to be statistically significant. 7 bad apples out of 150,000+ are absolutely totally insignificant, statistically. If, on the other hand, you could state that 15,000 vehicles out of 150,000 (10%) have major problems ... then, that would become significant.

     

    Again ... sorry to hear you're having problems. I had a lemon Isuzu which was bought back from me. I have a friend who had a lemon Honda (gasp!). It happens with every single manufacturer.

     

    Good luck with yours.
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    jk,

       There are lots more than just 7 problem RDV's out of 150,000.I'm estimating the total to be close to 10% out of the 150,000 built.Just read completely thru every Buick RDV post on this site from the very beginning and see how many are having problems.

     

       I have been on 20-30 different car sites over the past year and have seen 100's and 100's of complaints.Go to the National Highway Safety site.For every one person that complains on the internet there are 100's that dont.Lots dont even have the internet or dont want the whole world to know that their vehicle is having problems.I could post many-many links on here but Edmunds wont let me.

     

       I have mentioned this before but in March 2003 we were at a Buick dealer in Omaha and thought we had found the low mile 2002 CXL AWD that we wanted.The dealer then informed us that this was a GM buy back because of transmission and numerous electrical problems.We quickly lost interest in it and found another one.I'll guarantee you that there have been many more RDV buy backs across the U.S but we will never know how many there have been.Several on here have went thru GM buy backs.

     

    Our problem prone 2002 CXL was traded for a new Toyota Highlander in March of this year.After much research on here we decided that this was one of the more trouble free vehicles on the road.Read the Highlander forums and you will see that their worst problems are wind noise and vehicle hesitation on acceleration.

     

    Granted all companies build lemons but in 40 years of vehicle ownership our RDV was the worst one weve ever had.We still hated to get rid of it but lost trust in it.We have owned and driven Buick Regals for years and have well over 600,000 miles on them with a power window motor being the worst problem.Tomorrow morning I will jump in my trusty 150,000 mile 91 Buick Regal Limited and head off to work.Why couldnt our RDV have been that good?

     

     

    We've beat this horse in the ground so enjoy your RDV and have a Merry Christmas.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    Of course all companies make a lemon or two on the production line, and generally, you're chances of getting a "lemon" are slim with any new car today.

     

    I believe that the majority of RDV's are well built and basically problem free. I also believe that an unacceptably large number of RDV's (more than just a handful of anecdotal examples) suffer from fatal design flaws that, sooner or later, will cost their owners an inordinate amount of time and/or money to repair.

     

    I believe this, not just because of my own horrible experience, but because dozens of Townhall RDV owners from Miami, FL to Chicago, IL to Portland, OR have all posted about the same 5 or 6 problems. This nationwide, completely random sample of owners, however small, indicates to me that there are many more owners that have the same problems and don't say anything about it, or don't participate in online forums such as Edmunds.com.

     

    In my opinion, GM knows most people who experience these problems don't communicate with other owners, and most likely, will simply trade in their car at a significant loss, or if they're upside down on their loan (and considering the way these cars depreciate, many people are), keep the car and purchase an extended warranty (another sale for GM!).

     

    GM knows that the number of owners who are patient and persistent enough to document everything, and then file and follow through with a lemon law claim are few and far between - in other words, it makes economic sense for GM to ignore the problems and let the RDV run it's design course.

     

    This is why I will never use my GM Employee discount again, and why I closed my GM Mastercard account, thus throwing away $800 worth of credits.

     

    Why wouldn't I want to buy a $35,000 GM car for $25,000 again? If it's in the shop all the time, GM won't support me, and after two years, it'll only be worth $13,000. A Honda Odyssey costs $28,000, and after two years, it's still worth $23,000.

     

    BTW, our V70 now has 12,000 miles and is doing great!
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    Well said fedlawman.Enjoy your V70.We are enjoying our Highlander that just rolled 12,000 miles.

     

    The true extent of the RDV problems will never be totally known.I feel sorry for the many RDV owners that are having problems.GM needs to make things right with them.We have noticed that most Buick dealers in our area arent even stocking new RDV's anymore.I think that most every Buick dealer has had some problem ones.

     

    By the way everyone please read the owners reviews on their 2002-2004 RDV's here on Edmunds.Its seperate from these forums.Here is the one for the 2002's.

    http://www.edmunds.com/used/2002/buick/rendezvous/100002194/ratin- - gs_consumer.html?tid=edmunds.u.crrindex...1.Buick*

     

    Many never had a problem until their 36,000 mile factory warranty expired.Several RDV's literally fell apart after 36,000 miles.They echo my sentiments.Get a GM factory extended warranty for your peace of mind.
  • nosuvyetnosuvyet Member Posts: 72
    I am in the middle of the slow speed moaning problem - after being unable to pinpoint it, I finally figured it out and was able to reproduce it for the dealer.

     

    It only happens when going slowly and turning tightly (i.e. U-turns or circles). As well, and the wierdest thing of all, it only happens in dry weather, never when it's raining, snowing or even slightly humid. That's why it was so tough to pinpoint. Anyway, dealer figured out it was coming from the rear differential and he found a document from GM that referred to it. (doc ID #1574975) Rear differential fluid was replaced (for free since it was still under warranty when I first reported the problem) last week and it hasn't happened since though it's been snowing since and I haven't driven it much anyway. If it recurs, they will go on to the next step, though I don't know what that is.
  • simonssimons Member Posts: 1
    After the recall on my 2004 RDV, the rear hatch is getting more and more difficult to open. I was informed by my dealer that the GM Techs say that this is normal. It is nothing like when I first purchased, if you open it just a bit it slams down.

     

    Anyone else having problems?
  • verdi942verdi942 Member Posts: 304
    the gas-filled struts that help lift the hatch are losing their zip. [Where are the counterbalanced steel spring hinges of yesteryear?]. That sounds like an inadequate design that should be backed by a warranty service/replacement with stronger struts. That dealer's story sounds like BS. Good luck!
  • pjgptpjgpt Member Posts: 15
    I bought by 2002 Rendezvous in July 2001. Never had any problems with it until 2 weeks ago. My 3 years expired this past July and I only have 19,000 miles on it (only use a second car). I pulled into the driveway and the lights would not shut off and then the radio locked out. I disconnected the battery and then brought it to teh dealer the next day. I was told by the dealer that the BCM was bad and would need to be repalced. They mistakenly thought I was still under warranty even after I told them that I wasn't, so it was repalced for free.

     

    Here's the weird part. About a week after the BCM was repalced I couldn't get the car into drive or reverse. I had to have it towed to the dealer. The following day after they tested it and drove it around (they were able to get it in drive and reverse with no problem) they told me they couldn't find anything wrong with it. I now have it back and it is working fine, but I'm just waiting for the next problem. Has this ever happened to anyone else?
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    The BCM issue has been frequently mentioned here. You might try using the discussion search to find more posts about it.
  • boxerdudeboxerdude Member Posts: 2
    I had a 2002 RDV CXL, with just under 36,000 miles. I didn't realize it, but our electrical problems started back in 2002. Frequently, after turning off my RDV and pumping gas at a gas station, my RDV battery refused to turn over. The first time it happened, we called ONSTAR, but before they got there (appx 10 minutes after initial problem), the vehicle immediately started up. We took the RDV to the Buick dealer, only to be told that they checked the computer and that the RDV computer had intentionally shut down the RDV for 10 to 15 minutes for security reasons because we did something unusual such as pressing the remote door lock while the driver's door was open. (we don't have any alarm or aftermarket product, only what came standard on the CXL) They told us there was nothing wrong with the car, but that we need to be careful not to accidently press the remote while the driver door was opened. We told Buick we don't leave our door open while pumping gas, but they didn't want to hear that.

     

    During the next 2 years, this happened about 8 more times, and always at a gas station. We learned to sit in the car for about 15 minutes, and then it would immediately start up.

     

    On two occasions this Summer, the RDV was completely dead in our driveway (no battery cranking, lights, chimes, nothing). After shifting the car into neutral, the dashboard lights, etc would turn on and the RDV would star start right up. After the first incident, the Buick dealer replaced the BCM. I asked the mechanic if this would fix my electrical problem, and he told me that truthfully he had no idea. He said they had replaced a number of BCMs on the RDV at his dealership. I told him about the car previously refusing to start after pumping gas, and he told us that probably was due to the faulty BCM, and did not have anything to do with using the remote while a door is opened.

     

    After the car "died" the second time (with the new BCM), we no longer had any confidence in our RDV. We traded in our RDV, but have fond memories of the good times.
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    that most any Buick dealer thats truthful and has sold over 8-10 Buick RDV's has had problem ones,especially with the 2002-2003's.Its just one BCM after another all over the country.Just do a search here on Edmunds and it will surprise you.Far too many RDV's are having problems.

     

    I pinned my local dealer down recently while having our Regal serviced and he admitted that several of the RDV's they had sold new were having problems.In fact one RDV owner was there picking his up after it had been worked on.

     

    Do a google search for Buick Rendezvous BCM,Lemon,Problems,etc.For every one thats talking 100's arent.
  • mslakisamslakisa Member Posts: 1
    I hear this noise, also. Have no idea what it is. I have the poping and also a steaming noise. I also smell something burning ( like plastic). My RDV is currently in the shop for Wheel bearings and intake leak. I am trying to get it fixed free ( 53,000 miles no ext warr). On the phone with GM, they will pay half.
  • pjgptpjgpt Member Posts: 15
    I was driving to the train station the other day to go to work and the vehicle stuttered and then went when I accelerated from a red light with some ugly sounding noises. I fiured I better drive it right to teh dealer, but I never made it. I wound up losing all engine power and had to be towed. Later that day, I was told by the dealer that I would need a new transmission ($3,400). I am outside or warranty by 6 months and only have 19,500 miles on the vehicle (no extended warranty.

     

    I have a call into GM, but have not heard what they are willing to do yet.
  • toonzeetoonzee Member Posts: 19
    was not working. Dealer called a couple of hours later, the engines head gaskets are leaking, and there maybe another reason the heater is not working. Its a 2002 CXL with only 38000 miles on it. Out of warranty, but thanks to the fine folks here I purchased a GM Major Guard warranty which will cover this problem. Dealer figures if I had to pay it would be over $1000.00. Since I paid 1250 for the additional 3/36000, no deductible, guess the first repair pays for the warranty.
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    toonzee,

      You did a wise thing in getting a GM extended warranty for your 2002 CXL.If we still owned our 2002 CXL AWD it would sure have one on it.Far too many 2002-2003 RDV's are having moderate-severe problems so an extended warranty is a must for these vehicles.

     

    pjgpt,

      So sorry to hear about your tranny going bad on your RDV with it being out of warranty and having such few miles.GM needs to step up to the plate and help you out.I have done extensive searches on the internet and you are at least the 10th RDV owner I have read about thats lost a tranny at low miles.I'm sure lots more have lost tranny's as not that many people even post their problems on the internet.

     

      Like I've said before we were in Omaha 2 years ago looking at a low mile 2002 AWD CXL.When we asked the salesman to figure us up a deal he said I must inform you that this is a GM buy back because at under 13,000 miles it has had a tranny replaced and has had numerous electrical problems.That scared us enough to leave it alone but not enough as a week later we bought a 2002 AWD CXL in Oklahoma City that turned out to have lots of electrical problems.

     

      We stop at lots of Buick dealers to look around and when the salesman comes out I make it a point to ask how the RDV's are doing.Most every dealer will admit that they have problem RDV's.

     

       I'll preach this again.If at all possible get an extended warranty on your RDV.Our RDV ran perfect until 30,000 miles and thats when the problems started.I'm sure that 85-90% of you are having good luck but 10-15 % of you arent.In this day and age you can quickly spend $5,000 of your hard earned money.Some RDV owners seem to have an endless list of things that have gone wrong,BCM's,Transmissions,Head Gaskets,Intake Gaskets,AC Condensors,Wheel Bearings,Blower Motors,Fuel Pumps,Dying and Not Starting,etc.
  • toonzeetoonzee Member Posts: 19
    Thanks regalluvr2, if it weren't for people like you and others posting here about problems, I would never have done it. The way I look at it, I am guaranteed another 36000 miles/36 months, without any out of pocket expense driving. I recommend everyone get one for this vehicle.
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    toonzee,this is by far the best site on the net to see whats going on in the automotive world.When our 2002 CXL RDV started having problems my first thought was lets go to Edmunds to see if others are having the same problems.I read every RDV post on here and sure enough they were.I also did lots of web searches and found other places where RDV owners were having problems.

     

    In March last year we faced the choice of either keeping our 2002 RDV and getting an extended warranty or trading it off.We used Edmunds to research all warranties that were available and I found a GM dealer in Iowa that had a nice price on a GM factory extended warranty.

     

    We also used Edmunds to research several possible new vehicles to replace our problem RDV.We narrowed the choices down to two and I then read every post on Edmunds to see how reliable these two were.Believe me that took awhile but was well worth it.

     

    We then used Edmunds to determine our RDV's trade in value and set $18,000 as the least we were taking in trade for our RDV.If no one would offer this then we were keeping it and buying an extended warranty.

     

    Several Honda and Toyota dealers only offered us $14,000 trade in but finally a Buick-Toyota dealer offered us $18,300 and sadly we traded off our 2002 CXL.We didnt feel safe keeping it as several times we lost all electrical and only had the head lights left.To turn the head lights off you had to unhook the battery.This was my wifes go to work vehicle and I let her make the choice to keep it or trade it.She said lets trade it.

     

    Thanks Edmunds for having such a good site to help us make choices for all of our automotive needs.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Thanks! It's good to hear Edmunds has been helpful. :-)
  • toonzeetoonzee Member Posts: 19
    Agreed regalluvr2. Just picked on the Buick from the dealer. They told me I had both head cylinder head gaskets leaking/ruptured at the dowel pin. They also replaced the thermostat. If not for the warranty, they said I'd be looking at $1200 to $1300 out of packet expense
  • pjgptpjgpt Member Posts: 15
    After speaking to GM Customer Service, I got some resolution to my tranny problems. They agreed to pay for 1/2 of the repair and provide a 3yr/50,000 warranty on the new tranny. Total out of pocket for me $1925 including tax.

     

    I am very disappointed to say the least that a tranny would blow at 19,000 miles, but I am happy that GM at least stepped up and compensated to some degree. They could have taken a hard stance and said sorry you are out of warranty. I will still look to get rid of the vehicle when it is affordable.

     

    FYI GM customer service was very nice and I actually felt that they were on my side.
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    pjgpt,

       I'm glad to hear that GM agreed to pay half on your RDV tranny.You are correct that a tranny should last far more than 19,000 miles.There are (4) Buick Regals at our place with well over 400,000 miles on them and no tranny problems.In fact the last automatic tranny I had go bad was 39 years ago in a 1957 Ford Custom 300 with a 272 V-8 and a Fordomatic.I was 16 then and knew what caused the problem.(grin)

     

       I wish you luck when you try to trade your RDV off.Lots of dealers dont want to offer much in trade for them but if you shop around you will find someone that will make you a decent offer.Sometimes its just better to bite the bullet and get rid of a problem prone vehicle if you can afford to.

     

    We spent quite a bit of time on the phone with GM customer service and they were always nice to us.I have an idea that they get alot of phone calls from unhappy Buick RDV owners.
  • dspradlindspradlin Member Posts: 3
    Yes, I have a problem...2002 Security light on, windows won't work, moonroof won't work. Radio won't work. Maybe other stuff won't work. Did it once and dealer said it was bad connection. Can't find a connection that could be bad, and really don't know where to look. Some discussions say the BCM may be bad. Where is it? What else can I check? Thanks for any help.
  • pbeebepbeebe Member Posts: 3
    I have been having this problem with my car stopping will I am driving it. It has happened to me on the freeway 3 times. My Buick dealer has looked at it and cannot come up with anything.

     

    I'm trying to sell my car, but I honestly feel bad about selling it to this particular single mom with kids when I know that it is likely she will be stranded.
  • pbeebepbeebe Member Posts: 3
    I am having this same problem and I have taken it to three different Buick dealers and not one of them can figure it out.

    PB
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    You guys are just among many Buick RDV owners that are having the same problem.At a Buick dealer we do some business with they have a customers RDV that will die out on the highway and wont start.They will tow it in and then it will start.They cant seem to find the problem.

     

    Far too many Buick RDV's have electrical problems for which there seems to be no fix.Fortunately ours never died but it was one BCM after another.
  • pbeebepbeebe Member Posts: 3
    This same exact thing happened to my RDV (all lights and electrical panel would completely shut down - several times while driving and then turn back on. They replaced my ignition switch/starter and BCM. Now this doesn't happen anymore. Now my car just shuts off completely while I'm driving in traffic - and doesn not come back on. This has happend about four times - BUT it's a mystery because the three Buick dealer(S) that I have had look at my car have not been able to figure out the problem. Right now I'm trying to sell it but I feel bad because I know whoever buys it - it will be a matter of time before it stops on them. I personally and SICK OF BEING STRANDED!!!!
  • dspradlindspradlin Member Posts: 3
    I disconnected the battery for about a minute, reconnected it, and everything works normal. Was this luck, or a solution? Anyone else tried this, with success?
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    dspradlin,

      I used to disconnect the battery too to reset everything but it was just a temporary fix for the BCM problem on our 2002 CXL.

     

      Lots of times we'd be driving along and hit a bump in the road.We would then lose all electrical power for 1-3 seconds.Sometimes it would stay off peroid and all we'd have left was the engine running and the head lights on.The dealer just slapped on a new BCM and in 2 weeks the same problem would be right back again.They didnt have a clue what else to do.

     

      Local dealer has sold 7-8 new 2002-04 RDV's and has two problem ones in there all the time.He has never gotten in a 2005.Another dealer we do business with has sold 25+ RDV's and has 6-7 problem ones.2 have been bought back by GM and a 3rd was taken to a dealer auction to get it out of the area.Beware of low mile auction RDV's.
  • dspradlindspradlin Member Posts: 3
    Well thats great. . . .my wife works for a home healthcare company, and people's lives depend on this Buick. Wonder, if the manufacturer ever considers that. . . . .We take extreme care of our vehicles, and something chronic should be recalled.
  • ragtop262ragtop262 Member Posts: 58
    A little late on this response - but I had the same problem w/my 2003. Per Buick, there was a mid year change and only the early 2003's are programmable. Unfortunately, they never updated the owner's manual accordingly. What's more, even if you once had the programming options, they will disappear if you have your computer replaced or reflashed.
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    I just found this at another place and thought that I'd share it with you.I've always thought that something else was causing all the BCM problems.Its just too easy to slap on a new BCM so the root cause is never found.Please read this below.Its sure worth trying.I wish I knew how to highlight this.

     

     I am a auto body tech for a buick dealer in FL. I also own a 04 RDV and love it. I have only had one warranty issue and that was the two front window regulators. I had to replace them because they were making noise. The right side was broken and the window was going up and down crooked. GM needs to redesign these regulators and make them out of some kind of metal instead of plastic. VW has recalled the Jetta because of the same thing and the new regulators are made of cast alluminum. If this vehicle was in a climate with snow and ice it wouldn't last a week. My vous only has 3000 miles.

    The only other things I see common on these SUVs, are the rear hatch and of course the BCM. There is a recall on the hatch. The fix for the BCM I had handled the first day I owned it. It required a $2.00 hose that catches the water from your AC units condensation and deverts it to the outside. This hose is necessary to keep the water from running down the inside of the firewall under your carpet. The water travels to a pocket in the body that contains the BCM. The pocket fills up with water and shorts out the BCM. If you have a dealer that is reputable have this hose installed right away or you will have problems
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    >The water travels to a pocket in the body that contains the BCM.

     

    Wow. That's a possible solution!!! to a major problem!!!

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Whoa. Something that simple? This is major news for Rendevous owners.
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