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Comments
Thanks,
Shredder
Would be nice to get any bugs from the 2005s cleaned up too.
Shredder
As to how to get one after the fact, and at what cost, I'm no good to you there, but if your local dealer can't figure it out, I'd say GM had best be doing some remedial training in their show rooms... It seems like a pretty simple request!
shredder : 3.9L would be a nice option for sure. Should see the 2006s any day now. Call your dealer, they know what's coming.
The dealer had a hard time locating them in their computer. They are listed under a unusual spot according to the dealer.
I bought mine at Dow Lewis Yuba City CA
They checked everything over and could not find the problem. It was not alignment
problems. The dealer called GM and GM stated they are aware that the vehicle is pulling to the right as they have had noted complaints. They stated they are looking into the problem but there is no solution at this time.
You will also find the 2006 does the pull as well. They seem to think it may lay in with the traction control. I have turned off my traction control and the vehicle does not pull as much to the right.
GM said check bad at a later time for a resolution.
Anyway, still enjoying the van. See a lot of them around now so they must be selling ok though some are rentals no doubt. Anyone seen or driven a 3.9L version yet?
Overall, we're still very happy with our decision to buy the Uplander. We average 20 mpg in town with properly inflated tires and 24/25 with higway driving. I still think it's the best looking minivan on the road and most people who see it make some sort of comment. I think this van, like the G6 has been slow catching on, but is starting to be noticed. It's hard to change your image overnight, but at least GM is trying to do so.
1. Major rattle in the passenger dash area, almost like the air bag is rattling.
2. Rattle in the suspension of the front end
3. Curling body side moldings - read others are having the same issue.
4. Dimming lights - alternator
5. Specific to my van, significant air leak in near the passenger lower windshield / dash area. The dash actually gets very cold in the winter months and we leave a small towel on the dash stop the draft.
Any one else experiencing 1, 2, or 5 or have a potential solution to them? I haven't taken it in yet as it is a major inconvience and it is a company car. But I will be shortly and would like to push the dealership in the right direction based on other's experiences.
Thanks
Saturn-Saab Canada
7496-2 Bath Road
Mississauga ON L4T 1L2
To Whom It May Concern:
SUBJECT:2005 RELAY VIN# 5(*&^&D181831
On or about January 15th my wife and I began the search for the perfect replacement vehicle, we were driving a 2003 Pontiac Vibe at the time but had outgrown its uses. We contemplated Honda Elements, Nissan X-trail and Hyundai Sante Fe, but after careful measuring and discussions we narrowed it down to the Chevrolet Equinox or one of the 2005 CSV’s ,we put together the available packages and configurations to make a long story shorter we narrowed it down to the Saturn Relay 2 EWB.
On February 3rd we picked up our 2005 Saturn Relay from MotorCity Saturn of Whitby On, the staff and service were outstanding, now the story. On the night of Feb 4th we were driving home from a friend of ours in the country and noticed a flickering of the lights both dash and headlights, we did not notice this on delivery as it was a bright sunny day. I returned to the dealer the Monday morning to see if the dealer could fix this issue, they advised me they knew nothing about this issue, I went home did my research via internet surfing, voila! An advisory was issued on December 14 2004, it advised dealer service departments that some vehicles were exhibiting some flickering light issues, they did not know the cause, were looking into it..it went on to say the vehicle was safe to drive and that service techs were not attempt any fixes until told by GM.
On the next day I returned to the dealership and brought them up to speed on my findings, they checked there system and confirmed my findings Today is now March 16th. I went and home and waited for a fix.
During the week we noticed the fuel gauge was being very erratic, we were not really sure how much fuel was in the vehicle until the Friday Morning when my wife phoned me at work to advise me the Van would not start and the DIC said “low fuel” when we parked it with just under what we perceived to be a ¼ tank .needless to say my mother –in-law arrived and drove my wife to the gas station to fill the Lawnmower gas can..still did not start....she phoned me back and I advised her to try rolling it onto the street, but be careful because she had limited brakes and steering..she didn`t make past the curb so my Mother-in-law (with Cane in Hand) and her pushed the rest of the way after it leveled out it fired right up!!
The service department had no answer for my problem, so I took advantage of the Saturn Exchange policy in hopes that perhaps I had got a lemon .after much searching we found the identical vehicle with the DVD we originally wanted in Belleville via Kitchener .
On February 18th we received our exchange vehicle only to find out that it too had Flickering Lights, door mouldings peeling off and lower moulding coming off .just before we were about to leave we discovered the Power windows were inoperable. I again returned the next morning, were the Service department discovered the electrical harness had somehow disconnected in the door, they fixed this problem, ordered mouldings for my door and I advised them that I would make an appointment when they could supply me with a Courtesy vehicle.
Since that time the Flickering lights have progressively gotten worse to point were I have almost been cutoff by Tractor Trailers on the Highway assuming I was flashing them to say it was okay to change lanes ”Very Scary!!!!” on two separate occasion the starter has remained engaged after the engine has started, there is static interference when listening to DVD, coincides with engine RPM`s, a whining whistling with Engine RPM`s , and the fuel gauge is still as erratic as the first vehicle ..a service appointment was scheduled for Tuesday March 22nd 2005.
It is now September and we are on alternator #3, Radio #2, the DVD still buzzes, the mouldings are again beginning to peel now the headlight lens are spidering/cracking(one already being replaced)
I have since met with a District Service Manager..who basically looked right through me and said we`ll look into these issues and get back to you.
We are very dissatisfied and discouraged with this vehicle and the General Motors Corporation, for Gm to make statements that it is safe to drive while not really knowing why these vehicles are exhibiting these lighting issues is in my opinion very bold and dangerous, for Gm to allow these vehicles to leave the assembly plant in Doraville Georgia is unacceptable, for GM to still not have a fix for a potentially dangerous situation is irresponsible.
Until this problem is rectified I will not and would not refer anybody to purchasing a General Motors product, even if the problem is solved the sour taste in my mouth may keep me from ever giving General Motors a referral.
I guess until these problems are fixed I’ll try not to drive at night or in the rain, always keeps a minimum of ¼ tank of fuel,not park in sloped drive way, not use my DVD what else? At least the OnStar works..for now! This is a piece of 2005 Modern day technology, not a 1988 Ford Tempo.
I would appreciate your feedback as soon as possible.
cc: Transport Canada, Nhtsa, GMAC, John Carter LLB
I thought I had a bad one. My Terraza had the same flickering light issues and a new alternator solved it...well almost. It does not happen but not as much. You mentioned the starter staying engaged and I was told by the dealer that he answers this question every day and it is normal for the starter to crank after the key is released. Apparently the signal that the engine is running is electronic and is not controlled by the release of the ignition. He sounded sincere and confident what ever that is worth. By biggest hangup is the lack of power when loaded up with 4 or more. For a vehicle designed to haul people, it really doesn't do it with well. Good luck...Matt
Too bad. Saturn should take care of you though, I certainly hope so.
I have one for ya all,
We live here in Florida and my wife drives her soccer mobile around during the day. When she shuts off the vehicle the gas tanks makes a couple of loud popping noises about 10-20 seconds apart for approximately 1 minute. Anyone else heard of this. She took it to the dealer and of course Murphys law...No noise. My theory is the heat from the exhaust is heating up the tank but if that is the case I would feel it would be a widespread issue...Help
Thanks
I drive many miles in a year, and the low price (the sticker's high, but nobody buys a Buick at sticker), long warranty, and availability of the navigation system in the Terraza appeals to me. (And those second row bucket seats look comfortable.)
The high price and skimpy warranty is giving me second thoughts though.
And my current Odyssey is still going, with 80K on the odometer.
Perhaps by 2006 year end closeout I can swipe a deal on a van. (any van)
Will GM roll out employee pricing again as a way to clean house? Its an effective method and if not used too often, will swing buyers on the fence towards GM.
My wife and I are interested in taking advantage of the 0% on '05 Uplanders. We test drove a '05 demo with a 3/05 delivery date (an early build date). The Van has 7,500 miles on it. It is a base model with only three options. Climate package, cruise, and keyless remote entry. We loved the van and cut a great deal. Took it for a test drive only to find that it pulls hard to the right on acceleration. Told salesman, but he did not believe until he test drove it himself and confirmed problem. He took it immediately to service to have an alignment done. (second one i might add according to service records.) We both took it for a follow up test drive only to find that it did not correct problem. I did notice that the front tires were quite worn for 7K miles!
My question is, after reading up on this very helpful forum, and finding others with the same problem, has anyone found a true fix or recall notice? Obviously this is not an alignment issue as some of you may already know. The van drives arrow straight. It only shows up during heavy acceleration situations. I did take a '06 for a ride (same style base van with same options with only 24 miles on it) to do a comparison and it did not torque steer to the right. Is this a chronic problem with these '05 models?
Thanks
Bob R.
This is a great website and you can see all of the technical bulletins as well as recalls and see what others have had problems with. There is a TSB regarding the rear suspension noise (noise or clunk in the rear suspension).
When I took this back to the dealer, though, he didn't fix it. He just told me that there are so many parts on the Terraza, there is bound to be noises and because so many of the parts are plastic, this will happen!
The first were minor problems: chiming when putting the van into gear, sliding door making grinding sounds when closing and the door locks opening and closing when driving. This was related to a bad fuse or sensor, which was replaced and recalibrated. (Although this still happens, so not convinced that this sensor is any good either!)
The car started moving forward when using the remote start, was told that sometimes gas stays in the lines thus causing the forward movement.
Twice had to be returned for repairs regarding the radiator support coming in contact with the frame rail. First time replaced the right support - still had noise. Second time per service bulletin they reworked the frame channel.
Then had a recall on the harmonic balancer bold, which needed retorqued.
At 5819 miles, the brakes began to pulsate and grind when going down hills - found that both front brake rotors were scored and they decided to grind down the rotors rather than replace them.
But the biggest problem was two weeks ago, driving on a Saturday afternoon on a very busy major highway, at about 50 mph the steering completely locked up on me! This caused the van to swerve from side to side, making it all but impossible to control! The van quickly decelerated to about 30 mph and I was in the fast lane! The brakes and the gas also wouldn't work, so I was at the mercy of the other drivers. The traction control light was on, even when I tried to turn the TC off, and the "Service Stability System" light was flashing! Somehow, by the grade of God, I was able to use all of my power to get the van to turn a very hard left and went flying into an empty lot. There I sat, shaking and trembling. I called roadside assistance and they said not to drive it again and they would take care of towing it to the dealer.
Found out that there was a faulty steering wheel sensor in the van and this had to be replaced! I have absolutely no faith in this new part, as the other parts replaced in the van still malfunction. And this is the steering sensor! Talk about safety issues.
Started a case file with Buick, and got nowhere with them. There are satisfied that the new part will be fine and they closed the case. Got nowhere with the dealer, either, as he offered to buy back the van (which I have had for seven months and have only 5979 miles on it) for $16,500.00! What an insult to my intelligence!! This van stickered at just under $30,000.00. Or they offered to put me into an 06 Terraza but I would have to pay the difference of $7,500.00!!!
So, the van now sits in my driveway! I am absolutely terrified to drive it again. I guess Buick will either wait for an injury or a fatality to occur before they realize that there is a MAJOR safety problem with my van.
Has anyone else had any of the problems that I have had, especially the steering problems ? (I did see on the NHTSA board that one other person also had the same steering problem as me, but I didn't even know about that web site until a friend of mine emailed me the link)
Hope everything works out in the end sounds pretty frustrating.
I, too, would love to hear any compare/contrast comments you have between the Terraza and the Rendezvous. I currently own a 2002 AWD RDV CXL but I'd like a bit more cargo room. How does the ride/handling compare? Acceleration (I'm assuming with the 3.9, you have a lot more get up and go)? Creature comforts? Visibility? Usable cargo room? Thanks!
Can you share with us what you paid for your 06 Terraza?
I was doing some research and I was bummed to read this snippet from Consumer Reports on the Terraza:
"The Terraza is one of four freshened GM minivans. As with the Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6, and Saturn Relay, the Terraza is powered by a coarse 3.5-liter V6 engine. A more-powerful 3.9-liter is optional. The heavy second-row seats can be folded and removed, while the third-row seat folds flat on the floor when not in use. It drives very similarly to the Saturn Relay we tested, with a stiff ride and noisy interior. Handling is reluctant. The interior trim is insubstantial. The new snout can't disguise the fact that these are essentially outdated minivans that are not competitive in their class. First-year reliability has been much worse than average."
Thoughts? Other cross-over alternatives with a car-like ride?