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Buick Rendezvous Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • kingronkingron Member Posts: 1
    Had the same thing happen to mine today 4/7/01.
    How did you get yours fixed?? what was the cost.
    thanks,
    RG :mad:
  • chauncinechauncine Member Posts: 6
    GM did not cover the hub bearing assembly on my '02 CXL with 39,000 miles. They charged me $514 (this included a 4 wheel alignment). I brought my car in because it is hesitating in low gears. The mechanic couldn't duplicate the problem and found the other problem. This could have caused the problem you described. My car still hesitates at take off and when backing out of the garage. My fear is that this may be a transmission issue and I'm no longer covered under the warranty.
  • chevanchevan Member Posts: 10
    Any Rendezvous owners happy with their vehicles? I really loved the RDV we rented in Chicago last July. It had lots of pep and handled well and I liked the looks and utility very much. I have considered purchasing a used '04 at a local dealer, but after reading all these posts of various problems, I'm not sure if I will buy. Thankyou in advance for any advice or information. pete l.
  • tmakogontmakogon Member Posts: 74
    We loved our Rendezvous. We are going overseas, so have just had to sell it (it sold the next day after the ad got in the paper, very near our asking price, which was based on kbb private value). We had a black 2002 CXL AWD. Had zero problems with it for 3 years, and enjoyed the ride. The car looks great in black. When we bought it, it was for the good looks and the good safety. Gas mileage turned out to be as shown on the sticker, 18 city and 24 highway. When we return, will check it again.

    Regards,
    Taras
  • harveydadharveydad Member Posts: 3
    We have been leasing a 2002 RDV since June 2002. We love the car and have had absolutely no problems, none, nothing, zero. We will soon be leasing another.
  • verdi942verdi942 Member Posts: 304
    Just 8,000 miles on our '04 FWD CX but with zero problems. We love its utility, versatility, capability, oh, and, yes, 20 to 30 mpg! It parks easy, too.
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    chevan,when buying a used RDV from a dealer always contact the former owner for its history.We traded off a problem plagued 2002 CXL AWD and the people that purchased it in a town 30 miles away never even bothered to contact us.There are lots of good RDV's out there and there also are some bad ones.
  • cmccullcmccull Member Posts: 33
    My 2002 Rendezvous with 20,000 miles has been trouble free. I have been very happy with this vehicle.
  • arthur25arthur25 Member Posts: 3
    My 2003 RDV CXL has been really trouble free at 22,000 miles. I would definitely recommend to anyone. I would purchase another without any hesitation. I enjoy this vehicle and after 2 years I still get many compliments. When you go for service the GM dealers appear to go out of their way to service you.
  • ckinnyckinny Member Posts: 14
    :mad:
  • ckinnyckinny Member Posts: 14
    :mad:
    I have posted my situation with a 2002 RDV CX. I'm going to post the details here and I would love to know if anyone has any thoughts. My RDV has 29,500 miles on it and I will have had it for 3 years in Sept of '05. Prior to 3/15/05 the car had stalled while moving once and wouldn't start on 3 occasions. After waiting about an hour the car would start as if nothing were wrong.

    3/15/05 While driving the car the service engine light comes on then a temp light then the car stalled. The car wouldn't start. I had it towed to the dealership.

    3/17/05 I called dealership to see if my car was ready. Service department stated that the car was out being test driven and that they had replaced something having to do with the coolant. They said they would call as soon as the car was back. They didn't call so I called them and was told that while the car was out it stalled and wouldn't start. It was close to closing time so the arranged for me to have a rental car.

    3/23/05 The service department says that they can't "recreate" the problem and they have driven the car everyday and put 100 miles on it. No "codes" come up and they don't know why the car stalled and wouldn't start but it has been running and I should come get it. I speak to the service manager to tell him that I don't feel the car is safe and since they didn't do anything to correct the problem I don't think it is fixed. Service manager gets very aggressive, raises his voice and uses swear words, tells me I have to return the rental, "we're not paying for another day" and to "come get your car". I ask for the name of the mechanic who was driving my car when it stalled. I am told I cannot have his name and I cannot speak to him. I contacted a friend who has experience dealing with cars and we called Buick Customer Service and told them the situation. I was told that they needed to do some research and talk to the service manager and would call me back on 3/29/05 between 12-2.

    3/24/05 First thing in the morning I return the rental (I didn't have a ride the previous night and arranged with the rental company to return it that morning). I do not pick up my car. I receive a call from an assistant service manager who wants to know if I'm coming to pick up the car. I tell him no. He tells me that they have called various different technical service people to try to figure out what was wrong with my car and have done all that they can do. I ask him if he would feel comfortable driving the car or with a member of his family driving the car and he admits that he wouldn't want his wife and kids driving the car.

    3/24/05 I begin doing my own research and find 10 other cars exactly like mine have been reported to NHTSA and that most of them were never able to determine why the car was stalling or not starting.

    3/29/05 The Buick Customer Service agent does not call me like she said between 12-2 and I call them at 3. They can't seem to find the woman I originally spoke to but someone else talks to me and says that she always calls her customers back and she will take over my case but she needs to speak with the dealership and gather some information. She gives me a 2 hour window that she will call me on 3/30/05.

    3/30/05 Buick Customer Service Agent calls me to say that the Service Manager at the dealership is working on a solution a "goodwill trade assist" and he will be calling me the same day to discuss it.
    He calls and I arrange to go to the dealership to go over details with a salesperson.
    I bring my friend who has experience with this sort of thing and we go to talk to the salesperson. The deal called for me to have to take another RDV ('05) off their lot (there was only one that had AWD and parking assist which my car had and are things I didn't want to lose) I would have to pay the difference between my car and the '05 (which has lots of things on it that I didn't want or need) and $.30 a mile for the miles on my car. Plus I would lose the 0% financing that I had on my car even though it was being offered on the '05 and I qualify for it.
    We are at the dealership for 3 hours. Working with the sales rep and calling the customer service number because the sales rep says that he's just going by what the customer service people say he can offer. When we get Customer Service on the phone they say that the dealer is the one setting the limits. I don't feel like it is a fair deal and feel that $.30 a mile is too much. I'm very unhappy that the 0% financing is off the table. Much bickering back and forth with sales rep. At time the "goodwill trade assist" is referred to as a "buy back". We ask to speak to the owner, who the sales rep is going off to speak to every 15 minutes or so. The owner comes out and makes it clear that he doesn't want to deal with this. He is condescending and when we say we just want to know who is setting the prices and limits so we can speak the them directly he tells us that when we speak to Buick Customer Service we aren't even speaking to anyone at GM and they can't do anything for us. We want to know who can do something for us and he says it is the zone manager but we can't have his phone number or contact info. He also tries to talk me into a "smart buy" which after we go over everything seem like the stupidest thing in the world to me but he says it would take dealing with GM out of the picture and I would just be dealing with him. I say no way to the "smart buy" and that I would like him to give my info to the zone manager. I'm told that the zone manager is very busy and doesn't have time to call me but he will give my info to him.
    I leave feeling like nothing has been accomplished.

    3/31/05 The dealership owner calls me to say that they will go to $.25 a mile but no 0% financing and I should go find my own financing.

    4/1/05 I spend that day boiling mad at the whole situation. I call Buick Customer Service and tell them what has gone on and ask if they are actually in a position to do anything for me or not as the dealer claims. I'm told they are going to contact the zone manager and call me back, again I'm given a 2 hour window to expect their call on 4/4/05.

    4/2/05 I go out and find a loan at a rate I can almost afford. I'm prepared to throw in the towel. Not having a car is taking a toll on me, my job, my boss, my husband and my husband's boss. I'm not completely giving up but I've got to get things moving to where I have a car.
    I call the sales rep to say I've got a loan and can he fax over the info to them. He says he will but "You do realize you can't take the new car today?" No, I did not realize I couldn't take the car that day. Fine I say what about Monday. Nope, there's "all sorts of paper work that has to be done before you can take the car."

    4/4/05 I call sales rep to find out how long paper work will take. I am told they have to mail things to Detroit and then Detroit
  • ckinnyckinny Member Posts: 14
    Sorry it appears that this is too long but I'll just put the rest here.

    4/4/05 I call sales rep to find out how long paper work will take. I am told they have to mail things to Detroit and then Detroit mails them back and then I have to sign them and then they are mailed back to Detroit. This seems insane considering all the technology available I tell him. I ask can’t these papers be faxed? He doesn’t know if they can be processed that way. Now I feel like they are just playing games.

    4/5/05 The Customer Service department calls me to tell me that the person who was supposed to call me isn’t in the office that day but she will call me on 4/6/05.

    4/6/05 “My” Customer Service Agent calls to say she just left a message with the zone manager but hasn’t heard from him. I tell her I thought she was calling him back on 4///. She can’t really give a reason why she didn’t call him then. She says she will call me that evening whether she has heard from the zone manager or not. She never calls.

    4/8/05 I call the dealership to see where we are with the paper work. They don’t feel like there’s any concern and not that much time has passed. I tell them I have been quite a while without a car and I want to know how things can be moved along faster. I’m told there’s nothing that can be done to make things go any faster.

    4/11/05 I’m called by the GM Business Resource Center and Customer Assistance department. I’m informed that I’m speaking to the person who will be handling my paper work. I ask how long this process is going to take. She tells me that from the time they receive my paper work back from me signed by me it will take 7 days. She just needs some info from me and then she will call the dealership and get some info from them. Then she will FAX me papers to sign and I can FAX them back to her and then the 7 days will start. I tell her I’ve really been in a bind with out a car and by the time this all goes on I will have been with out a car for over a month. She says “No, just a week” I say no this all started back in the middle of March. She says “Oh, I don’t know anything about that I just got your case today.” Fine I’m so fed up with all of this. I ask can the papers be faxed to me today so we can get this moving. She says she will fax them as soon as she has the info from the dealership. I do not receive the papers on 4/11/05.

    4/12/05 I call “my paper work person” to find out why I didn’t get the papers. She says she is still waiting for info from the dealership.
    I call back in the afternoon and she still doesn’t have the info from the dealership.

    So here I sit. No car, no paper work frustrated beyond words.
  • jk27jk27 Member Posts: 244
    Bought new in May 2002 ... love the vehicle and would definitely recommend to friends/family. I did have a head gasket replaced (coolant level was abnormally low so I brought it in) -- fully covered under warranty. Other than that, just a few minor things (e.g., lumbar knob broke off, replaced under warranty).

    Mileage for city driving (commute) is about 20 mpg, which is better than I expected. I have the AWD VersaTrack model.

    Now have 40,000 miles on my Rendezvous ... still going strong. :)
  • ckinnyckinny Member Posts: 14
    Today I was promised by GM's repurchasing dept that I would have the fax with the figures of the deal today. It is after 5 and they haven't been answering the phone for the last half hour and surprise... I didn't receive the fax.

    I am shocked by how unprofessionally this situation has been handled.
  • cyndy1cyndy1 Member Posts: 2
    My Renedezvous spends a lot of time in the dealership. It is one year old and has been towed in three times. It shut down completely. Now there is a buzzing sound in the dash, behind the glove compartment. If you hit the rear windshield wiper, you may be able to get it to stop. No one has been able to resolve these problems. It has been with the dealer for three weeks now. This problems had taken the longest to resolve, however the other problems just keep coming. :lemon: :lemon:
  • pat14pat14 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 cxl that has had only a minor wiper problem for 46,000 miles. Since GM
    is offering $6000. off 2005's I thought I would trade for a new one, but after reading
    of all the problems I would like to hear from any 2005 RDV owners if there is still as many problems before going to the dealer.
  • ckinnyckinny Member Posts: 14
    I finally received the fax and have a promise that next Friday I can pick up the '05 RDV. I also would love to hear if any '05 owners are having problems. I wouldn't have chosen to get another RDV it was my only option (other than losing everything I had invested in the '02).

    My advice to anyone having problems with any car is DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Every phone call, every visit to the service department, note how you were treated, how many times the car was in for the same problem. GET NAMES, of the service manager, mechanics, anyone you talk to. Don't wait to contact the customer service department. Time is your enemy if you want to pursue a lemon law case.

    Don't back down and don't accept any offer until you've had time to completely check it out. They (the dealership, the car manufacturer) are counting on people to give in, get fed up, give up. DON'T DO IT. Be persistent, stick with it, and get what's fair for you.
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    ckinny,
    It sure doesnt sound like your local Buick dealer really cares much about their customers after what you went thru.Any service manager that swears at a customer should be fired.My local Buick dealer would probably be just about like yours to deal with on a buy back.Its easy to see why sales are way down and that GM is in serious financial trouble.We reluctantly left GM and Buick a year ago after being loyal customers for nearly 30 years.

    It sounds like cyndy1 that posted right above you is having the same problems you had with an 04 RDV.Good luck with your new 05 RDV.So far I havent heard much bad about the 05 RDV's but they havent been out very long yet.My local Buick dealer hasnt even gotten in a new 05 RDV yet so there are none around here.Several of the 02-03 RDV's he sold are having lots of problems so guess he kind of gave up on them.One was recently traded in to our local Ford dealer.

    As you said document everything from day one when you are having problems and promptly get ahold of Buick customer service.You have to have your ducks in a row to get a dealer buy back.
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    Thanks for taking the time to share your story skinny...and the good advice. Heres hoping your 05' is a 'sweet dream'.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • cudaal1cudaal1 Member Posts: 7
    '04 CXL AWD with 3.6L engine, 7750miles. Everything works so far, good car,

    BUT gas milage consistently 9-9.7mi/gallon! Went to the local Beltway Buick -told me nothing wrong with it, just reset your Computer/DIC(!).
    I did that many times which is meaningless, and calculated economy again and again. Same numbers..

    Any suggestions? I'm going to another dealer soon(but not soon enough)

    I think if Buick cannot guaranty their window sticker numbers (18/24mi/g) they should fork up the difference with current gas prices.
    In my estimate they owe me ~$620 so far and of course same in the future, unless they fix the gas consumption.

    Anybody who knows anything about it, pls reply.

    thx

    ps. Never ever use Beltway Buick in Brooklyn, NY what a bunch of unprofessional crap!
  • jk27jk27 Member Posts: 244
    Are you relying on the numbers from your DIC to calculate the mileage? Why not try doing it the old fashioned way (start with a full tank of gas, use the odometer and see how many gallons you need to put in your Rendezvous after emptying the tank of gas). Then, if the DIC doesn't match up, you know there's something wrong with your DIC. I find that the DIC is more of an approximation -- rather than an exact reading.

    Also, if you have the CXL with auto climate control, you might try turning off your AC (which is normally on all the time, unless the temp dips below 40 degrees).

    I have a 2002 CXL and on this particular tank of gas my Rendezvous is getting 19.4 mpg (and that's for a 13 mile commute into the city, including bad traffic). You should definitely be getting higher mileage than your DIC is reporting. :shades:
  • kirkncckirkncc Member Posts: 5
    Has anyone had this problem. The fuse (36) keeps blowing and as a result my instrument lighting/interior lighting is not working. I will probably end up taking into the dealer but I would like to know whats happening before that. My Buick has been the worst for quality ever. I have had dozens of things go wrong with it and needless to say I will never buy a Buick ever again. I love the functionality of the vehicle and the concept is clever but the quality is the worst. :lemon:

    JP
  • baumanbauman Member Posts: 1
    My 2002 CXL Rendezvous has a cracked condenser. The dealer informed me that this would be a $700 fix. I know the condenser is aluminum but there is no way it should have a stress crack in less than 3 years. Has anyone else had this problem? Is there any way to have GM look at a possible recall on this or at least help off set the cost of the part?
  • kirkncckirkncc Member Posts: 5
    Yes I had a similar problem. It has nothing to do with it cracking. What it is a motor mount bolt on the 2002s rubs against the condensor and as your drive over time it causes a leak. This is known problem and I had mine fixed under warrenty (they replaced condensor and replaced the engine block bolt with a shorter one). However, since it is not a safety issue there is no recall or letter. Dealership is hoping it breaks down outside warrenty so they can soak you. So I would try to negotiate with them based on the fact this has been a known problem for awhile by the manufacturer GM and dealers should have been informed. Good Luck.

    JP :lemon:
  • rgrizzzzrgrizzzz Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the info about the GM Tech link. I finally got the car to the dealer, and they said $575 for parts, labor and tax. I'm currently talking to GM customer service about the issue. My personal opinion is that if the part has issues, 25% of the time, there should be a recall, or something done to offset the cost of the repair on faulty units. 25% is too high. Here's the link to the official GM Tech Link site. The other one wasn't a GM site. This might help in dealing with GM customer service.

    http://www.gmtechlink.com/images/issues/feb05/TLFeb05e.html

    Outside of this issue, I really like the vehicle.
  • fanti2fanti2 Member Posts: 1
    I have an 03 RDV with less than 12000 miles on it.In january it locked me inside the car and would not unlock the doors for over 3 minuites which seemed like eternity..I called onstar and they told me to take it to the nearest dealer to get it worked on as soon as possibe that they had many lights showing up as the car being defective.well, that got fixed. Now, 3 weeks ago, my fuel tank had a leak in it thankfully I was out of the vehicle with my 6 months old baby before this was discovered and the dealer states that this will not be covered by warranty that i had a whole in it.This car has been less than a year old in my possesion.How do i follow this up with GM cause I am so scared to drive the car now and worry everyday that I might not make it out of the car alive if gasoline should leak with my and my baby entraped as it had happened in january? Any ideas? please help me out.I am so ready to get rid of this thing.
    :mad:
  • jk27jk27 Member Posts: 244
    I don't mean to minimize your experiences, but it sounds to me like 2 things have occurred: lock malfunction and gas tank leak. I don't know what caused the lock malfunction, but I am presuming you got that fixed. So, that shouldn't be an issue any more (did it just happen that once?). As for the gas tank, you are aware that the gas tank is under the car, and it is possible that debris on the road can puncture it. I've been driving cars for many, many years and I've never had that happen to me. I'm guessing that the gas tank puncture was one of those "freak" accidents -- that happen. So, based on your description, I wouldn't be worried at all. And it certainly wouldn't qualify as a lemon, based upon Wisconsin law.

    If you truly are freaked out about driving the car, then sell it -- or trade it. However, all cars have gas tanks on the bottom of the vehicle -- and can be punctured.
  • poolmanpoolman Member Posts: 1
    Hello all! My apologies if this question has been raised before (though I did a search of your discussions). I just stumbled on this Owners Group via a Google search and I'm wondering if anyone else is noticing this...

    We have a 2002 Rendezvous CX and, up until a month ago, this vehicle lived its whole life outdoors in Central Florida (so sun is definitely a factor, I'm sure). The amber colored plastic lenses that cover the upper, turn signal portion of the whole light cluster are quite weathered. They almost looked like they've "dried out." I almost want to say it's cracking, except for I can't seen anything that would indicate it has gone all the way through the plastic...so whatever "cracking" it might be, it appears to be superficial. But, in any case, it looks pretty cloudy now. And I'm sure it's in part due to the fact that these particular covers, due to the fact that they lie in a plane with the hood, pretty much face up and into the sun and the weather.

    I have no expectation that this situation is reversable...the plastic seems quite permanently altered. I'm just wondering if the best strategy here is to go find a pair of these lenses at an auto salvage yard....because I'm sure that new ones are a small fortune. Has anyone had this problem and, if so, what did you do to rectify it?

    By the way, I've noticed on some newer RDVs that these lenses are clear, not amber. Was that a change in later model years? Or is it tied to a particular level of trim?
  • shallweeshallwee Member Posts: 1
    i have the same problem with my 2002 rdv. security light comes on and then sometimes the windows work but nothing else, but usually no power options work. (including the radio being locked). so far i have my husband disconnect the positive terminal on the battery and everything resets. very inconvenient for me though. the dealer said that i have to bring it in while it is messed up, so next time i will. hate to have to pay for a new bcm if that isn't going to fix the problem for sure though.
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    GM announced today a voluntary recall for some 2004 Rendezvous for ignition relay problem creating intermitent stall or failure to start
  • chauncinechauncine Member Posts: 6
    The problem turned out to be my transmission and transfer assembly. The repair cost came to $4,700. GM picked up $4.100 due to premature failure. When I asked my original service manager how this was missed, he stated that the symptoms I described may have been caused by the hub bearing assembly.
    I told him I wasn't Goodwrench trained but even I could see what the actual problem was. He told me he didn't manufacture them and his responsibility ended at 39, 000 miles. Needless to say, I will not patronize that dealership again.
  • ckinnyckinny Member Posts: 14
    I finally have finished my dealings with GM. After a month and numerous shady happenings.

    Before I could pick up the '05 I had to get the paperwork from where I was getting the loan (I'm still pissed at having to roll what was left on my '02 at 0% into a loan where I have to pay interest). The dealership had changed the tax amount by $600 but that wasn't the worst of it. They sent 2 faxes where they had the value of the car different by $4,00.00. I spent over an hour at the loan office trying to get everything straightened out.

    As for the '05, I'm not impressed. The sleek dash, silver with the blue backlighting is gone and replaced with your standard black with white numbers. The dual temp controls are flimsy (the temp controls in my husbands chevy truck are nicer). There's only one adapter outlet up front where the '02 had 2. I have half an electric seat which makes no sense to me. The fabric seems to have been downgraded. I never would have chosen this car. I had to take the only car on the dealers lot that had AWD and rear parking assist which were 2 things I didn't want to give up. I will never do business with that deal again and I'm starting to think GM will have folded by the time I go to buy a new car.
  • mnyhats1mnyhats1 Member Posts: 19
    I have a 2002 Buick RDV and have had no problems until last December (after the warranty had run out and the day before Christmas). At 53,000 miles a front wheel bearing went out. Cost at the dealership was $450 plus $36 diagnostic fee. Found an independent that did it in a half hour for $330. Three months later the other front wheel bearing went out. This time I complained to GM and was assured after a lengthy discussion with a rep that he thought I had a very good case and he could get me some money back IF, and only IF I went to a dealership. So I did but only because he assured me I had a good case and at a cost of $494. I sent in my letter with all the documentation, explaining I had been a GM car owner for more than 40 years (buying 10 new ones in the past 28 years) and looking forward to hearing from them. I also live about 25 miles from town and most of my mileage is on the highway. The rep called me about five weeks later and informed me that my request had been denied due to 'wear and tear.' I was livid! I had just replaced the tires at 65,000 miles and he's telling me 'wear and tear' is the problem. I'm very angry at GM and wondering if anyone out there has had any wheel bearing problems. I did find a friend who also has a 2002 who had two wheel bearings go during the same timeframe as mine but he also had serious engine problems but was lucky enough to have that happen under warranty. And they wonder why GM is going broke!!! Anyone out there with wheel bearing problems? Thanks for your help!

    Carol
  • ckinnyckinny Member Posts: 14
    Both the front wheel bearings went out on my '02 the second year I had it so it was covered under warrenty.
  • mnyhats1mnyhats1 Member Posts: 19
    Hi:

    I have a '02 RDV and get excellent gas mileage compared to yours of course. I average between 22-24 mpg. I only have a front-wheel drive however, not the four-wheel drive. I've had problems with two front wheel bearings going bad at a horrible expense but I've been very happy with the gas mileage. Hope yours improves.

    Carol
  • mnyhats1mnyhats1 Member Posts: 19
    Do you recall your mileage at the time? Unfortunately, both of mine went out after warranty ran out. Mine will be three years old in August and I have 67,000 because I live in the country. Obviously the wheel bearing issue should be a recall. I wonder why GM never did anything about it. Thanks for your response.
  • jdksjdks Member Posts: 42
    I had the same problem in my first year, the right front bearing had to be replaced and shortly after the left front bearing. Apparently, we're the exception among 150,000 other owners :P
  • sampson3sampson3 Member Posts: 6
    I have two 02 Rendezvous My wifes had many electrical problems of course they started at 38000 miles buick would not help at all, Now mine reads ERROR across the odometer and all the computer for mile per gallon etc doesn't work
    I took it to one place and spent the $75.00 diagnostic and basically they said it had to be replaced will be $500.00 or more

    What happened in your case, are they going to recall, i love the car but all these electrical problems are bothersome Can we pull together to get something done

    Kerry
  • sampson3sampson3 Member Posts: 6
    Have they recalled this yet digital odometer reades error and corrupts the computer instrument cluster
  • sampson3sampson3 Member Posts: 6
    Just took my 02 RNDVZ in, The mechanic told me the BCM had to be replaced. If you turned the car off, the lights would come on, if you turned the lights off the interior lights would come on, finally drained the battery
    Cost $550.00 to repair, and oh yea! had 38,000 miles on her, Buick how did they respond, They said they could not help because it was over warranty, then I saw all the 961 postings on bad BCM. Wrong move GM. Now the air conditioner is out. !!!!
  • ckinnyckinny Member Posts: 14
    If you want to get anything out of Buick or GM be prepared to fight. They count on the fact that most people will not have the patience or endurance to out last them. Call the customer service department daily. Find out who the zone manager or zone rep is in your area and contact them if you can.

    Contact the Better Business Bureau in the city your dealership is in and in Detroit. Be prepared for a ton of paperwork. Also it won't happen overnight. You're looking at months.

    I'm in no way trying to talk you out of it. I would love for every unhappy customer to fight and win. Maybe then GM will look at how they treat customers as a direct link to their profits being in the toilet.
  • sampson3sampson3 Member Posts: 6
    Oh now I get it finally because, I got the same sales pitch from the dealer, he said oh if you get it repaired here (the bad BCM) we can save you hundreds because GM is wonderful at assisting customers when they are slightly out of warranty mine of course had 38000 miles so I bellieved him. I was very polite in filling out my formal complaint with GM. I was crushed when they called me and told me they would not help at all. nothing zippo. Thats the SCAM . Then I got really mad when i read all the other postings for bad BCM s So I called them back and explained to them that I kwew this was defective because I had read 100 postings about it and further more I owned 2 rendevous both with serious electrical issues.
    This time I was excited because the attendant said I can have an answer for you in 10 minutes just please hold.....20 minutes later walah... NO can't help you. They even ask me how many GM vehichles I owned in my life. Heck I've had sububans tahoes , park ave, My Grandfather, God rest his soul is the person that turned me owned to the smooth ride and customer service, Don't roll over anymore Granddad, This is unreal, now I have to deal with the AC out at 38000 miles and the instrument panel can't read and doesnt' work proper
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    Sampson3 and mnyhats1,
    So sorry to hear of all your RDV problems.The (3) most common problems with the 2002-03 RDV's are bad BCM's,wheel bearing failure,and AC condensor failure.Just start at page one post # 1 right here and read all 965 of them and you will see that you arent alone.I have (15) other car sites bookmarked where RDV owners are on there complaining about the same problems you guys are.I sent these to ckinny that posts on here.I recently was at a very large Buick dealer and got them to admit the RDV's had far too many AC condensor failures.

    When our 02 RDV's BCM's started going bad in Feb 2004 we called GM customer service about this problem.They acted like we were the first ones to ever have this problem even though lots of RDV owners here on Edmunds had already been having the same problem for over a year.You will have to hound GM to death to get anything out of them.GM will never recall anything until the govt makes them do it.10's of thousands of intake gaskets have failed on the 1995-2003 GM 3100-3400 V-6 engines and they still havent been recalled.

    All I can say is good luck.
  • mnyhats1mnyhats1 Member Posts: 19
    I haven't had any odometer problems....yet. But I'm fighting right now with GM and plan to continue, even going to the local newspaper but I'm waiting for a reply in writing. If you know of anything at all that we can do, I'm happy to fight with you. I'm currently working with a friend who retired from GM and he is familiar with my wheel bearing problem and an engine problem he had with his 2002 RDV. He is going to get back to me. I'll share his info if it's anything that could help us. In the meantime, I hope others read this and decide perhaps we can do something if we do it together. Good luck!
  • mnyhats1mnyhats1 Member Posts: 19
    regalluvr2: I just replied to the Odometer problem. HOpe you read that one. Do you know of anything we can do, even by contacting any governmental agency to find out the process to group together? No wonder GM's going broke! I love my RDV but I'm not looking forward to additional problems. So far it's only been the wheel bearings and I'm at 67,000. Otherwise it's been great! I guess I'll just keep fighting for now. Isn't this sad....

    mnyhats1
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Are the condenser problems because of a bolt that sticks out too far and rubs the condenser leading to failure? That should be repaired by GM whether in or out of warranty.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • verdi942verdi942 Member Posts: 304
    Were there any noises that you now know were caused by the failing bearings? I'm hearing an occasional 'groan' from the front end when starting from rest and turning the steering wheel. Sound familiar?
  • regalluvr2regalluvr2 Member Posts: 114
    mnyhats1,
    I'd file a complaint with the NHTSA.Here is a link to them.If its not OK to use this link then the moderator can delete my post.
    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/complaintsearch.cfm
    Find the Buick RDV section.There are alot of complaints there.Wheel bearings should never go bad until well over 100,000 miles,maybe even 200,000 miles.Bad bearings are deffinitely a safety hazard.I just cant understand why the RDV's and Azteks are having so much trouble with wheel bearings.I farm and have a total of 10 vehicles on the place and havent lost a wheel bearing in over 30 years.I also have 6 tractors and 2 combines.

    We got tired of our 02 RDV CXL AWD being at the GM dealer all the time so got rid of it.There were many things we liked about it but the reliability just wasnt there.I see GM has recalled the 04 RDV's for intermintent stalling but not the 02's and 03's which have the same problem.

    verdi942,
    It sounds to me like your front wheel bearings are going bad.One way to find out is jack the front end up and block the rear wheels to keep it from rolling.With the tranny in neutral roll the wheels over by hand listening for a grinding sound.Then shake in and out on them to see if they are loose.If they are get it to a dealer immediately.
  • mnyhats1mnyhats1 Member Posts: 19
    Verdi942:

    Yes, the noise is quite obvious, especially after you've had one go bad. Now I'm paranoid every time I hear a noise. It is quite distinctive and I would call it a low roar, under the front seat area, if that makes sense. The independent that fixed mine, got in the car, we rode one block and he diagnosed it immediately. The Buick dealer, on the other hand, charged me a $36 diagnostic fee to tell me the same thing. Not sure if you have a Muffler Man in the area but that's who fixed mine at $330 rather than the $454 plus $36 diagnostic fee. You might want to check around. Good luck!

    mnyhats
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