Buick Rendezvous

regalluvr2 · December 2004

You are correct about alot of the same problems showing up on Buick RDV's.I've done many web searches and have been on numerous automotive forums and all the problems you mention plus others are far too common.The NHSTA is well aware of GM's BCM problems.

A year ago when our 2002 CXL AWD started having BCM problems I made a list of all the bad BCM's on just Buick RDV's alone and I had a list of well over 100 owners with problems.One owner was on his 6th BCM.For every person that posts on the internet about problems believe me there are 100's that dont.I work with 20 people at work and not a one posts on any forum.Some dont even have a computer.

One tow truck owner said his most commonly towed vehicle was the Buick RDV and Pontiac Aztek and it was because of electrical problems.Our 2002 CXL got so bad if you went over a railroad track we would lose all electrical functions for 2-3 seconds.Then you would be driving along and would lose everything except the headlights and nothing would come back on.I had to unhook the battery to turn the headlights off.While waiting for our 3rd BCM we received a decent trade offer and got rid of our RDV.BCM's were always on back order and you had to wait to get them.

We once drove 30 miles home on back roads in cold weather with no electrical and only the headlights.This isnt very safe.At least it didnt die and leave us stranded like lots have.One family had their vacation ruined at Yellowstone because of this.

I might add that once in early 2003 when we were looking to trade our 1998 Regal GS off for a program RDV we found one that we liked but then this dealer in Omaha,NE informed us that this was a Buick buy back because of problems the first owner had.We then found a clean low mile 2002 CXL AWD in Oklahoma City and bought it.It ran perfect until 30,000 miles and then the problems started.

I'm not anti Buick as we have driven mostly all Buicks since 1984.There are (4) Buick Regals in our yard right now that are basically problem free and I would drive anywhere.We were very dissapointed with our 2002 CXL but still miss it as it had lots of things we liked.

There are lots of good RDV's out there but there are bad ones too.I highly reccomend a GM factory extended warranty to everyone that owns a RDV.You can drop $5-6000 real easy in repairs.Remember that the GM 3.4 has a history of leaking intake and head gaskets plus you have the BCM and much-much more to worry about if you get a bad RDV.I sincerely hope most of you got a good one.

manny5 · December 2004

I have 2002 CX with 52K miles. When Buick designs and sells a $30K car, you expect to go trouble free for atleast 50-60K miles.

This car had too many things go wrong for too many people. The engine gasket, BCM module, intake manifold, the A/C compressor, wheel bearings. How can so many components go bad on so many cars? This is definitely a design flaw.

Look at Toyota or Honda products. They make and sell lot more than 150,000 units. Camry sells more than that in a year. You do not see this type of pattern, so many components fail on so many cars?

If GM wants to survive long term, they need to stop building and selling cheap cars with rebates and low interest rates. They need to design and make better products that will compete with foreign cars.

rewinding · December 2004

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 with the cold weather or my hearing is going bad.

regalluvr2 · December 2004

In the past year I have spent countless hours doing web searches on Buick RDV's and just ran across another interesting place with 10-15 complaints.

Here is what happened to one 2002 RDV owner.He must be from Canada.I would link you to this site but Edmunds wont allow me.

Faulty Dash Sensor 15K

Air Conditioner Condensor 25K

Rear Wiper Motor 50K

Fan Blower Motor 50K

Front Wheel Bearings 50K

Gas Tank Sending Unit 60K

Air Conditioner Condensor 65K

Intake Gaskets 85K

Rear Wheel Bearings 105K

He said he was very fortunate to have a 100K 0 deductible GM extended warranty.However,he was constantly renting cars,missing work,and feels like GM took him for a ride.

It seems like Buick RDV's are either all good or all bad which I dont understand.Many owners are 100% happy while others hate theirs.

As a former RDV owner I will make a few observations.Why did Buick choose to build off the Pontiac Aztek platform?It had the GM 3.4 V-6 which from 1995-2003 has had a lousy reputation for leaking intake and head gaskets.Go check all the Chevy Venture,Pontiac Montana,and numerous other forums where some people have completely ruined their 3.4 engines to a tune of $4-6,000.Some are making payments on vehicles they cant afford to put an engine in.Dexcool and oil dont mix.There are 1000's of complaints on these intake gaskets.For some reason GM wont issue a recall.

Buick had the proven 3800 or SC3800 engine that should have been used in an all Buick designed RDV.We own a 1991 Buick Regal Limited with 150,000 miles that I drive to work every day.Other than routine maintenance all thats ever been done to it is one alternator and one PW motor.

Why does GM flood the market with program vehicles,offer huge rebates,and 0% interest?This drives the trade in value of all GM vehicles to practically nothing.

Take our program 2002 Buick RDV CXL AWD that we purchased in March 2003 at Bob Moore in Oklahoma City.It was a loaded untitled GM factory exec car that listed new for over $35,000.With only 13,000 miles on it they were selling it for only $23,000.Thats almost a dollar a mile depreciation.

We traded off our loaded 55,000 mile 1998 Regal GS that we purchased new.It stickered at over $25,000.We only got $5,000 trade in for it on the RDV which is about all you will get when trading on a program vehicle.I sure wish we had that 98 GS back.

Our CXL ran perfect from 13,000 to 30,000 miles.Then at 30,000 miles the BCM problems came.We lost trust in it and got tired of it being in the shop all the time so decided to trade it off if anyone would give us $18,000 for it.If no one would,we were going to keep it and buy a GM factory extended warranty.Also we were going to have the new improved intake gaskets installed.

We spent many-many hours researching the web for the most dependable SUV and narrowed the choice down to a Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.Their problems seemed very minor compared to the RDV's.The first dealers we went to would only give us $14,000 for our RDV.We finally called a full line GM-Ford-Chrysler-Toyota dealer in eastern Kansas and told them we'd trade for a new Toyota Highlander if they'd give $18,000 and they gave us $18,300 and they had our old RDV sold in 10 days.

Toyota and Honda dont do all this program stuff,0% interest and it holds their trade in values high.In fact on the east coast most new Honda Pilots sell for over factory sticker price.GM,Ford,Chrysler had better learn from this.

So far our Toyota is trouble free at 14,000 miles.Will it stay that way who knows?We once had a 1986 Toyota Camry that had electrical problems galore.However,we also once had a 1977 Toyota Celica GT that was running strong at 200,000 miles when the body rotted off it.

In all my Buick RDV research on the internet here are the more common problems in order that I see,mostly on the 2002's and 2003's.

1 BCM's,BCM's,BCM's And More BCM's (Electrical)

2 Wheel Bearings

3 AC Condensors

4 Intake Gaskets

5 Fuel Pumps

6 Dying On The Freeway-Refusing To Start-Have

  To Be Towed-Then Starts At The Dealer

7 Automatic Trans Shucking Out At Over $4,000!! In Early March 2003 Were Looking At A 2002 CXL In Omaha And Then Was Told It Was A GM Buy Back Because Of Tranny and Electrical Problems

8 Wind Catching The Drivers Door And Bending It

  To The Tune of $1,000.Happened to (4) RDV's In One

  Day In A Small Kansas Town

9 Air Bags Not Deploying In A Bad Wreck

10 Fuel Leaks At Gas Filler Neck

10 Blower Motors Going Out

11 Front Differential Going Out

12 Lots Of Little Things

Do we miss our 2002 Buick CXL?Yes,we do as there were things we really liked about it.We talk about it all the time.Would we buy another Buick RDV?Yes,if we knew the new 3.6 engine was holding up OK and knew it was as dependable as our Buick Regals were.

If at all possible I highly urge all RDV owners to get a GM factory extended warranty even if it has been trouble free so far.I'm not out here to beat up on Buick RDV owners as I still like Buicks proven by the 2000 LS,1991 Limited,1986 T-Type,and 1985 T-Type Regals still sitting in my drive way.Over 400,000 miles sitting there with very few problems.

I'm still waiting for the first RDV owner with 100,000 miles and no problems.There has to be one.

jk27 · December 2004

mallaik said, "Now the warranty coverage is almost over for you, your troubles will start. Make sure you have $4-5K to repair all the things that might come up in the next few months unless you have extended warranty."

Right ... and according to your conspiracy theory, the car is designed to fail only AFTER the 3 year 36 month bumper to bumper warranty fails. Give me a break! There are always going to be bad apples with every car model (even ... gasp ... Honda). This car has been extremely reliable and I will continue to recommend it to my friends/family. YMMV (and apparently it does). If I see you on the side of the road, I'll be happy to stop and give you a ride into town.

Like I said, there are 150,000 Rendezvous on the road ... there are going to be some lemons. Fortunately, I did not get one. Sorry to hear you did.

regalluvr2 · December 2004

It just about has to be Dave Sinclair Buick in St Louis.Right now he has over (50) listed on his website.However he doesnt have a single Ultra.Are they still in short supply?I have yet to see my first one and we circle Buick dealers quite often on trips.

We were at Sinclairs in Feb 2003 and he had over (80) new RDV's on the lot.I was amazed at the large inventory he carried.There should be a bunch of them on the streets of St Louis.

Anyone know of a Buick dealer with a larger RDV inventory?We live in the rural midwest and most dealers dont even have new ones in stock anymore.There are (7) RDV's in our town and most came from other dealers.

regalluvr2 · December 2004

Today we were out for a drive in our 2000 Regal LS and stopped at a distant Buick dealer some miles away to see our first new 2005 LaCrosse.

  A salesman came out to help us and we told him that we were just looking as earlier this year we had traded off a problem prone RDV and didnt really need another payment right now.

  I then asked him his opinion of the Buick RDV and he surprised me by saying that it was about the most problem plagued vehicle they had right now.Without me telling him he then named off all the same numerous problems that many RDV owners on here are having.

  He said that they had already completed one RDV GM buy back,were working on another GM RDV buy back,plus took another local problem plagued RDV trade in to an auction rather than sell it locally.

  He said that one owners RDV will just die going 70 mph going down the hiway and wont restart.They will tow it in to the dealer,and then it will start.They cant figure out whats causing it.

  Another RDV owner says that their RDV is possesed as for no reason the horn will start honking.Its done this at the dealer too.

  I asked him if nearly half the RDV's they had sold were having problems and the look on his face told me that I wasnt far from wrong.This is a fair sized Buick dealer thats sold quite a few RDV's.I dont believe that they have any new RDV's in stock.

  This salesman was so honest that I wouldnt hesitate to buy a new or used car from him and his dealership.Honest ones are far and few between.

  I wish that I had better news as I'm a Buick man.I know lots of you are not having problems but those that are need to get an extended warranty or trade it off.GM needs to make things right with the many problem plagued RDV owners.Sorry if I made anyone mad.

manny5 · December 2004

You may call it a conspiracy throry. But the history shows it. Majority of problems do show up after 3 years. It may be a pure coincidence, they show up just after the warranty expires.

I hope you will never have any problems with your RDV. If you do not, your RDV is an exception, and you are a very lucky person.

see Message #3829 from regalluvr2. The dealerships are even admitting the problems.

I wish you good luck with your RDV.

regalluvr2 · December 2004

manny5,

   I was really shocked to see that a Buick salesman would admit to a problem with the RDV's but that shows me that he and his dealership still have some integrity.They have had to deal with many unhappy RDV owners and are working with them.This was one of the most interesting discussions I've had at a car dealer in a long time.



   I know a guy that works at our local GM full

line dealer and he said 2 of 7 RDV's in this area have had problems.Also he said that they continually get 1995-2003 GM 3.4's in for leaking intake and head gaskets.

   Thank goodness for a place like Edmunds so that we can see that many others are having the same problems.Otherwise you might think that you got the only lemon.

verdi942 · December 2004

Let's face it - 36,000 miles isn't that much, not in a vehicle that many of us routinely expect to drive for 100,000 miles or more.

These posts on troublesome RDV's have me very worried. I mean, here's a very well designed car that's a dream to use and drive when all's well but, according to the unlucky owners of defective ones, a nightmare to own.

Now, I've had no problems in a mere 3,500 miles on my 3.4 '04 FWD so I'd love to hear from anyone out there with a long-term RDV - say, 50,000 miles or more.

Thanks in advance.

jdks · December 2004

The first two years was a nightmare for me - I had so many problems that at one point I was at the dealer every 3 to 4 weeks. After that the problems stopped (6 month span). Last week I had the cluster fixed again (showing Error on the odometer reading) - hope this is not beginning of the end. The cluster was fixed at a place that fix clusters for all GM dealers in Toronto - much cheaper - 1/2 the price of what the dealer would charge. They told me that cluster problem on RDZ is very common and their ad even had a picture of a RDZ cluster. I am keeping my finger crossed...

jk27 · December 2004

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.

jk27 · December 2004

Manny 5 said, "You may call it a conspiracy throry. But the history shows it. Majority of problems do show up after 3 years. It may be a pure coincidence, they show up just after the warranty expires."

Well, of course! Does this really surprise you? I will also state that this is the case for all makes and models of automobiles. As cars get older, and accumulate more mileage ... it is obvious that the majority of problems will show up as the car ages. Parts wear out, seals deteriorate, fuses blow, wear and tear starts to build up, creaks and squeaks develop. This is not a news flash! If you want to be guaranteed no repairs, then you definitely need to purchase an extended warranty (or purchase a vehicle that comes with a longer warranty -- like my wife's Hyundai Sonata).

Otherwise, yes, as cars get older and accumulate more mileage ... they will have more problems. Just the way it is ...

lgret13 · December 2004

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 dont 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.

jk27 · December 2004

Have you checked your coolant/antifreeze level? I noticed that I was losing coolant (no symptoms other than having to add coolant). Ended up Buick replaced the head gasket -- under warranty, no charge. Check it out!

nosuvyet · December 2004

bearings - a constant, subtle whine from the front end

condenser - a/c blows hot - check it constantly in the winter if you're still under warranty

tmakogon · December 2004

Thank you for describing the symptoms. Nothing like that yet, and the coolant level is ok.

We just had a white Christmas in Houston after 15 years without snow, so it's fairly chilly, but will be checking the AC from time to time.

I even got the RDV to drive through a little snow.

manny5 · January 2005

jk27,

You are defending this car as if you designed it, and you are taking this issues very personally. I have owned GMs all my life (Iam in 50s), and have been supporting american workers and products as much as I could. I have never seen so many problems for a car (or at least to any of them I owned, including Olds, Chevy, and Buick) so early and happen to so many people. Well, may be the GM's diesel engine episode of the late 70s and early 80s is probably the worst in the history. The owes of RDV are coming close to the diesel engine episode.

This is not a bad apple phenomenon. This is a bad design phenomenon, and GM fails to accept their responsibility, just as they did with their diesel engine and intake manifold failure on 3.4 enginine.

You expect a decent usage out of a $30K car. Problems with RDV are not worn out brake pads, bulbs, hoses, fuses, or creaks and squeaks. They are major problems where whole units are failing making the car quit working. Owners have to waste time, drive in fear that the car may stop any time, and have to spend lot of money to repair this car. The fixes cost thousands of dollars, and the problems are happening to significant percentage of owners (percentages were already discussed in earlier posts, and do not have to rehash them). Why are we not seeing so many problems posted on other GM car forums other than the intake manifold issue? There is definitely a design flaw with the RDV, may be because this is the first truck/SUE Buick has ever designed in its history.

People purchase extended warranties to protect themselves from bad apples. Some take chances based on their past experiences and hoping theirs is not the bad apple, and any reasonable problems/failures will occur within the 3 year warranty period. But the issues with RDV are too many, too major, too expensive, and are happening to too many owners. Companies sell extended warranties hoping to make money. I do not think any company is making money on RDV extended warranties.

manny5 · January 2005

verdi942

I strongly recommend you to purchase an extended warranty. You will save significant money on the long run. You may have to purchase this within the first year/12K miles. You may want to enquire.

imidazol97 · January 2005

Warranty plan can be purchased after first year or 12000 miles. It has different pricing, but the plan starts when you purchase it as I understand the information I got from Black Motors. You send an email and they email the links back to you for the plan pricing and information.

This is a link from Extended Warranties discussion here on Edmunds.

Car_man, "Extended Warranties" #587, 4 Nov 2004 7:13 am

You might want to read through that whole discussion about which warranty not to buy and which ones to buy.

narg · January 2005

Manny, you're berating the RDV like you designed something else... $:\$

If your RDV was a lemon get over it. People who have bad experiences are 10 times more likely to talk about them then those who don't. I know 2 RDV owners with high milage. Zero problems as described here so far. Go figure.

jk27 · January 2005

Yep, with more than 150,000 Rendezvous on the road ... this is definitely a "YMMV" issue. Some will experience problems, others will not (just like any other model/brand of automobiles or trucks). A few anecdotal reports from people on Edmunds (or from a single dealer) does not make this a Rendezvous-wide problem. If it was, then how do you explain people like me who have 36,000+ miles on their Rendezvous with no significant problems (BCM, electrical, brake rotors, AC compressor, inexplicably dying on the freeway, etc.).

Manny, sorry to hear you're experiencing problems. However, your continued complaining sounds like somebody who gets pulled over for speeding and says, "but everybody else was speeding, too". Sorry, but you got the ticket!

Also, I'd like to point out that the Rendezvous has improved every year on Consumer Reports in the Reliability History categories. For the '04 model, the Rendezvous received an "Excellent" (highest available rating) in 13 of 14 categories (It received a "Very Good" in the "Power Equipment" category.

Contrast that with the 2002 Rendezvous model year where it received only 5 "Excellent" ratings under the Reliability History categories. Bottom line: looks like GM and Buick have made significant strides and have improved this vehicle! The 2004 model year is the first year in which the Rendezvous has been named a Consumer Reports "recommended" vehicle.

toonzee · January 2005

I purchased a GM Major Guard 36000 mile/36 month zero deductible from this place in Texas, I am in Pa. This was the lowest price I could find, under 1300 bucks, and no sales tax. So I figure one repair and it pays for itself. I have had have the ball joints replaced, one BCM, one fuel tank sending unit, those were all under warranty. Now I have 38000 miles, and I think I maybe leaking coolant due to the faulty gasket problem. http://www.classicchevytexas.com/

imidazol97 · January 2005

Doesn't look like they are listing the GMPP on their website as an item they're pushing. Is there a link????

toonzee · January 2005

Took my Buick to the dealer because the heater 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.

toonzee · January 2005

I found them by chance, on another board. I just called the dealer direct and asked to speak to someone about the warranty. I gave them a couple of other prices I had received, GM Outles was one of them. MY Buick is a class 4 due to the all wheel drive. That was the lowest price I found, and thankfully I bought it. My head gaskets are leaking, and its original warranty ran out. So its now paying for itself.

regalluvr2 · January 2005

toonzee,

Yes,the 1995-2003 GM 3100-3400 V-6 engines have had lots of problems with intake manifold and head gaskets leaking.Some owners have lost complete engines as they havent caught it in time.Oil and anti-freeze dont mix well and sooner or later the engine will seize up to the tune of $4,000-5,000.I have read of several Chevy Venture owners that are still making payments on a vehicle with a seized engine(out of warranty) that they cant afford to replace.

wagner · January 2005

We also had BCM replaced last September on 2002 Rendezvous. Now same problem with remote on steering is resurfacing. Also now the odometer reads "error". Dealership said it was instrument panel needs to be replaced and that two problems,(one with remote) is not connected.

lgret13 · January 2005

here is the update, (also posted in accessories where others seems to have problems too)

When the temp here was 15 degrees I took it to the dealer again to show them that the heat was not hot and the engine temp gauge continues to remain at the 1/4 mark(coolant level is fine and no leaks). Well after an entire day of them looking into the problem they spoke with GM techs and they informed the dealer that on my 2003 with auto controls I have to manually shut off the a/c compressor to get the heat to work properly even in full auto mode, I have to press the vent button to shut off the a/c compressor which in its auto default mode turns on the radiator and compressor fans bringing the engine temp and heat temp down. They said that the newer model rendezvous do not have this problem and this is the way of the 02's and 03's are designed. To me this sounds like a load of bull considering I have auto climate controls and now have to be conscious in the winter to shut the a/c (press the vent button) so the engine gets up to normal temp.

The others who have heating problems, what year is your vehicle and do u have Auto climate controls and if so does pressing the vent button make a difference?

regalluvr2 · January 2005

lgret13,you might also want to post this in the RDV Problems and Solutions forum.

KarenS, "Buick Rendezvous Owners: Problems & Solutions" #, 5 Jul 2001 2:12 pm

I think your dealer is feeding you a load of bull as our 2002 CXL RDV with auto climate control never did that during the one winter we owned it.

jk27 · January 2005

Interesting! I have a 2002 Rendezvous CXL and I recall reading in the manual that the AC compressor automatically turns off if the temperature goes below 40 degrees. So ... if it was 15 degrees, the compressor should already have been shut down. Look in your owner manual on the '03, but I'm quite sure I read that in my '02 manual. I also have the auto climate control, but my RDV heats up very well.

Personally, I would go to another Buick dealer for a second opinion.

Also, when it's cold here (Wisconsin), my RDV engine temp gauge only goes to about 1/4. However, I do get excellent heat at that mark. Please keep us posted!

imidazol97 · January 2005

I thought if the air conditioning compressor wasn't allowed to turn on because the temp was below 45 or something, the fans that cool the radiator wouldn't turn for air conditioning.

They might turn on if the water temperature is too high. I have had mine turn on after driving when I pull up to an ATM and have the windows open. But that's different.

I checked my LeSabre at 23 degrees and it doesn't turn on the radiator fans.

I suspect there's a problem in the valves that control the air flow through the heating cooling box inside the car. Possibly the radiator fans staying on is another symptom of a problem in the body control module. I would be surprised if that's not a programmable part of air conditioning control.

You might want to post in "Technical Question" for Alcan's advice. He's very knowledgeable.

Mr_Shiftright, "Got a Quick, Technical Question?" #971, 21 Jan 2005 11:46 pm

babygirl5 · January 2005

i recently purchased an 02 rdv with 27000 miles on it. I live in Illinois, so I have to let it warm up. There is this strange rattling noise coming from the front when it is warming up. I am still under warranty, and have purchased additional warranty, can someone please tell me if you have had this problem. I have already had the BCM replaced because the stereo kept locking up. I hope and pray I didn't purchase a bad car. I have been reading some of you guys comments, and I am officially terrified! Please respond Babygirl5

nextmoon · January 2005

I'm quite proud of my Rende's performance on snow over the weekend. Here in NYC, we had 14 inches dumped on the streets. Snow plowing was very slow to start, especially out of Manhattan. I had a house warming to get and was forced to use local streets. All vehicles were moving with caution at low speeds of 15-20 mph and there were still lots of slippage on the slush. Many sedans were stucked on the sides of streets - many of them being taxis with bald tires spinning out. I can't believe how they abuse their tires and not bothering to change them and they now paid in snow traction. Still a few drivers were overly aggressive with the gas and had their tails swinging out taking some turns. I was able to pull into some snowed-in parking spaces with 6-8 inches and 12+ inches when I pulled out with all the plowing. I had several traction control activated warnings and some minor slippage but still felt in complete control.

My minor complaints:

- Windshield spray nozzle on each wiper arms are not as effective as nozzles on the hood.

- Too much freezing of the wiper blades when in the off position because the big void where the blades rests can easily hold tons of snow.

mike130 · January 2005

I own a 2002 Rendez Vous and have recently had alot of problems. Air bag light is on, difficulty starting vehicle, will no longer give me outside Temp, power mirrors change position on their own, I like my Rendez Vous It is a nice ride very comfortable on trips but these problems are getting serious. I brought it to the dealer about a dozen times for the problems. they have changed the battery, fuse box, and BCM. Problems still exist. Any idea what might be causing these problems. Please help. vehicle has 43000 Kilometers.

regalluvr2 · January 2005

Mike,

   You are just one of many-many Rendzevous owners that are having electrical problems.About 80-90% seem pretty reliable while the other 10-20% seem to be problem plagued.

   Buick dealers will slap on a new BCM but that just doesnt seem to fix the problem.Thats what our dealer did to ours as they didnt know what else to do it.It would last about 2 weeks and then we needed another BCM.We got so upset we traded off our 2002 CXL RDV.We got tired of it being at the dealer 7-8 days every time the BCM went bad.

    My personal opinion is that they used an inadequate electrical system on the RDV.Read all the posts here to see that you arent alone.

KarenS, "Buick Rendezvous Owners: Problems & Solutions" #, 5 Jul 2001 2:12 pm

manny5 · January 2005

narg, jk27:

I am sorry to say this, but you will get your turn to experience the problems after 36-40K miles. We will wait to see your posts at that time. Good luck.

regalluvr2 · January 2005

Manny,

   As I have stated before I have done extensive research on the web looking for problem RDV's.Today I was on several new sites.One just keeps leading to another one.

   One problem 2002 RDV owner said that every single 2002 RDV sold new at his local dealership had been in for at least one new BCM.This has to be the number one problem for RDV owners.

   At another site one RDV owner had the lemon law invoked after only 2500 miles.

   At yet another site a 2005 RDV was having lots and lots of problems.I was hoping that maybe Buick had improved them by now but it makes you wonder.

   At another place I went to a RDV owner was on his 3rd set of wheel bearings and had just about all he could take with over $1500 in repair bills.I just really feel sorry for all the RDV owners that are having so many problems.GM needs to make things right for all problem RDV owners.

jk27 · January 2005

Regalluvr2:

Although you state you have done "extensive research on the web", the fact of the matter is that you are relying solely on unconfirmed anecdotal evidence from an infinitesimally small percentage of Buick Rendezvous Owners (assuming they actually own or owned Rendezvous and haven't exaggerated their problems) who chose to post their gripes on a website. When you do "research", in order to make any statistically valid conclusions, your sample size needs to be large enough to accurately extrapolate across all owners. Given the fact that there are 160,000+ Rendezvous on the road now, you would need more than just the handful of reports you have "researched" in order to accurately predict anything about reliability across the entire Rendezvous line. Your sample size simply isn't large enough to be statistically significant.

You state as fact that "One problem 2002 RDV owner said that every single 2002 RDV sold new at his local dealership had been in for at least one new BCM." And how would that owner have access to that type of information? I highly doubt the accuracy of that statement. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, however, even IF that is true, then how do you explain the fact that thousands and thousands of owners of 2002 Rendezvous are still on their original BCM's. Hmmmm ... something doesn't smell right -- sounds like that "problem RDV owner" has an axe to grind.

Anyway, for all those considering purchasing a Buick Rendezvous ... it's not all doom and gloom. Many thousands and thousands of Rendezvous owners are enjoying problem-free years with their Rendezvous. Small percentages of all vehicles will have problems. Sometimes the owners of those problem vehicles are more vocal than the people who are not having problems. Don't heed the people who want you to panic ... the sky really is not falling after all!

Oh yeah, don't take my word for it -- I'm only one satisfied Buick owner -- Consumer Reports has named the 2004 Buick Rendezvous as a "Consumer Reports Recommended" purchase. As for reliability, which regalluvr seems to be constantly whining about, Consumer Reports gave the 2004 Rendezvous 13 "Excellent" ratings (out of 14). "Excellent" is the highest rating possible. In the 14th category, CR gave the 2004 Rendezvous a "Very Good" rating. "Very Good" is the second highest rating possible. That's a phenomenal reliability rating from a neutral third party source. In fact, the Rendezvous rating is higher than the reliability rating for any year of the Buick Regal (sorry Regalluvr!). And that reliability rating has improved each and every model year of the Rendezvous!

Do your own homework and don't listen to all the hype! The Rendezvous is a great car, has a great reliability rating, and will serve you well.

In case you were wondering, Consumer Reports reliability ratings are based on about 675,000 responses to their latest subscriber survey, asking owners to tell about problems they've had with their cars in 14 different areas (engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, etc.). Then, ratings are determined based on the percentage of owners reporting problems with specific items. Much more scientific than culling random comments from internet discussion forums. Decide for yourself who is more objective ...

stever · January 2005

Unfortunately CR doesn't tell you how many owners of a particular model submitted reports, so you don't know how big their sample size is either (unless they've changed their methodology since I last checked). But it's another source to look at. Check out JD Power reports too.

I think it's safe to say that most people who are enjoying a problem free ride don't seek out forums just to post that they aren't having any issues.

Steve, Host

regalluvr2 · January 2005

jk27,

   I see I got your attention.Lets look right here on Edmunds at the Rendezvous Consumer Ratings and Reviews.I'll trust whats said here on Edmunds more than Consumer Reports.

2005 31 reviews with 2 bad ones

2004 145 reviews with 16 bad ones

2003 97 reviews with 9 bad ones

2002 128 with 18 bad ones

    Almost every one of these people had mechanical issues with their vehicle and werent just upset over some petty little thing.About 10% of all RDV owners giving reviews had problems. Are you saying that everyone that says their RDV is falling apart is making this up?I think not.If someone says they have a good RDV I will believe them and if they say they have a bad one I'll believe them.

Check out this Edmunds review.I can copy and paste ones like this all day long.

Date Posted

09/14/2004 Last Buick Standing by Last Buick Standing

Style: CXL AWD 4dr SUV (3.4L 6cyl 4A) Rating 7.3



Review: Until last February ... My husband and I have LOVED the Rendezveous! NOW --well you judge....7 months/8 major problems 1) Just under 45,000 miles we had to replace the front Wheel Bearings - 2) and consequently all the tires. 3) The Transmission went - MAJOR bits and pieces in the oil pan 4) the clutch was replaced 5) the clutch was replaced AGAIN 6) the air conditioning went-something about a cracked block 7) The gas gage no longer works 8) After noting a strange noise when turning a tight circle we have now been told the Rear Wheel Differential needs to be replaced for $4000 -- if not repaired we have been told that the rear wheels "could" lock

Favorite Features: We still like the ride and feel of this car Really nice for the first 45,000 miles- but then trade it/get rid of it!

Suggested Improvements: A 5 year 100,000 mile warrenty should come standard.

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  Ratings Detail

Performance 9.0



Comfort 10.0



Fuel Economy 7.0



Fun-to-Drive 9.0



Interior Design 10.0



Exterior Design 9.0



Build Quality 3.0



Reliability 1.0



Rating 7.3

   At least they didnt have a bad BCM.I challenge you to go to the Toyota Highlander forum on here and find a single one that fell apart as bad and as quick as this one.They gripe about petty litle things over there.None of them even know what a BCM is.Go to the Buick Regal forum and find me one that fell apart that quick.

   As for the guy that said every 2002 RDV sold new at his dealer had to have a new BCM,well its very simple to find out.I'm sure he talked to his service manager to find this out while he was having his BCM replaced..Lots of service managers or car salesmen will tell the truth if you pump them just a little.I'm sure not afraid to ask them and lots will surprise you with what they say.Some are very-very honest.Probably more than their bosses want them to be.

   I too would like to know why some 2002 RDV owners are on their original BCM while others are on their 3rd,4th,5th ones.Why are some Buick RDV owners losing wheel bearings while others arent?

    I was on another Buick forum today where a Canandian RDV owner lost his head gaskets after only being 4000 kms out of waranty.GM of Canada was sympathetic and will stand 90% of the bill.Try getting GM here in the states to do that.A 3 yr 36,000 mile warranty is pretty pathetic on vehicles selling for near $40,000 these days.

  As for someone having an axe to grind with GM lots of us have the right to do so.We paid one heck of a price for our vehicles and expected them to be dependable and not in the shop all the time.Lots of us took a substantial loss when we traded our problem RDV's off.

jk27 · January 2005

Nope, I'm not denying that some (emphasis on SOME) Rendezvous owners have had problems. And some of those were serious problems. However, are you denying that many Rendezvous owners are NOT having such problems? I didn't think so.

My point is that ALL makes and models of vehicles will have problems and that just because you were able to find 30 or so consumer reviews on Edmunds that indicated some problems ... I say ... statistically ... so what? I would expect some owners to have problems -- especially when there are 160,000+ Rendezvous on the road. I'm surprised those numbers aren't higher, given the sheer number of Rendezvous which have been sold. I also believe that people who are experiencing problems are MUCH more likely to post about problems than those who aren't experiencing problems -- as our Mod, Steve, correctly pointed out.

You are sounding the alarm and yelling "Fire" when the great majority of Rendezvous are just fine. I'd trust Consumer Reports methodology of rating reliability more than your random culling of internet chat forums -- but, hey, that's just me

You also did not comment on the Consumer Reports statistical trend which shows Rendezvous are getting more and more reliable every year. That shows that Buick is doing something about the problems that have occurred.

I'm sorry to hear you had problems, but since you have apparently traded in your Rendezvous and moved on ... you really need to get over it! You knew going into it that the Rendezvous offered a 3 year, 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. If that wasn't good enough, then you should have gone with an extended warranty or a different vehicle. Caveat Emptor!

2002 Rendezvous CXL here. 37,000 miles and going strong. Great in the Wisconsin snow (we just had 13" of snow last week, 6" of snow yesterday). 2 degrees here today.

imidazol97 · January 2005

2005 31 reviews with 2 bad ones

2004 145 reviews with 16 bad ones

2003 97 reviews with 9 bad ones

2002 128 with 18 bad ones

How many RDZs are out there with NO complaints?

You don't know. There goes your theory.

You need to read the Honda Accord groups if you want to look for patterns with squeaks and trans problems along with popping and steering lead. Try Odyssey for trans problems.

I would like to know the 'other Buick forum' you mention. An email address is in my profile if you would like to send it to me.

regalluvr2 · January 2005

imidazol97,

   Your email is listed as private.Do a google search for a Buick forum with the word invision in it.Its not a real active forum.

   Until someone proves me wrong I'm still estimating that 90% of all RDV's are good and 10% are bad.Only GM knows for sure and they arent talking.

   2 of 7-8 RDV's are having problems at my local dealer which is 25%.At another larger dealer that we do business with has at least 6-7 RDV's having problems out of 25 which is 25% with 2 GM buy backs and one taken to an auction to get it out of the area.By the way you will see no new 2005 Buick RDV's at this dealer nor at my local dealer.

   I challenge anyone on here to find an honest Buick dealer that hasnt had a single problem 2002-2005 RDV.I would be glad to hear of one.I dont dislike RDV's as there were many things we liked about ours.

   Lets hear from some high mileage 2002 Buick RDV owners.There has to be a 100,000 mile one out there.If your RDV has done great lets hear it.

toonzee · January 2005

If you plan on keeping this vehicle, I would strongly recommend the GM Major Guard Warranty. One visit to the shop has already paid for mine. At 38000 miles my head gaskets started leaking, shop said it would of cost 1300 bucks. Lucky for me I had the extended warranty.

jk27 · January 2005

You said, "How many RDZs are out there with NO complaints? You don't know. There goes your theory." Are you serious? I challenge you to find ANY vehicle that has NO complaints!! The answer is ... that vehicle doesn't exist! IF you are really looking to find a vehicle that has had no reported problems, you're going to be looking for a long, long time

My "theory" is sound. Just because a tiny percentage of RDV owners have reported problems does not mean these problems will be experienced by all, a majority, or even many RDV owners. You are just speculating. BCM's are bad? Really, then how can my RDV, with 37,000 miles, still be on its original BCM?

Go ahead and bash the Rendezvous all you want, but the fact of the matter is that many, many of us 160,000+ RDV owners are very happy with ours. Consumer Reports also likes the Rendezvous (see my previous post for a phenomenal reliability rating on the 2004 RDV models).

Until you have more than speculation ... that's all you've got.

regalluvr2 · January 2005

Hi jk27,

   I see you are a lawyer so that explains why you like to argue.Well,I'm a farmer from a Swedish back ground that likes to argue too.(grin)I see that a few years back you were giving advice to fellow RDV owners about invoking the lemon law.Hmmmm!

   I never made the quote "How many RDV's Are Out There With No Complaints?You Dont Know.There Goes Your Theory" That was by imadazol97.

   By the way I'm not bashing the RDV.I'm bashing GM for not putting some quality in them.Weve driven nothing but Buicks for many years.All were practically trouble free.

   You are correct.A totally perfect vehicle has never been made but some are sure much better than others.Read completely thru the Problems and Solutions Forums for the Buick Rendezvous,Honda Pilot,and Toyota Highlander and tell me whom has the most problems and whom has the least problems.

   Its not normal for cars with under 36,000 miles to have all the following problems like some 2002-2003 RDV's do.

Electrical-BCM after BCM

Intake Gaskets-Head Gaskets(I see you lost head gaskets)

AC Condensors

Fuel Pumps

Wheel Bearings and Hubs

Blower Motors

Wiper Motors

Transmissions

Transfer Cases

Dying On Hiway and Refusing to Restart.

  Show me on the Toyota and Honda Forums where they are having these problems at any kind of mileage..By the way I'm not a big Toyota or Honda fan.I'd just as soon buy American and be driving a trouble free 2002 Buick CXL RDV but I'd want a 3800 in it.I'm not a 3400 fan.

   I'll admit that the 2004-2005 RDV's seem to be doing lots better than the early ones.JD Powers only gave a 3-5(60%) reliabilty rating on the 2002's.Thats pretty poor.

   Now for BCM's.Did I say that all BCM's went bad?I said that nearly 90% of all Buick RDV's seem to be having good luck.Count your blessings that you are one of them.Its no fun to be in the 10% that werent so lucky.You act like all of us that had bad BCM's are lying.The first person on here to have a bad BCM was mmeehan on 6-30-2001.The person with the most bad BCM's was iswaidtz with 7.Think how he felt.

   Since you seem to know so much about BCM's tell me why our 2002 CXL lost 3 in a row?I'd sure love to know.Every time our CXL went to the dealer for a new one there was a 5-10 day wait because they were on back order as so many were going bad.The new one would last one week and go bad.I think that the electrical problems went way beyond the BCM but our dealer could never find anything.We took a $4,000 bath when we got rid of our RDV and would love to have that money back now as my wife has serious health issues and can no longer work.

   By the way I made up a list of every one on here thats lost a BCM and the list is pretty long.Youve been here from the start so youve read all the posts.All the old time posters seem to be gone.Either their RDV's started behaving or they traded them off.Some were having real good luck.

jdks · January 2005

I myself went through 2 BCMs and 2 Clusters among other things and I know of a three other people (that I met at my dealer service centre) who had BCM problems. My dealer is not that big and I doubt that they can sell more 10 per year.

iglooheat · January 2005

For what its worth, our 2004 CXL (3.6 doch engine) has been fine for its first 6500 miles. No problems whatsoever.

verdi942 · January 2005

Our '04 CX with 5,000 miles is OK; just changed the oil for the first time.

Buick Rendezvous

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