2005 Buick Rainier Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: June 16, 2023 · Filed: July 22, 2023

My 16 year old son was making a left hand turn out of a school onto a road with no curve, no hole, no accident but the 4 side air bags deployed for no reason. He was OK and pulled over for safety and got a ride home. We had it towed home and contacted gmac buick and they had it towed to a dealership and had a diagnostic test ran and found no reason for them to deploy but they said the car had been altered because we had put subs and a radio in it through a lisc. Professional but that makes them not liable for anything that would happen. They said putting a radio in can cause the bags to deploy or brakes to fail and it is in their manual and they are not liable for any problem if we alter the car in any way. If this is the case anyone with an aftermarket radio should be warned that their child car anyone can be killed and it will. E no one's fault. I am out a car because insurance said they don't cover it because it wasn't an accident and GMAC says it happens not uncommonly but that they will not help in any way. They told me I was not allowed to talk abijt this to anyone. They read me a statement on the phone which said I can not talk outside of GMAC. They don't want people knowing this is happening. People need to be aware that bags can randomly deploy and if he was in the interstate he could have been killed. I am terrified to get in it and drive. Why do people not know this can happen. Why is gmac not doing anything or putting out psas saying people could die if they out sibs in professionally or otherwise.

Incident: July 15, 2022 · Filed: December 15, 2022

The contact owns a 2005 Buick Rainier. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front windshield wipers and wiper fluid spray activated independently and failed to turn off. The contact also stated that occasionally the headlights would inadvertently turn off; requiring the vehicle to be restarted before the vehicle regained headlight functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced the headlight failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V519000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

Incident: September 20, 2019 · Filed: January 1, 2020

POWER STEERING LEAKS, THE GAS GAUGE AND OTHER GAUGES DON'T WORK, MOST THE ELECTRICAL DON'T WORK INSIDE THE CAR, MAKES A WEIRD NOISE WHEN IT BACKS UP AND THE ENGINE REVS WHEN IT'S STARTS AND SOMETIMES WHEN IT DRIVES AND GOES FASTER EVEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT HITTING THE GAS, THE GAS TANK BLOWS OUT GAS WHEN WE ARE PUMPING GAS LIKE IT'S FULL BUT IT'S NOT, THE WINDOW CRACKED FROM A LITTLE PEDDLE AND THE WHEELS AND HUBS GO BAD REALLY FAST.

Incident: November 20, 2019 · Filed: January 1, 2020

POWER STEERING LEAKS, THE GAS GAUGE AND OTHER GAUGES DON'T WORK, MOST THE ELECTRICAL DON'T WORK INSIDE THE CAR, MAKES A WEIRD NOISE WHEN IT BACKS UP AND THE ENGINE REVS WHEN IT'S STARTS AND SOMETIMES WHEN IT DRIVES AND GOES FASTER EVEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT HITTING THE GAS

Incident: January 1, 2014 · Filed: September 20, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S DOOR COULD NOT BE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT REMOVED THE DRIVER'S DOOR MODULE HIMSELF AND WAS ABLE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S DOOR WITH THE KEY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V406000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY). THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 8-4645434013. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

Incident: January 1, 2018 · Filed: March 18, 2018

ELECTRONIC BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROL MODULE COMMUNICATION. LOUD BANGING, AWD LIGHT CAME ON, CODE SHOWED THE ABOUT REASON. (ELECTRONIC BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROL MODULE COMMUNICATION)

Incident: December 14, 2017 · Filed: December 15, 2017

I"VE HAD PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM IN THIS BUICK SINCE 2103. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO LYNCH DEALER SHIP AND COMPLAINING ABOUT SAME NOISE NO RESOLUTION AS OF YET. I'VE FIXED FUEL GAUGE, BOTH TIE RODS, SWAG BAR, WHEEL BEARING, BRAKES, ROTOR BLOWER, ON AND ON SPENT ALREADY $ 7,000 TO FIX IT. . NOW THE MECHANIC SAYS "OH", MAYBE ITS THE DIFFERENTIAL WHICH WILL COST $3200. BUT MAYBE! FOR THOSE WANTING TO GET A BUICK RAINIER PLEASE DONT AS YOU WILL NOT STOP FIXING IT!!! PIECE OF JUNK! THIS DIFFERENTIAL COULD HAVE CAUSED MY LIFE AND SOMEONE ELSE'S. I WAS DRIVING IT ON 12/14/17 HEARD A LOUD POUNDING NOISE TROUBLE TURNING TO RIGHT SIDE AND BRAKING. WHEN I WANTED TO BREAK TRUCK WOULD NOT STOP.

Incident: October 17, 2017 · Filed: October 18, 2017

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE LAST NIGHT AT ABOUT 70 MPH MY LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OFF PLUNGING THE ROAD AHEAD OF ME INTO PITCH BLACK DARKNESS. FULL BEAM AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS WERE STILL FUNCTIONING, MANAGED TO SAFELY PULL OF TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE, AND LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO USE MY CELL PHONE TO DETERMINE THAT THE SOLID STATE HEADLIGHT RELAY HAD FAILED. LUCKILY THERE IS A SIMILAR RELAY LOCATED IN THE FUSE BOX THAT CONTROLS THE ENGINE FAN THAT I WAS ABLE TO UTILIZE AND CONTINUE ON MY JOURNEY. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS WAS A VERY UNNERVING/SCARY EXPERIENCE AND CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE FOR A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT GM THOUGHT THAT A SYSTEM THAT COULD AFFECT BOTH HEADLIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THIS WAY WAS REMOTELY EVEN A GOOD IDEA?!

Incident: October 1, 2017 · Filed: October 17, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND MADE THE STEERING WHEEL VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. ALSO, A WHINING TYPE NOISE WAS PRESENT WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.

Incident: February 28, 2017 · Filed: June 5, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWO MORE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (MODERN CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 5955 UNIVERSITY PKWY WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA 27105) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOW BEAM MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V519000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT NHTSA DETERMINED WHICH VEHICLES TO INCLUDE IN RECALLS AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,800. UPDATED 09/01/17*LJ *CN