Reliability & cost of ownership
Buick Rainier Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Buick Rainier? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Buick Rainier problems by model year
15 recall entries and 391 owner complaints on file across 5 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Rainier | 5 | 38 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 Rainier | 7 | 91 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 Rainier | 1 | 103 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 Rainier | 2 | 158 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 Rainier | 0 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Buick Rainier, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system146 complaints
- fuel system80 complaints
- gasoline62 complaints
- exterior lighting54 complaints
- power train28 complaints
- suspension24 complaints
- vehicle speed control21 complaints
- air bags20 complaints