Problems with 2002 Buick Rendezvous ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

We have an 2002 buick rendezvous awd. just recently our car starting to act up while driving. it was making a whining noise and acting as if it was in neutral while stopping. we found out that the transmission, intake manifold, wheel bearing, radiator, a/c condenser, rims are bad making our tires lose air, and head gasket all need replaced. we also were told that the power steering had a leak and was causing a noise. we are looking at having to pay over 5 thousand dollars to fix everything. after looking on the internet, we have seen millions of complaints for all these things breaking in the 2002 model. something needs done about this. i will do whatever it takes to get help from gm to fix these damaged cars. these should all be recalled. *tr

Vehicle overheats; intake manifold repaired twice (once in warranty and once out of warranty period); independent garage and buick dealership say that head gaskets are leaking. buick has been contact to assist but has said mileage is too high for any coverage; appears to be an issue with increased claims of head gasket repair after about a year and a half in service; the may 2002 build month has very high occurrence of this replacement (my vehicle was build in this period). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick rendezvous. the contact stated that the vehicle overheated when he used the air conditioner. he took vehicle to dealer but because of the costs, he decided to have a friend repair it. however, the issue still occurred. the other issue with the vehicle was that it did not get the fuel mileage that it was supposed. he also noticed that the rear end of the vehicle was making noise, a grumbling noise to be exact. he changed rear end fluid but could still hear noise. the noise would be heard when he turned right or left. he received recall notices for his vehicle (02v222000, 07v349000, 07e021000) but when he consulted the dealer and manufacturer, he was told very conflicting stories about whether the recalls on his vehicle existed and if they had been previously performed. at this time, the contact did not know if the recalls could affect his vehicle and how to get the issues remedied. the current mileage was 112,000 and failure mileage was 107,000. updated 09/10/08. *lj updated 09/11/08*jb

2002 buick rendezvous intake manifold gasket defective. *tr

We have a 2002 buick rendezvous and had to replace the wheel bearings at only 86k miles and now the air conditioning condenser has failed. these are expensive repairs and there seem to be many of the same complaints on this vehicle ... buick should fix these as they are a common occurrence! *tr

My car has a gas leak from the fuel tank. the intake manifold gaskets are leaking. i have an musty odor in the car along with gas smell. the air condition failed last week due to what i find out now is a known issue. the gasket failure is a known issue the fuel tank is a known issue. how can you allow a manufacturer get away with this. *tr

I bought my 02 buick rendezvous in oct of 05. it had 53k. i just hit 90k the largest part is highway miles from this passed year with several deaths in my family. to start with my passenger floor would get soaked. at first i thought the window was left down or the sunroof was leaking. i checked and the rubber is still intact and i can spray water on the roof and nothing leaks in. the tract around the sunroof is not wet. one morning my on star system had water dripping from it but no water was felt around the sun roof and the windshield sits below it. this had been going on since i got the car. now within the past 6 months everything on the car is failing. my driver door will not lock with the remote. this is a 300 motor. my coolant disappears from reserve with no sign of leaking. i had the check engine light come on and the first day off i had to go get it checked it went off. my ac stopped working. i have 3 kids and no ac in 100 weather suxs. had it charged and within 2 weeks back to no ac now after weeks of research i am finding out that the intake gaskets on this motor are made from nylon and the dex cool that is said to be used in it can eat them prematurely. i have been stranded on the highway because my car was over heating. the ac condenser is also known to go out regular. i just bought brand new tires in may and had the alignment done. i noticed that the front of my car has began to shake and the front left tire is ate up. i am wondering if this is the bearing problem that this vehicle was recalled for. i am not understanding why the government is not forcing gm to recall this vehicle. my research has found hundreds if not thousands of these problems. a class action lawsuit in canada not including the recall that canada has forced over this exact yr and model. i still owe a lot of money on this car and my repairs are almost more then what i owe. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick rendezvous. the contact stated that the all wheel drive light illuminated and displayed disabled on the instrument panel. he was informed that there was water intrusions flowing from under the carpet to the drain and fuel pump harness. he stated that the abs harness was affected by the condensation from the air conditioner, which is causing the failure. the repair would cost $1,500. the contact also stated that the fuel gauge does not show the proper amount of fuel. the speed was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 58,425. updated 08/30/07. *jb

I also have a 2002 rendezvous that had the head gasket go out at about 40,000 miles and had to replace it myself as buick denied this problem was rare and because of mileage before occurrence. the leak involved coolant loss. also had to replace the control module. have a 2001 lesabre that also had a head gasket go out and is leaking oil; began at about 35,000 miles. *tr

Wheel bearings need replacement. fuel pump was bad. replaced tires and brakes 3 times since i hav e owned the vehicle 2 years. intake manifold was leaking, causing the car to be sluggish and not start sometimes. abs lights came on frequently. the car was a big nightmare. wish i never would of bought a buick rendezvous. *ak

I am having electrical problems with my 2002 buick rendezvous. first, the power door locks, windows, air conditioner, radio and remote keys entry would lock. then yesterday the vehicle lost all power while i was driving in traffic. somehow i managed to turn a corner (without power steering) and park the vehicle. after waiting a while and removing and replacing the connection from the battery to the fuse box under the hood, i was able to get it restarted and return to work. when i tried to leave work, it died in the driveway. again i was able to reset everything after several tries and park the vehicle. i am afraid to drive it. i also have problems with squeaky brakes, which have been bad since i purchased the vehicle but the dealer and an independent garage cannot find a cause. i also am starting to have problems with the coolant level going down with no visible leak. *tr

2002 buick rendezvous cxl has coolant leak from the intake manifold. several times the coolant was almost gone. after the fourth refill of fluids the service engine soon light came on and is still on. i just keep filling the coolant and driving the vehicle because i was told by the dealership that this is not covered by warranty & no recall. i can't afford $1,500 for the repair so i am driving with the possibility that the engine may blow up. the problem has not been corrected. *jb updated 12/12/07

Buick rendezvous 2002 failure with blown transfer case & transmission, main exhaust pipe loose from head, rear end noise, passenger door sticks. *tr

Intake gaskets shot on a car with 40,000 miles bought the car brand new and gm motors want to know why the consumer are buying from another country this is a rip off. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick rendezvous. the contact stated that in july of 2006 the head gasket failed on the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, crowley buick, and repaired. the head gasket failed again on march 27, 2007. the failure mileage was 42,000. *ak

2002 buick rendezvous - intake manifold gasket... intake manifold gasket needs to be replaced - 2 mechanic opinions... one from dealer, one from private garage. after researching found out it is a common problem that buick is aware of yet no recall. needs "new" type of bolts, and replacement of gasket. problems arise with low mileage. cost to fix range from 500.00 - 1000.00. *jb

Own a 2002 buick rendezvous. after numerous problems including speed sensor replacement, hub replacement multiple times, lift gate replacement, washer motor replacement, brake failure, odometer that zeroed out, now i am told the intake manifold has failed. have been advised by independent garage that incidence of intake manifold failure in this vehicle is well above average. also advised that since initial model rollout, gm has modified, redesigned the intake manifold to address manifold failure. gm is unwilling to correct problem with vehicle which at the time of initial intake manifold problem had less than 60,000 miles on it. repair will cost in excess of $850.00 as long as the head gasket has not been damaged. unfortunately while saving up the $850. for repairs, the head gasket could very well have been damaged. will not know until i take it in for repair in a few days. shouldn't have to pay to repair a defective design but gm is unwilling to stand behind their product. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick rendezvous. the contact began experiencing failure with the heater and noticed that the coolant reservoir was always empty. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic and he stated that the intake manifold needed to be replaced at the cost of $800. the dealer stated that the intake manifold was replaced by the previous owner at 30,000 miles. the manufacturer stated that they could not assist due to the vehicle's age and mileage. the current mileage was 98,333 and failure mileage was 93,000.

2003 buick rendezvous with 56,534 miles and needing a new head gasket, and new anti-freeze every couple of days. after research i know that i'm definitely not alone in this matter!!! bad stains on garage floor!!! nervous because wife drives it with our kids. *jb

2002 buick rendezvous head gasket and intake manifold gasket failures. *tr

A/c condenser cracked losing gas & oil being replaced. information indicates common problem with this model. *jb

Car had smelled like urine for a few months on a routine oil change. we were told that the head gasket was leaking and needed to be fixed. has not been fixed yet due to cost. this seems to be an on going problem for this vehicle and we are waiting for so action to be taken. *jb

I purchased my 2002 buick rendezvous cxl in early 2003. by 2004 i had to have the a/c condenser replaced, the shocks & struts replaced and numerous problems with the a/c. then in summer of 2006 the car engine started misfiring and the car stalled out with smoke coming out of the hood, etc. had it towed to buick, they said the engine had a leak somewhere and water leaked into the oil...huh? anyway, of course even though i had the extended warranty, i was just out of warranty and they refused to fix it. the option was to replace the engine for $6,000. this vehicle was already paid off and worth about $14k prior to the engine blowing up. i ended up selling it for $3k. is this normal? i think not. i submitted my case to several "lawyer" claiming to specialize in this type of rip off activity by car manufacturers but they said it wasn't worth it to them to pursue it. maybe if someone had died it would be worth more. i would like to see buick at least admit poor manufacturing and refund me some of my money. i took a loss of $11k on this vehicle. *jb

Had to replace head gaskets on 2002 buick rendezvous, 3400 cc engine, with 71,034 miles, this is a common problem with this engine, i want to be included in class action lawsuit against buick, seeking reimbursement for this expense. *nm

Dt: the contact stated that both the vehicle''s head and intake gasket leaked which caused coolant to spill on the driveway while the vehicle was parked. the contact noticed a large puddle underneath the vehicle on 06/13/06, then drove the vehicle to the dealership on 06/15/06. the dealership determined that the vehicle had a leaking head gasket and intake gasket, but could not repair it immediately because there were other vehicles waiting to be repaired. on 06/18/06, the vehicle was driven to another dealership for a scheduled repair on 06/19/06. the contact paid for the repair. the dealership determined that the defect has been an ongoing problem for the same model.

Brought a new 2002 buick rendezvous cx from a dealer. at about 10,000 miles the car started having numerous problems that were beyond normal wear and tear. starting with the engine light and other problems. they were repaired under the warranty. but about 24,000 and without warranty, the car got overheated for a 15 minutes traffic jam. turned out the front wheel bearing needed to be replaced, and the ac sensor wasn't working. replaced the front wheel bearing sensor. about 6 months later, the other wheel bearing needed to be replaced. just about 1 month ago and 35,000 miles later, the overheated problem happened again, compounded with the a/c linkage, and the abs sensor wasn't working. i paid $1,200 for fixing the overheat problem and replacing the abs sensor. i didn't fix the ac linkage because it would cost me another $900!! now i am so worry that another major problem going to happen anytime soon. i am so disappointed with this car. i am hoping gm will issue a recall and stop cheating consumers. *nm

The intake manifold gaskets deteriorated and started leaking on my 2002 buick rendezvous and on my 1997 chevrolet malibu. the same thing happened on my mother's 1997 chevrolet malibu. all of the vehicles cited had less than a 100k miles on the odometer. the buick being the latest victim had 67k when it was discovered. the gasket failure could result in severe engine damage and potential fire. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 buick rendezvous. on at least 50 occasions, the vehicle just completely shut down and lost power without warning. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle would "buck" and stall as if it were out of gas. within the last six months, the vehicle would not start for approximately thirty minutes, even after refueling. when the vehicle would completely shut off, the contact would have to wait between thirty minutes and two hours before it would restart. he also noticed that the amount of time it would take the vehicle to restart would coincide with how hot it was outside. many times when the vehicle shut off, the air conditioning was activated. both the dealer and a local garage were unable to duplicate the failure. the current mileage was approximately 150,000 and failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Dt*: the contact stated after driving for 10 minutes the vehicle overheated. the vehicle was taken to the dealership. the dealership determined air was getting into the radiator coolant and the head gaskets need to be replaced. *ak

2002 rendezvous. i have had all the problems: bad intake manifold, hole in the a/c condenser, windows falling down into the doors (twice) due to bad regulators, front passenger door became sprung on it's own, it eats tires for breakfast. i could go on...i contacted buick a few times but got nowhere. i traded the car in for a toyota. *jb

@ 81,000 mile the intake manifold, head gasket and front drivers side speed sensor needed replaced! recently the window has come off the track and the switch for the sunroof is no longer working! problems, problems, problems!!!!!!!!*jb

I purchased a used 2002 buick rendezvous in april of 2004 from a gm dealership (above). it is an awd v6 cxl suv. my car manual specifically states not to use anything other than dexcool antifreeze. i never received any notice from gm or the dealership or dexcool regarding the problems on this vehicle and dexcool. even after the lawsuit against gm in 2008 i did not get notified in any way, and the dealership never told me to stop using dexcool, so i have been continuing to experience engine problems! when i bought this car it had 37,591 miles on it. i paid just under $20,000 for it. on 12/8/05 i did a transmission flush. four months later, on march 9, 2006, the car was found to have the intake manifold gaskets leaking oil and coolant, and the front timing cover seal was leaking. it also needed front and rear brakes. at that time they told me the coolant was leaking all over everything and was getting into the transmission (and the brakes, too, i think.) had to have another transmission flush done and i think coolant flush done - cost was $222. i had 3 estimates done for the rest of the work and they ranged from $3,300, to 1700 to $1,380. it cost me $89 and $73 for two of the estimates. had work done at 4th shop on 4/20/06, cost me $730. on august 22, 2007, i had to have the intake gasket done again as well as a coolant flush; cost me $492. on august 11, 2009 i had to have the oil pressure switch replaced as it was leaking plus other work; total was $257. i was told about a year ago that the intake gasket was leaking oil and coolant again and had to be replaced again. the car did not pass inspection in june, 2010; one of the problems is transmission is slipping. is that a result of the dexcool coolant contaminating the tranny? other work needed is steering rack (again), air compressor, & rear air shocks. the coolant leaking has caused the failure of many of the parts i have had to have fixed on this car, not just the gasket. *tr

My buick rendezvous with 65,000 miles had it's third major repair in 4 months. this time the intake manifold gasket was leaking and needed to be replaced. i was told by the service technician that this was a common problem on this vehicle and should not have happened. gm customer service has refused to take responsibility for any of this. *nm

Dt: the contact stated the dealership diagnosed that the intake gasket was leaking coolant. there have been no repairs made to the vehicle due to excessive cost. *ak

While driving at 60 mph, with no warning car stalled, towed to the dealer who replaced faulty theft deterrent unit and said it was fixed. car then stalled again while driving, towed to dealer, who said their was a internal fault in the fuel pump harness and car is fixed. car stalled again at 55 mph. *nm

2002 buick rendezvous with intake manifold gasket defect. consumer stated the leaking intake manifold gasket was replaced for a second time in two years. *kb

After driving in hot weather for about 30 - 40 miles, i stopped to fill up the vehicle with gas. afterwards, the rendezvous will not start. after letting the car sit for 30 - 60 minutes, the car starts normally. this has happened several times. *jb

The intake manifold gasket failed and resulted in coolant leaking and the engine overheated on multiple occasions. buick refused to honor the warranty for the repair to the intake manifold gasket. as a result, i paid $950 for the repair to the vehicle. *tr

My 2002 buick rendezvous cxl shuts down while driving down the road. it also will not start after being turned off. the problem always occurs in hot weather. typically, it's a hot summer day and i have to wait for about 1 - 2 hours before the car will start. on at least three occasions, i was driving down the road and the car stalled, once on the interstate at 60 mph.

The oil pan gasket failed and cause an oil leak. buick failed to honor the warranty on this part. as a result i paid $670 to repair the vehicle. *tr

Water pump failed and cause the engine to overheat. buick refused to honor the warranty on this part. as a result, i paid $575 for the repair. *tr

I have owned my 2002 buick rendevous since april of 04. around may of 05 my a/c unit stopped working. i had it checked out and was told it was the a/c condensor unit. i was very surprised and disappointed that such a new model of vehicle would have issues so early on. neeedless to say i was even more surprised to read and speak to other 02 rendevous owners who had the same problem. in my opinion i think buick should step up to the plate and take responsibilty for producing a faulty a/c system. it seems very strange that so many different people are having the same issue with their vehicle. any help you can give regarding bringing this to buick's attention would be greatly appreciated. thank you, april howlett

Bought 2002 buick rendezvous cxl from carmax with 29k miles. seemed to run ok for first couple months...at around 36k miles, the condenser went out at the same time as the odometer started to display "error". unacceptable for condenser to fail with just 3 years of light use. also, had to replace instrument panel to get rid of error - took a week to ship the error panel to factory so they could read mileage and set on a new panel to ship back to the dealer. luckily i purchased extended warranty, but i still have a 75 deductable for every repair and rental vehicle is not covered.

Purchased 2002 buick rendezvous in april 2005 within a month started to experience locks turning on and off ,a/c also would turn on and off while driving. car began running hot this spring had to replace manifold gaskets ,still overheating . now car is no longer running needs major repair owe more than its worth. *tr

Intake manifold gasket causing coolant leak at 65000 miles. *nm

Noticed fluid on garage floor behind right front tire, took to dealership and was told the intake and head gaskets needed to be replaced.

While the vehicle was parked a loud noise was heard coming from the rear. consumer took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and was waiting for results. *ak consumer was told that loud popping noise could spark a fire. *la the consumer was told the noise was normal. *jb

37,700 mile vehicle didn't blow heat. next day vehicle overheated in town. after coolant flush and air bleed vehicle overheated on highway. dealer diagnosed bad head gasket and replaced at owners' expense minus parts.*ak

Air conditioner went out at 41,000 miles---can't afford to replace front wheel-bearing went out at 80,000---can't afford to replace intake gasket blown at 89,000---can't afford to replace. *tr

When driving 55 mph rear right tire blewout. this caused the consumer to pull of the road and change the tire. consumer stated that the tire looked like it just melted ,and there were no objects and the road. this was a firestone tire. *ak the consumer noticed that the passenger side front floor mat was wet. the technician determined that the a/c evaporator drain was clogged due to leaves coming from the windshield cowling. the dealer cleaned the drain and removed the leaves. the left front hub and bearing had excessive play and were noisy. the check engine light illuminated. the trouble codes indicated that the gas cap may have been loose. the vehicle body control module (bcm) failed and had to be replaced. it caused the security lights to remain on, the a/c not to work and at night the horn would sound when the vehicle was off. after the consumer locked the door the vehicle radio would come on. this caused the battery to drain and as a result the vehicle had to be jump started. *nm