The most luxurious SUV in its class
Power steering pump ($250) at 78,000 miles.
Air ride suspension ($300) at 78,000 miles.
Catalytic converter (twice) ($400) - 1. 40,000 miles, 2. 77,000 miles.
Oxygen sensor at 78,000 miles.
Nice ride.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th January, 2018
A great SUV for people that can afford the bad MPG
The gas gauge are speedometer are faulty on longer journeys.
A very nice SUV for families who want a pretty quick, good looking car that is great for towing and hauling your stuff.
The bad MPG and the fact that it only seats five are the biggest downsides.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 24th April, 2015
Good strong SUV that did its job, and did it well
Thermostat, water pump at 90,000.
A couple of exterior door handles (kids).
Shifter cable was replaced at 80,000.
Replaced rear air springs with regular springs at 100,000.
Cataletyc converter 115,000
All repairs done myself except shifter cable.
A Trailblazer under the skin, but nicer interior and plenty of room.
Very well built and solid, with good power and a smooth ride to go with it.
We took several very long trips, and no complaints.
The repairs listed above are typical on any vehicle.
I have heard about fan clutch issues and "weak front suspensions" on this platform, but never experienced it, nor any of the 3 people I know who had Trailblazers. The rear air springs sprung a leak, but the after market regular replacement is cheaper and made no difference to the ride.
GM should still offer a midsize full framed SUV. In my opinion this family of SUVs were pretty good, and better than the Blazer and Jimmy SUVs prior to these.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 27th January, 2015
Nice small SUV, however too many electrical issues
Rear wiper stopped working.
ABS and traction have minds of their own.
Gas gauge has mind of its own.
Front end components.
Gas tank (everything to do with it; sending unit, seals, lines, etc etc etc).
Rear defrost.
I was in the market for a full frame SUV and this fit the bill, however I have now figured out this is a little too small.
I like the styling of the Rainier and I like the AWD on it. The fold down seats are great, however there's not quite enough room with our 200+lb dog in the back with everything else (next will probably be a Suburban).
Fuel economy for a full frame SUV is good; it has ranged in the winter from 11.9 to 13.9 L/100km, to summer where it will get 9.6 to 10.9 depending on speed (all figures are highway only, I have not ever driven this in the city).
I find this SUV quiet and comfortable, however I would not recommend it as ours has been full of electrical issues.
The other thing is the stereo; I don't overly care about stereos in cars, but this one is awful! If you are in the market for a Rainier, make sure you find one with the upgraded stereo.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th April, 2014
Not MPG, L/100km, less is better
Oh, sorry.
Update April 24 2015 -
Still have the Rainier. I definitely wish I could go back in time and never have bought it.
Front end parts are constantly needing to be replaced.
StabiliTrak has dangerous mind of its own and will often engage for no reason.
Fuel tank has had yet another sending unit, which fixes the gas gauge (GM actually covered the repair last year on all the makes).
Rear wiper has failed along with rear defrost.
Wow, what breed of dog do you own?
I wish I would have never let my sister talk me into getting this vehicle!
There was something wrong with the air suspension. Towards the end of ownership, if hitting a small bump, it would bounce the back of the vehicle hard.
There was wind noise coming into the driver's and passenger's side doors. My sister and cousin both had a Chevrolet Trailblazer, and they had the same problem.
The Rainier had horrible resale value. I had to pay over $12,000 to get rid of it.
The interior plastics were very cheap, and the leather seats were more like vinyl. They were slippery and offered no support whatsoever. They weren't even heated. The interior parts scratched and scuffed easily. The light color got dirty fast.
The steering was very touchy and loose; it made the handling scary at times, especially in rain or snow. On the highway, the vehicle would wander easily because of this.
The powerful engine and exterior styling were the only things I enjoyed about this vehicle.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 11th August, 2011
27th Apr 2014, 17:09
You got poorer fuel economy in the Summer than in the Winter? That doesn't make any sense.