2nd Oct 2006, 10:14
I bought an 02 Rendezvous brand new. Minimal problems over the 1st 3 years under the warranty. Nothing that I couldn't handle. Shortly thereafter, I've had nothing, but problems. Here's my list:
Expected events @ 30,000 miles:
- New Front Brakes
- 4 New Tires.
Not-expected:
- Front Driver side door doesn't close properly
- Body Module needed to be replaced
- drained battery which then needed to be replaced
- Front driver window "dropped" without provocation
- Rear radio & headsets doesn't work
- Flickering lights in dashboard.
Now, I get the sense the rear brakes are an issue and need to be replaced.
This car is a lemon and Buick should be ashamed of themselves.
14th Oct 2006, 11:55
I purchased the 2002 Rendezvous CX from a friend with 6000 miles on it. As soon as the warranty was gone I had an AC hose that had to be replaced. Since the warranty was gone just 2 days and after a lot of talk I had to pay $200 for labor only because of a design defect. The hose rubbed against the AC and rubbed a hole in the hose. Later I spent over $400 replacing a gas tank. It developed a hole in the PLASTIC gas tank. Now I have had to replace the water pump and the lower intake valve. This cost over $1200 Just two days later I have had to have the brakes replaced for another $229. I think this car is falling apart. I owe too much on it to trade it. Yes, count me in on a class action.
20th Oct 2006, 15:08
I have not even gotten through all of these comments yet, but I am glad (and sorry) to know that I am not alone. My 2002 Buick Rendezvous has been an nightmare. I JUST hit 60k and things are getting worse.
FYI - FOR ANYONE THAT NEEDS TO REPLACE THEIR AC UNIT - GM HAS EXTENDED THE Warranty ON THIS!! I found this out over the summer when mine went. My dealer was nice enough to call GM and push them on getting it covered even though my regular warranty was expired.
Other issues - I had to totally replace the electrical system in the car. I swore it was possessed! The radio would randomly change stations, CD player turn off, rear latch pop (all the time), and the worst - the locks would click between lock and unlock at random. Now I wish someone would have stolen the thing when it was randomly unlocked!
Brakes and brake lines. Whoa. I have had both sets of brakes replaced and ALL the brake lines. They split, blister, and leak fluid.
Engine gasket replaced. Wiper blades (front and rear) replaced multiple times. Then I had to have the driver side door fixed because it actually went out of alignment when it was opened on a windy day!
There also seems to be an issue when I pump gas. The nozzle always clicks off when I have barely started filling it up.
The other day I saw water leaking from it. Now what does that mean? It is fall and I have not been running the AC for some time now, so it shouldn't be condensation.
I called GM directly (at my dealers suggestion) to discuss compensation for the repairs. They did not seem shocked at all when I called and named these problems. Of course they "couldn't say" if they were typical or not.
I really feel like the car is unsafe and I want to get rid of this before something really bad happens. Of course it is recently paid off. Figures.
Is there anything we can do? So many people are having so many problems! GM should not be able to sell cars of such shoddy craftsmanship!
4th Nov 2006, 08:42
Do you know how to find out more information on the extended warranty for the AC unit? I had to have my condenser replaced just last year for almost $1200. I would like to look into that and see if that should have been covered under a warranty.
15th Nov 2006, 10:57
Wow I was thinking of buying a Rendezvous until I read all these comments. To think I was going out this afternoon to put a deposit down (not anymore)
Thanks for the imput and sorry you had to be a victim.
28th Nov 2006, 07:28
Well, I hope that I didn't fall victim. I just purchased a 2002 CXL last night. When we were about to leave the lot, we had no interior lights. The car salesman tried for about 10 minutes to fix the problem without it getting resolved. He even tried having another salesman fix it. I have been reading all of these comments and I have to admit, I am a little scared now even though we purchased an extended warranty. Did I make a grave mistake in purchasing one of these vehicles? Can I do anything about it now since the paperwork has been signed?
28th Nov 2006, 15:14
Oh No!! Did I make a mistake??
I thought I got a 'steal' when last Monday night, I drove home my 2002 Rendezvous, at a price of $9999.00. (My research suggested that I might expect to pay about $1000 more in my neck of New Jersey woods). In my head, I was comparing my ride to the much more expensive Lexus or Acura MDX. Then, Wed. nite - just as I was about to go food shopping for my Thanksgiving meal (!!!), the car overheated so badly that it took me more than hour to travel about a mile (in between letting the engine cool down), back to the dealer!! They kept it over the holiday period, and yesterday, replaced the radiator, only to discover the busted gasket on the intake manifold! I then searched the 'net and found this site. I guess a carfax report - which recorded several general maintenance activities - just wasn't enough. I was wondering why I didn't see more of these seemingly wonderful vehicles on the road!! I'm guessing now that they stay in the repair shop more than they stay on the road! I'm heart-broken! I was really falling in love with the thought of driving this fully-loaded vehicle, complete with heated seats and a back-up buzzer instead of those annoying alarms. I'll buy the extended warranty and hope for the best.
1st Oct 2006, 19:56
We recently traded in our 2002 CXL. Just like most everyone else we have had to repair the wheel bearings 3 times, replace the rear end fluid, A/C condenser, brakes, rotors. The final straw was when the car was 2 weeks out of warranty and it blew the head gasket. We also still owed money on our loan, but it was worth the financial loss. The car was in the garage almost once a month. It seems like a shame because the beauty of the car just sucks you in. We have called the GM complaint line and we cannot get them to return our calls. My recommendation to all of you who are wondering what to do with your car…GET RID OF IT!!!