I noticed in november of 2016 my buick rainner was smelling like gasoline after I got out and left it running while I was dropping stuff at home from work. When I got back in my vehicle I didn't smell anything, but could smell outside the vehicle. I went about another 10 miles later to my destination and park. 20 mins later went back out and crank my vehicle and could smell a strong gas odor coming thru vents on the inside of my SUV. I got out and looked under my hood and didn't see anything wrong under the hood. When I walked toward the back of the vehicle the gas smell was even stronger. I checked the fuel / gas top to see I left it off but it wasn't. Then I looked under my vehicle and notice fuel was pouring out around my gas tank and notice a big wet spot on the ground under the tank. When I cut off the vehicle I notice the gas coming from around the tank has stop. Had my vehicle tooken to a local gm/ buick dealer. The did a inspection of the vehicle and said what ever the problem was it was at the top of the gas tank. So gave them permission to work on it and find out what the problem was. Two days later the dealer call me and said that the gas lines going into the top of the tank where fuel pump goes into the tank gas was leaking from them. They couldn't tell me exactly what causes my lines to start leaking at the top of the tank. ( after reading this the federal safety agency report in 2008 on the cause and gm/ buick extended a warranty for 10 years or 120,000 warranty). I'm totally upset about this because the federal safety agency should have done a recall on this problem ten years ago instead of closing the investigation as long as buick makes extend warranty fix. The dealer had to order the parts for the vehicle and took two days to arrive. After the parts arrive and two days more to work on it. I had a $1200 bills that I had to pay a few days before the thanksgiving holiday.
2004 Buick Rainier fuel system problems
18 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 97,400.
- owner complaints
- 18
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical mileage
- 97,400
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Storage: fuel gauge system2
- Storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Buick Rainier fuel system problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Buick Rainier fuel system
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Fuel pump module leaks gasoline
During the course of this ea investigation, odi observed that the majority of the complaints (88%) and warranty claims (94%) were reported for vehicles that are registered for use in the salt belt region of the us.this area includes 20 states in the northeast, mid atlantic and the midwest regions and the district of columbia.consumers in the salt belt region reported to odi that they could smell fuel vapors in their vehicles while driving.upon further examination of their vehicles, they discovered that fuel vapors were coming out of the top of the fuel tank. This condition is caused by corrosion of the return and sender lines of the fuel pump module.water and road salt collect on top of the fuel pump leading to small pinholes appearing on the fuel lines.fuel may leak and collect on top of the module and/or spill onto the ground.the data evaluated under this investigation reflect a relatively low frequency of occurrence that largely arises in salt belt states.gm has extended the warranty on the subject component to ten years or 120,000 miles.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time; accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for additional information select document search.
EA07009
What 2004 Buick Rainier owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick rainier. After parking the vehicle, a fuel odor was noticed outside the vehicle. Once the contact entered the vehicle, the odor was stronger. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they diagnosed that the fuel lines were rotted and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact about the extended warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 109,722.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick rainier. After the vehicle was repaired for a voluntary recall and driving at a low speed, the contact heard an abnormal noise underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed fuel fumes emitting from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the inlet check valve fractured and needed to be glued together as a temporary remedy due to part unavailability. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
When vehicle is parked you can smell gasoline can park car in garage due to our water heater received notice from g m in november 2015 (g m special coverage program,14423) can't get nowhere with g m since november 2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick rainier. While driving 25 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the engine stalled as the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,000.
I have had this vehicle for 4 years and the speedometer has not worked for 2.5 years now. It will work if I reset the battery or turn the key over until the needle goes back to 0. I am told the instrument cluster is bad and I see that there are other complaints also. Please help. I need to know if this is covered at a gm dealership for free. The vehicle also sputters and I have already replaced the fuel pump and had the injectors looked at. If you can please email me or contact me I would greatly appreciate it.
When I park my 2004 buick rainier in my garage there is a strong smell of gasoline which is getting worse over time. I went on the internet to research and ultimately found that the 2004 gm envoy (sister vehicle) had a recall due to a similar issue and that gm confirmed in 2008 that the 2004 buick rainier fuel line can rust and cause this condition. Although I understand gm extended the warranty to 10 years and 120,000 miles there was no notice to consumers that I am aware of. My truck is 9 years old but has 128,000 miles. I will go to the dealer this week to see if they can help. Historically the dealer has been less than helpful with problems as I did not purchase the vehicle from them. Being unemployed I would rather fix my truck at this time as a new car is not a reasonable solution. Any suggestions you can offer to help me would be appreciated. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
1) fuel gauge - the fuel gauge has done a 180, the needle is now upside down. And doesn't work really. I searched the internet and found out the there is a recall on 2005- 2007 buick rainiers but not on my 2004. Maybe with my complaint, maybe it will include 2004 models. 2) drives door lock - the car key will no longer open the car door. I can only open the door with the remote button.
The fuel gauge is not showing the correct amount of fuel. It will go far beyond full and way below empty. Over the course of a mile it can go from full to empty or all between.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick rainier. The contact was driving 65 MPH when the fuel gauge malfunctioned and displayed that the fuel tank was half full but an indicator flashed on the dashboard stating that the fuel was low and the vehicle only had five miles to empty. The contact did not call the manufacturer regarding the fuel gauge failure. The contact stated that the fuel gauge malfunction could have caused the vehicle to run out of fuel on the highway. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Questions about the 2004 Buick Rainier fuel system
Does the 2004 Buick Rainier have fuel system problems?
Owners have filed 18 complaints about the fuel system of the 2004 Buick Rainier, 11% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2004 Buick Rainier fuel system problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 97,400 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Buick Rainier fuel system?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Buick Rainier have the most fuel system problems?
The Buick Rainier model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2006 (35 complaints), 2005 (27 complaints) and 2004 (18 complaints).
Other 2004 Buick Rainier problems
Electrical 83Lights 22Transmission 15Acceleration 12Airbags 10Engine 6Suspension 6Body 5Visibility 5Brakes 4Steering 4Seat belts 3Driver assistance 2Locks 2Seats 2Tires 1
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