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.
2004 Buick Rainier: wrong fuel gauge reading
10 of the 158 complaints about the 2004 Buick Rainier describe wrong fuel gauge reading.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
Wrong fuel gauge reading by model year
What owners say
Gauges don't function right. Speedo reads too fast, too slow or not at all, fuel gauge reads twice as full. Needle pegged to stop as is the oil gauge needle. Buying this was the biggest mistake ever made.
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.
The first incident we ran out of fuel with the fuel gauge showing we still had fuel in the tank. Next incident, the oil pressure gauge indicated a very high oil pressure reading, leading me to believe something was wrong with the engine. Took the car home and drove another vehicle until I could do some testing on the vehicle. Oil gauge returned to normal operation. In april of 2010 I was driving exiting an interstate highway onto a four lane road and the speedometer reading became inaccurate. I was traveling faster than the indicated speed. After stopping at an intersection the speedometer never moved from zero when I was moving down the road. This occurs after a brief period of driving. Mechanics I have spoken to inform me this is a common occurrence with this model vehicle. Gauges such as fuel gauge, oil pressure, tachometer and speedometer are not trustworthy and give inaccurate readings. This is a very expensive item to replace and should be considered a safety hazard because you cannot determine your speed at any given moment.
I bought this car monday and the dealer stated it had all scheduled service, including the 130k mile service on february 26, 2011. We drove around the neighborhood and the car seemed to drive beautifully, and appeared to be immaculately maintained. Until I drove to work this morning, and the speedometer started going higher and higher, reaching 80 MPH, even though I had slowed down and pulled over. I shut the car off and restarted it. It appeared normal for the first 30 MPH, then stuck at 40, even though I was following traffic in a 70 MPH zone. It stayed at 40 MPH, even after the car was turned off. I did some research on this problem and found that the instrument panel cluster has been a known problem in gm cars, and was supposed to have been corrected as the result of a class action lawsuit. There are several tsbs related to the speedometer, gas gauges, or other instruments in this cluster. I find it unforgivable that the federal safety agency has allowed an unsafe condition exist in virtually an entire brand of cars for over 7 years and has not issued a recall on these vehicles. This allowed the dealer to sell the car, knowing about the problem, but not required by law, to disclose it. And should I be on the highway, driving along at 90 MPH, when my speedometer says 60, nobody is safe. Not me, not the other cars on the road, certainly not pedestrians, since the braking distance is obviously far longer than my speedometer leads me to believe it is. How many millions of defective vehicles have been placed on the road in the last 7 years? How would you feel if your 5 year-old rode a bicycle into the street as I drove by? Thinking I was going 30, but really going 60? This isn't just an inconvenience, it is a fatality waiting to happen. You have the authority, and the moral responsibility, to fix it. Recall these cars before somebody dies.
No particular event just driving and speedometer stopped working a few weeks later gas gauge stopped once in awhile the speedometer starts but is inaccurate all of the instrument cluster is going . Many other complaints online for same problem . Tried to have the dealer co operate and fix the defect but got nowhere need help as this is a extremely expensive fix on a faulty part that should have a recall as it is a unsafe situation.
Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) I own a 2004 buick rainier and the instrument cluster, specifically the speedometer, oil and gas gauges have failed. Called buick about the issue and received service request # [xxx] . Called a local dealer, wagner buick/gmc in belleville, il to get service and the service manager stated that I would be responsible to fix this issue. The service request will get me nothing since I didn't purchase the vehicle initially. Looking on the internet to find a fix for the issue I have noticed numerous complaints about failed/failing instrument clusters in these vehicles. I'm sure there are other gm vehicles with the same problems outside of the rainier. Request the federal safety agency look over this issue.
I have filed a complaint before about our speedometer being messed up. Now the entire instrument panel is malfunctioning. All the gauges are "pegged". There is no reason what so ever buick can not place a recall on this problem. No fire as of yet, but what if the car overheats? We can't tell as the gauge is not functioning. No damage to other property, but this is my vehicle and there is damage to it, since something is broke. No crash as of yet, but it will happen. What happens when I run out of gas cause the gas gauge is showing beyond full?
2004 buick rainier speedometer & gas gauge went haywire at 43,000 miles. The needles pointed randomly and the gas gauge showed 180 degrees off the markings, pointing straight down. Complained to the dealership, who stated this was a known defect and replaced the entire unit for a $100 deductible even though the car was out of warranty.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2004 Buick Rainier fuel gauge
Is wrong fuel gauge reading a common problem on the 2004 Buick Rainier?
10 of 158 owner complaints about the 2004 Buick Rainier (6%) mention wrong fuel gauge reading. The model year with the most reports is 2006.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Buick Rainier?
There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Buick Rainier
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