Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick rainier. The contact stated that the headlights turned off intermittently without warning. The contact stated that the headlights remained off for approximately six minutes. When the lights turned back on, the lighting was dim. The vehicle was taken to j.d. Byrider (5101 new bern ave, raleigh, nc 27610) where they replaced the replaced the headlight driver module on two different occasions, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 150,471.
2004 Buick Rainier lights problems
22 complaints (14% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 95,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 22
- of this car's complaints
- 14%
- typical mileage
- 95,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Headlights6
- Brake lights1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Buick Rainier lights problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Buick Rainier lights
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: turn signal
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks and sport utility vehicles, the driver wishing to signal a turn by moving the directional signal lever, (up or down) may cause the front marker/turn lights and rear turn lights to flash in a manner similar to hazard warning, rather than flashing on the desired side only.
- Risk
- The driver may not be able to clearly signal their intentions to turn, change travel lanes, or potentially warn others of an impaired vehicle operating condition increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the suspect flasher modules with a new flasher module designed with sealed relays and more durable contact material inside of the relays free of charge. The recall began on august 4, 2005. Isuzu began mailing owner letters on august 4, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463, isuzu at 1‑800‑255‑6727, buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080, and oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537.
Recall number 05V198000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles, vibration and heat may cause the tail lamp/stop lamp bulb to loosen in its socket. If this occurs, the bulb may flicker and eventually become inoperative.
- Risk
- An inoperative brake lamp will not convey the driver's intention of stopping to drivers in following vehicles, and an inoperative rear turn signal lamp will not convey the driver's intention to turn to drivers in following vehicles. Both of these failures can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the tail lamp/stop lamp assemblies, and if necessary, replace them. The recall began on november 22, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537, buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080, or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 04V527000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Loss of Headlights
The subject vehicles are model year (MY) 2002-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2004-2007 Buick Rainier, 2003-2008 Isuzu Ascender, 2005-2009 Saab 9-7X, 2002-2004 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR, 2005-2009 Buick Lacrosse, and 2006-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. This scope includes the Trailblazer/Envoy variants: 2002-2006 Envoy XL/Trailblazer EXT and 2004-2005 Envoy XUV. The original scope of this investigation was expanded to include all vehicles equipped with the subject Headlight Driver Module (HDM). The focus of the investigation was to determine whether actions performed by General Motors adequately addressed any unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety in the subject vehicles concerning the headlights and the HDM that controls them.Under normal electrical load and environmental conditions, the HDM can overheat inside the Underhood Electrical Center (UEC). This can cause the module to fail and result in a simultaneous loss of both low beam headlights and both daytime running lights (DRLs), often with no warning or prior detectability to the driver. This failure can be intermittent or permanent. No other exterior lights are affected. High beams, turn signals, brake lights, and reverse lights are still operational.General Motors addressed this issue with 2 recalls (14V755 & 15V519) and a special coverage program (N172091910). In view of the recalls and special coverage program implemented by GM and the vehicle high beams continuing to operate, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by GM mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by HDM failure in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at under the identification numbers in the attached document.
RQ17002
Brake lamp failure
Gm states that some brake/tail lamp bulbs can prematurely become inoperative due to malfunctioning brake/tail lamp sockets.on march 2, 2004, gm initiated a 6-year/72,000 mile special policy for 989,487 subject vehicles to inspect and replace the rear brake/tail lamp bulb socket assemblies.on april 4, 2004, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe04-032) based on consumer complaints alleging brake lights not operating when the brake pedal is depressed.on august 3, 2004 odi upgraded pe04-032 to an engineering analysis (ea04-021).by letter dated october 27, 2004 gm notified the federal safety agency that it will conduct a safety recall (the federal safety agency # 04v527) covering subject vehicles that were not already repaired under gm's special policy.my 2004 subject vehicles built after august 8, 2003 contain improved brake lamp assemblies and are not included in the recall.gm dealers will install the improved brake lamp assembly on subject vehicles built on august 8, 2003 and earlier.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.accordingly, this investigation is closed.
EA04021
What 2004 Buick Rainier owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Headlights fail intermittently while driving. While driving last night the low beam headlights went out. The high beams still worked. This is about the sixth time this has happened. I changed out the headlight relay just before this occurred as I had seen a recall on 2006 and 2007 rainiers showing this as the problem. After a short time the high beams also went out. I parked and turned the engine off for a while and when I restarted the high beams were working again but not the low beams. I was doing a combination of street and highway driving and it appears to be unrelated to any road conditions as this has happened on both highways and city streets.
Low beam headlights failure both at the same time. Occurred on two separate occasions. First time a year or so ago, low beam relay replaced by best recollection
Low beams on lighting goes out for no apparent reason. This has happened two times in the last two weeks. Dealership says they just can't find anything wrong. Although they had another vehicle there with same problem. This seems to be a recurring problem with gm SUV's. My 1994 gmc did the same thing and I heard reports of other gmc's doing the same thing. Not good on interstates at night.
I tried to get my car inspected today in virginia but it failed due to the dummy lights on in the dash board ABS and brake. The dealer could not comm with comp but changed the fuse for the cig lighter then the codes read ebcm module fault.. In 2014 my running headlights would just go out.. No lights until I put on high beams I have had them worked on and changed but still burn out
After headlights are on for a long time they will go off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 buick rainier. While driving at 50 MPH, the headlights failed to illuminate. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Have noticed after a heavy and driving rain that the electrical systems acts up. We call it crazy car! All the dash lights blink & flash, bells ding and gauges fluctuate while the vehicle is at rest and on the move. We shut the engine off, sit for a minute and restart only to get the same thing. That may happen for the entire ride duration or we may get no dash lights at all. It appears to me that there is a short or a moisture that creates this happening because after a few days of good sunny weather where the water has evaporated from the roadways, our beloved rainer comes back to normal. We still experience the dimming of the headlights as we are driving at night when we are cruising with no gas pedal application at around the 32 MPH marking which is rather annoying as other drivers feel as if we are flashing them. We see a down surge in the battery gauge drop for 14 volts to 11 volts and then come back up. Sometimes this can happen once or twice during a 10 mile ride or as many as 50! We wonder, when, oh, when will gm pay attention to these complaints or are we just talking into the wind?
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 buick rainier. The contact stated that the low beam headlight socket melted causing the light to shake. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head lamp module needed to be replaced, along with replacement of the light. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v755000 (exterior lighting). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
This is my second complaint rising from the same issue, I own two 2004 buick rainier's and they both have had an issue with the low beam headlamp bulb and connector being melted due to poor connection. This is a costly repair since the gm parts catalog does not list a replacement connector, they would rather sell the entire headlamp assembly. The first complaint occurred on my other rainier now this one. No headlamp is a safety concern, and due to the wiring overheating and melting could be a potential fire hazard.
Questions about the 2004 Buick Rainier lights
Does the 2004 Buick Rainier have lights problems?
Owners have filed 22 complaints about the lights of the 2004 Buick Rainier, 14% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2004 Buick Rainier lights problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 95,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Buick Rainier lights?
Yes, 2 recalls: 05V198000, 04V527000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Buick Rainier have the most lights problems?
The Buick Rainier model years with the most lights complaints are 2004 (22 complaints), 2005 (17 complaints) and 2006 (12 complaints).
Other 2004 Buick Rainier problems
Electrical 83Fuel system 18Transmission 15Acceleration 12Airbags 10Engine 6Suspension 6Body 5Visibility 5Brakes 4Steering 4Seat belts 3Driver assistance 2Locks 2Seats 2Tires 1
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