When first accelerating, the car stalled out and the battery died. After braking to shift back into park and restarting, I was able to move again. Besides the acceleration issue, when driving and then braking when coming to a stop, it feels as if something is preventing the car from braking creating a grinding sensation. After the initial "grinding", awd is disabled along with the anti-lock braking system. This happens just about every time the rendezvous is driven.
2003 Buick Rendezvous brakes complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 45, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While driving the brakes will start to lock up and cause it hard to stop this will continue until the message comes up that the traction is off. Once the traction system disables itself the brake will work properly. If a bump is hit the brake light comes on and continually dings until you turn off the engine and restart it.
The service traction system light is on, and the traction off light is on, and the anti-lock brake light is also on. I was backing up in a parking lot when this occurred, and now the lights all come on as soon as I start the car.
I was driving home from work, I tried to stop my car and the brakes went to the floor, the car started smoking, and I had to put the car in low so it would slow down. And when it slowed I finally got it to stop. The mechanic said the car was put together funny and that the brake line corroded cause its over the exhaust. I didn't get hurt but I could have, but if it were someone who didn't know how to slow down a car, or a new driver it could have been bad.
We drove 6.4 miles from our relatives house to a restaurant. When I parked, my wife noticed smoke coming out from the front of the vehicle on the passangers side. I told her to exit the vehicle and I released the hood latch. When I opened the hood the flames were visible. I called 911, prior to fd arrival the flames were put out by someone from the restaurant. The brake line had rusted out and the brake fluid leaked out onto the exhaust system catching the electrical system on fire. The response from buick via claims admisinstrator bryan schwartz they claim no liability due to braach of warranty. I claim this brake line should not have rusted out after only 60,000 miles. At 59,411 miles this vehicle was serviced @ vyletel buick included in this service was a multi-point vehicle inspection including the brake system (also including lines,hoses and parking brake) no issues were noted.
Over the past two years I have had three front hubs replaced and the saddle for the traction system. All done at the advise of a buick dealer. This past year I telephoned buick and requested their help, as I felt buick should know how to correct this recurring problem, but to no avail. Both the antilock brakes and the traction systems are off, and the car sounds as if it is raw metal on metal. I am again occasionally hearing the grinding noise, which usually indicates another problem (with substantial cost) is on the way.
I was parked on a hill facing up wards. I made a u turn in the street to go down the hill as I always do. As I approached the stop sign I lost all pressure to the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. I went through the stop sign but no accident occurred. I was able to come to a very slow stop. While I continued driving to the nearest mechanic I noticed smoke coming from under the hood and now the "low brake fluid" warning light came on and warning chimes were ringing constantly. I pulled over and noticed brake fluid hitting hot engine components causing the smoke. I could see brake fluid dripping under the vehicle too but under the engine. The mechanic inspected the line and said that the line runs up to the fire wall behind the top of the engine and that he didn't want to work on it. "real nice". I have to find a shop who is competent to do this job. I would have no doubt been in a very serious accident had I been on the freeway while this happened. From reading some other similar issues online this should be a recall issue. Apparently all these brake lines run up to the fire wall where installation holds moisture and causes failure. This is not a normal wear and tear issue. If the line wasn't in or close to insulation this wouldn't be happening. *tr
Brake failure due to corroded brake line on firewall above exhaust pipe. I was able to bring car to full stop using emergency brake. Because of light traffic and low speed major accident was avoid. Brake line fixed by shelton buick dealer in rochester hills and price was $429.70. I'm finding out that this is common problem with this type of gm vehicles.
In jan 2011, front right wheel hub assembly and speed sensor was replaced with oem part. In june 2011, the part had failed again. Per mechanic, fault is due to speed sensor not returning correct speed when speed is < 8 MPH. Per mechanic, this wiill increase stopping distance when it occurs.
My 2003 buick rendezvous has a ABS problem where it engages completely on its own whenever the outside temp is more than 50 degrees. While driving, I hear a humming noise at various time during my drive and when I push the brakes the ABS system is activated and the petal pulses and a grinding noise is heard. Although, the ABS light does not light up on my instrument panel. This is constant throughout the months of may through october since the temp is above 50 degrees during the day. I have had both front hub assemblies and wire harness replaced with no avail. Then, during the winter months, the awd system disables anytime I have tire(s) spinning. I have talked to several mechanics and not one seem to have any idea what can be wrong. I have researched online finding an alarming amount of people with the same problem concerning their rendezvous, but no solution.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. The contact stated that the ABS system was engaging independently and as a result, the brakes would not function properly. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the wheel bearings and tires were replaced and the wiring harness was inspected. The failure persisted and as a last resort, the contact completely disconnected the ABS system. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 76,000 and the current mileage was 104,000.
I just found this link today. I have been having several problems out of my 03 rendezvous. I had my brakes changed, and everything has went to hell. The brakes rattle, my awd disabled, and my anti-lock system light is on. I had this problem previously looked at in august 2010. Once the rotors were turned it seemed to have solved the problems. Since the warm weather has returned, the problems has started back. In addition to the brake system problems, I am looking into possible intake manifold being replaced or repaired due to antifreeze leakage. Any help will be useful. Thanks!
Brake failure due to corroded brake line on firewall above exhaust pipe. Those 2 brake lines are shielded together by a heat shielded insulation which in return keeps in moisture and corrodes brake lines,very poor design. Called gm to see if there is a recall and see if they can do anything about this problem financially ,waiting for answer. This is going to be a common problem and expensive one,on top of being a dangerous one. Have to replace front and rear passenger brake lines,if one corroded the other one will follow.
Losing oil and water everyday temp. Gauge showing hot. Now trac and anti brake light comes on. Brake pedal is got a jumping movement. We got our 2003 buick rendezvous a couple years ago.
This has occurred on and off since purchasing my 2003 buick rendezvous in january 2005. Usually occurs when outside temps are warmer, spring thru fall, not in the winter. At slow speeds ( 10 to 20 miles/hour) when braking and/or turning steering wheel while applying the brakes, a grinding/crunching noise is heard and depressing the brakes feels like you are crushing something with your feet. Brakes do not work immediately. Anti-lock brake light, service traction system light, and anti-lock brake off indicator lights all come on and stay on after the braking and noise stops. Warning lights sometimes stay on for several minutes afterwards. Just backing out of the garage can even cause this to occur. Recently I had an instance when driving at 10 to 15 miles/hour and could not stop at an intersection. Car finally came to a stop in the middle of the four-way stop after I slammed brakes to the floor. Dealership repair shop cannot never find anything wrong. Have had in for service for this three times and only error showing up was right front speed sensor malfunction but unable to duplicate problem while in for service. I left dealership and within a mile it started again. I keep driving the car but am frustrated because they cannot fix it, and pray I don't have an accident or hit a pedestrian because I cannot stop. Brakes do not have a problem at driving speeds above 40 MPH.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. Two weeks after the vehicle was purchased in december of 2007, the contact noticed a loud noise when making left turns. The dealer stated that the power steering pump was defective and was repaired for free. Two months after the repair, the windshield wipers stopped working and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The mechanic informed her that the windshield wiper box failed and was repaired. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle stopped accelerating. The contact smelled a burning odor coming from the front driver's side wheel well. She pulled the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle would shift gears, but it would not move forward or backwards. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the brake oil was contaminated and the master cylinder was defective. The vehicle has not been repaired since the last incident. The current mileage was 70,874 and failure mileage was 60,300.
2003 buick rendezvous wheel bearing noise. Consumer states that the mechanic replaced the brake rotors with the wrong kind. This caused the brake pads to crumble due to this problem. Took vehicle to another dealer to have correct work done. *kb the consumer stated the dealer installed front wheel drive rotors instead of all wheel drive rotors. The rotors installed were smaller in diameter than the proper rotors.
2003 buick rendezvous. Sporadic brake noise and braking problems with accompanying warning messages required service assessment. Diagnosis was defective hub and bearing assembly on right rear. Repaired at cost of $340.00. Six hundred miles later, same problem, same repair required. Now, three weeks later, I have the same problem. Each time, it seems a different wheel is involved. I have begun investigating and it appears buick has had a significant problem with their hub and bearing assemblies. It seems a recall is in order.
I have had to replace the front and back brakes and rotors in my 2003 buick rendezvous twice now - one at 36,000 miles and again just recently at 73,000 miles. I had to have $1200 worth of work on the transmission at 62,000 miles because a gasket was leaking and causing transmission fluid to leak into the anti-freeze. Buick knew of this problem and had changed the design in 2003, but after I had purchased my vehicle. Now, I have been told the transmission cooling lines are leaking. Didn't they notice that when I had the transmission work done or did they cause it? Mechanic says it has been leaking a long time.
2003 buick rendezvous with a failed braking system. Consumer had the braking system repaired. Prior to getting it fixed two company's told her there was nothing wrong with the brakes. *kb the consumer stated just about every time she applied the brakes when going down a slight grade, she would experience backward pressure. The vehicle felt as if it was still moving after the brakes were applied. Finally, the ABS light illuminated. Soon after, the problem was discovered to be the power brake system. The insulation from the right front speed sensor and surrounding wiring contained an open circuit.
Owner purchased 2003 buick rendezvous in july, 2007. At the beginning of august, 2007, with approximately 80k miles on it, the vehicle's ABS, traction control, and check engine lights came on and the gas gauge began fluctuating erratically. Upon inspection at the local gm service center, the service technician diagnosed that the problem had been caused by a manufacturer design flaw related to the air conditioning system in which the condensation drain was made forward facing, which while driving at moderate to high speeds, would prevent the condensation to drain properly while running the air conditioning due to wind resistance. This caused the condensation (water) to pool inside the vehicle, causing multiple valves to rust, various electrical functions to malfunction, and resulted in a musty mildew smell inside the vehicle because the carpet was becoming saturated. The service technician stated he had seen this problem several times before and informed the consumer that buick remedied the problem for the 2005 and newer models. Therefore, the remedy provided was that the original A/C condensation drain was replaced to match that of the 2005 and newer rendezvous. This remedy alone would have been relatively inexpensive had buick issued a recall for this design flaw (which they clearly recognized as evidenced by the design modification on the 2005 and newer models), however since the problem was not observable until significant damage had been done (including multiple rusted valves that had to be replaced and several hours of labor), the repair ended up costing the consumer over $1,000.
Brake failure on a 2003 buick rendezvous, 36,440 miles due to rusted through brake line at firewall above exhaust. My wife was barely able to get the car safely off the road. Car was towed to the dealer; not warranty; very expensive; towed to transmission shop for repair. This could have resulted in a major accident.
The first indication of the problem was that the when the heater was turned on, it would not get warm or hot. I took the car to the dealership, they stated that it was the intake manifold gasket, which is a $900 repair. What they did not tell me was that, when this gasket leaks coolant, it will mix with the engine oil and cause the engine to blow or seize. In researching on-line, I have discovered that this is a well-known problem that both general motors and buick are well aware of. In fact, gm sent out an internal service bulletin in july 2001 stating that the intake manifold gasket was defective and that when brought in to the service dept., it should be fixed. Only they will not recall the defective part or pay for or reimburse consumers for the repair. This is outrageous! There are thousands upon thousands of people out there stating this same exact problem, yet gm refuses to recall it! There is a class-action lawsuit in canada for this exact problem and a petition for gm to recall this defective part in the u.s. Gm should be forced to recall this defective part that they have been deceiving consumers about all along. There is no excuse for continuing to sell vehicles with this problem and not so much as do a recall. I want to gm to pay for the repair as well as recall the part. I have already spent over $700 in repairs to the car, including wheel bearing sensors, brakes, and a gas-line leak. These are also well-known issues with the buick rendezvous.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. While driving downhill at 15 MPH, the vehicle failed to stop when the brakes were depressed. Once the vehicle began traveling uphill, it slowed down and the contact applied the emergency brake. The road conditions were normal. The dealer stated that the brake power booster box burned up and needed to be replaced. The brakes have been replaced three times and the rotors once within the past year. The engine size was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 42,000.
Tl* - the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous cx/csl. The contact was driving at 5-10 MPH in bumper to bumper traffic. She applied the brakes and the car started shaking from side to side and then it flipped over three times, landing in an embankment. The contact stated that it had rained earlier that day, but that this incident happened approximately two hours after the rain stopped. The contact was injured and was currently still under the care of a doctor. The police were contacted, however, they never came to the scene. The contact stated that no research was done concerning the cause of the crash. *ak updated 1/29/2007 -
Buick rendevous. 1st was a 2002 cxl - problems: rear differential slipped, passenger side window regulator broke, AC condenser broken, rear view mirror fell off, back up sensors shut down vehicle - because of this fried entire electrical system, brakes and rotors replaced at 30k. 2nd is a 2003 cxl - problems - rear differential slipping, passenger side window regulator broken, driver 1 & 2 memory broken, engine running hot because of leak in radiator - again 30k
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH, all the interior lights went out intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the problem. The consumer stated the service engine light stayed on for days. The alrm didn't work, the key would get stuck in the ignition, the AC did not cool properly, the ABS would engage when it was not needed, the battery was replaced, the turn signals wouldn't cancel, the doors wouldn't unlock when the vehicle was placed in park. Updated 12/29/06.
I have an 03 buick rendezvous and the intake manifold gasket ($875) was identify by the dealership as the source of the problem at the same time my front hub bearings were fixed at just over $400 by the buick dealership in new jersey. The dealership took my money gladly and later that day I find out in this forum my vehicle should have been repaired at no cost to me. I find it hard to believe the service manager/dealership were not aware of this problem and the notice posted by gm. I feel used and abuse at this point and my vehicle is still have problems with leaking coolant/overheating even after getting the problem fixed. All I want from gm is justice for all us who work hard each day and have continue to support their company and products. I would like to be added to class action lawsuit, can anyone give me information on getting on that train. I found other consumers across the country and in canada on this website with the same problems http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/buick-rendezvous/t1tik6gq01p6ghp7d/p3.
Dt*: the contact stated when the brake was applied, the vehicle began to shake. The vehicle then rolled over three times. This occurred at 5-10 MPH in bumper to bumper traffic on a dry road. The police was not contacted and the vehicle was driven home on four flat tires. The contact sustained head, neck, and back injuries. The insurance company inspected the vehicle and deemed it totaled. Updated 2/28/2006 -
2. A.heater does not work with only 40,000 miles on the vehicle 2. B. Abs stopped working after 38,000 miles. Abs light is on 2. C. Traction control does not work. Traction control light is on. Since, I am in the middle of winter, I have taken the car for repairs and it is turning out to be a expensive one.
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