2003 Buick Rendezvous: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Sep 21, 2015 · Electrical, Visibility · 130,000 miles · NY

When driving on the highway, white/terrible smelling smoke came rolling out of the vents inside my vehicle. It was so bad that I had to pull over, as it was burning my throat/nose/eyes and made me dizzy- this was in a matter of just a few short minutes. No dashboard lights or other signs of vehicle malfunction occurred at that time; however, this was a very alarming safety situation for my children, who were also in the vehicle...! The fire department was called, along with the police and a tow truck; as I obviously was not willing to drive the vehicle any further! Disturbingly, my insurance company (ge*co) has been very unwilling to assist me through this dangerous occurrence; needless to say, I will no longer be a customer of ge*co's ever again- and I will never stop warning my family/friends/the community about the dangers of this type of situation, along with highly advising them to not put their lives at risk by having ge*co as an insurance company!!!!!!

Filed Mar 2, 2012 · 163,000 miles · PA · fire

Car caught fire for unknown reasons the dealer said. Started the car heard noise before pulling off open the hood and the car was on fire.

Filed Feb 6, 2012 · Brakes, Electrical · 60,000 miles · MI · fire

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.

Filed Sep 19, 2011 · Brakes · 137,000 miles · MN

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

Filed Aug 25, 2008 · Electrical, Seats · 66,000 miles · MD · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the contact noticed smoke from the driver's side front seat. Upon further inspection, she noticed flames coming from the vehicle. She took her vehicle to a dealer and they concluded that when she adjusted her seat, the track ran over a cord in the wiring harness that created a fire. The vehicle does not have optional heat/cooler integrated seats. The technician stated that the seat would have to be replaced and the wiring in the electrical system needed to be repaired. The contact is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. The failure and current mileages were 66,000.

Filed Jul 26, 2007 · Engine · 87,561 miles · VA

2003 buick rendezvous with 87,000 miles. I started smelling a sweet burning smell through the vent. I am being told that my intake valve is leaking and the water pump needs replacing. This will apparently cost approximately $2,650.00. My father owns the exact same car and had this exact same problem arise in his 2001 buick rendezvous. It cost him significantly less. The dealers all know about this problem but is has not been issued as a recall therefore they can charge for it. My father's dealership in dayton, ohio knew about it and when I brought mine into the dealership in alexandria, va the servicemen laughed because they were aware of the problem.

Filed Apr 20, 2006 · Electrical, Suspension · 32,547 miles · OH · fire

I have had ongoing electrical problems with my vehicle for about a year now. It keeps blowing the number 40 fuse which causes the vehicle to lose its turn signals, break lights, and emergency flashers. The dealer has attempted to fix the problem 3 times since june of 2005. The fourth time this happened a wiring harness under the dashboard caught fire while my wife and a friend of hers were traveling 350 miles from home. It was at night, in the rain, and on I-77 in the mountains of west virginia. A local gm dealer looked at the vehicle. They stated a serious fire could have resulted from this, particularly since a 30 amp fuse was place in the #40 position which is made to take a 15 amp fuse. I have also replaced both front wheel bearings on this vehicle one with under 36,000 miles and the other with less than 50,000 miles. The vehicle has been very hard on front tires. I am guessing due to the defective bearings.