I was looking up info on my car found there was recalls on my specific problem. The transmission shifts very hard with poor engine performance. It idles high and at times it sputters taking off from a stop. I am afraid one of these times it will stall and will end up in an accident. We had it hooked up for a diagnostic it came up trouble code p0742. This is our main transportation and the car used to transport our son. I would really like to get this fixed before it becomes a major issue or a problem resulting in a new car or accident.
2003 Buick Rendezvous engine complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 62, newest first, as owners wrote them.
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.
Crank seals, oil pan seal, head gasket corrosion and potential failure. Mechanic found these leaks which will lead to engine failure. Reported to buick, examined by dealership. Buick said essentially, "too bad, you're on your own." the car is well-maintained, low miles, male senior driver. This should not occur on a vehicle in this condition. Gm should take care of significant problems such as these.
The car over heated while I was driving. I took it to be seen by a mechanic and he said my antifreeze mixed with engine oil. My head gasket blew, the engine had to be replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking antifreeze. The dealer replaced the head gasket, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was repaired a second time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repair to the vehicle. The failure mileage was 46,000 and the current mileage was 60,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Mechanic stated that intake manifold gasket had failed. This caused engine oil to flood coolant system and coolant to flood engine. Engine needed to be replaced, costing ~$3600. Mechanic stated this is a well-known-problem with this make/model/year. After researching and seeing no remediation by gm, this complaint was filed based on the volume of complaints reported for the same issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the rocker arm bolts fractured from the engine block which caused the head gasket to fail. The dealer stated that the engine would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage 110,000.
For the second time, the bolt that holds down the dohc rod backed out, and resulted in severe engine failure. Apparently this is a known problem that results from heat over time. Buick has failed to ever issue a recall for this very expensive preventive repair issue. How can a manufacturer not issue a recall for this widely known issue with this vehicle. ??
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!
October 21, 2010, williamstown, nj- engine and engine cooling system at 51,000 miles had to constantly add coolant every week; never saw any leaks in the cooling system. Suv now has 87,000 miles, cooling system continues to get very hot, had the thermostat replaced oct. 8, 2010, engines continues to get very hot in just a 8 mile drive. Also, motor oil continues to show up in the overflow/coolant adding container. Checked cooling fan operation and both fans are working.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. The contact stated that they have had three of the four cylinder's replaced on the vehicle. The carmax dealership were the vehicle was purchased honored the extended warranty on the first two cylinders, but the vehicle was no longer covered by the warranty. The contact took the vehicle to a buick dealer who stated that the cylinder failure was a known issue and that the contact would need to replace the engine. The contact stated that the all wheel drive and anti-lock brake lights have been going on/off since the vehicle was purchased. The failure mileage was 70311 and the current mileage was 105000.
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.
While driving on highway, car bucks, service engine light comes on....either flashing or solid. 1) cylinder bolt on rocker #3 pulled out 01/29/2009; 2) lifters for cylinder #1 collapsed 02/25/2009. Today (04/28/2010) car is back in shop. Driving on highway last night, same symptom. Dealer offered tentative diagnosis of pulled rocker arm in rear of engine.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. The contact started the vehicle and the heater was activated with a burning odor. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. The failure was contributed to a melted cable connected to the heater and the air conditioner. The technician replaced the heater module and cable. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls and was unable to provide further assistance. The current mileage was 65,500. The failure mileage was 65,373.
1st time: driving into portland, or. When engine started to make a awful noise by the time I found a dealer the sound was awful. The dealer said that I had 1 push rod jammed and locked up. It was replaced. 2nd.time 1 year to the month it happened again. Took to dealer and #4 locked up and bent. The dealer said this is becoming a common item with this car. It seems that because of the aluminum block expands and retracks when it is hot that the bolt used to push the rod comes loose and causes the rod the finelly bend. I check with another repair shop and they had, had 2 in the last year. I was told this will continue to happen until I replace all rods. At which time they will put in new bolts with lock tight so they will not come loose.so far I have been lucky that only one at a time has good. If two had gone out they said I probably would have lost control of the car. As it would lock up.
2003 buick rendezvous. I bought this car for $8200 one month ago. The car had only 78,000 but now has 81,000. In one month's time and 3000 miles we have had to replace the brakes, the muffler, the plugs and wires, as well as the coil pack. Now we have a big problem! Antifreeze smell, knocking in the engine... Like all other complaints, it looks like this is going to be another 2003 rendezvous with a blown head gasket. I have been researching this online and have found over 300 different complaints for the exact gasket problem. What can we do? The failure info: the car is jumping at idle and at low speeds every time it's driven. It's now making a knocking noise that knocks quicker the more you speed up. The knock is so loud now that the only place it is being driven is to a repair shop for what we are sure is another head gaskets, like so many others have had replaced with this particular model.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. The contact stated that her vehicle stalls and shuts off at all times. The vehicle also smokes a lot and the gasket overheated. In addition, the driver's side window dropped down into the door. The buick dealer has had the vehicle for over a week making repairs. The dealer stated that different failures keep arising, such as the air mast flow sensor had to be changed twice, along with the water pump, timing belt, and new thermostats were installed. The repair could possibly cost more than $2,000. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 140,000.
At 38,000 miles , was told by my service man that I had small head gasket and intake manifold leaks resulting in coolant loss. Was told repair would be about $700, and if the leaks got worse it could jump the bill up to 3,200 dollars. Contacted the dealer about this problem, they kind of chuckled and were very aware of the problem but as of 4/19/09 there is no recall. From internet research this is a very common problem with this car. Looking at all the complaints on this site, it shows it is a very common problem. Gm is neglecting their responsibilities by not doing a recall. Something needs to be done about this.
Bought the car aprox. 3 years ago,a 2003 buick rendezvous with 30,000 miles on it,it now has aprox.60,000 miles on it. Within the last year [ 2008 ] it has started loosing coolant,not externally,having to refill overflow tank every 1,500 to 2,000 miles,we have the vehicle serviced every 3,000 miles,using pure synthetic,with the amount of upper engine gasket failures ,apparently caused by antifreeze deterating head and intake manifold gaskets,ending in catastrophic gasket failure,and most of the coolant in oil,and the only repair is replacing defective gasket,where as the proper repair would be for the whole engine to be replaced,has there been a recall or class action taken here in the u.s. I know canada has, I am concerned because my engine now has a bottom end rattle,ie the crankshaft and or connecting rod bearings worn, I have done auto mechanic work for 30 years and I know this is a sign of premature ware,then engine failure,and I feel g.m. Should be 100% responsible for engine replacement,please advise.
We have a 2003 buick rendezvous with 60,000 miles. The car has been maintained according to the manual. We have twice experienced lower intake gasket failure which resulted in two expensive repair bills. Luckily the leaks were noticed before they could cause engine failure. During the last failure, we had lost most of the coolant, which was not indicated by the "low coolant" alarm. Luckily we had the vehicle in for window service at a gm dealer and they noticed the problem during routine inspection. We were told by the dealer that the previous repair, which was done at another dealer, did not correct the problem because they had failed to notice the head gasket seals which were leaking and LED to the intake gasket failure. They did replace the head gaskets and seals at "gm goodwill" with no costs for the parts. We have now spent over $3000 in repairs to this engine on something that should not have happened. I have seen other complaints along this line on other forums and I feel this should be addressed .
Our vehicle broke down in north carolina friday november 21st without any warning. The battery light came on and we are shut down. After towing to a local garage we were told there was no oil in the vehicle at all. We knew that the oil change had been done very recently and was coming due at 3000 miles but the oil life was still 38% meaning we still had oil and it was in good condition until the life was 0%. So the oil leak was a mystery. They recommended we leave the vehicle and replace the engine. We chose to drive on to virginia since we were able to get it started and new oil put in. Checked all the way-no overheating etc. Called gm customer service and they told us to take it to the dealer for assessment. They finally gave us the bad news on tuesday. Engine needs replacement. We were stranded in dc for 6 days waiting on gm to tell us if they would assist with engine replacement and they will not. Had to leave our vehicle there and come home. Now they want us to pay $6000 for a new engine on a vehicle worth $8000, buick rendezvous 2003 with 55k miles. We have complete maintenance records showing we took very good care of the vehicle. We found out there was a class action suit that involves our vehicle and relates to engine failure. Action ended oct 2008 so we have no chance of participating-plus there is a canadian class action for the same issues-we knew nothing from gm about defects that would cause our engine to fail. Now I am stranded at home (luckily I work from home but many others would be unable to work with out a rental). Can someone help with exposing this issue before many others suffer from this terrible lack of knowledge and failure by gm to face the problem? According to all research this has been an issue since at least 2004 and there have been tbs issued to dealerships.
Intake gaskets on 2001-2003 (maybe more) leaks premature. Buick has known about this problem for years and has not done anything about this problem. Class action suit in canada about this now. This problem gasket will leak without any indication and cause engine to over heat. Have to put the rendezvous in the shop to have fixed( approx. $600.00) buick will not help in the cost. Rendezvous has approx. 52,000 miles.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. The contact stated that the vehicle began to leak antifreeze, which caused it not to produce a lot of heat. The vehicle had to have antifreeze added every month, but the contact never actually saw it leaking. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and they stated that antifreeze and oil were leaking into the intake manifold. The repair would cost $700. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer stated that there was no current recall; therefore, they were not liable for any expenses. The failure mileage was 30,000 and current mileage was 105,000.
Cooling system continues to get very hot after thermostat was replaced. If AC is on temperature gauge stays 3/4 quarters of the way. Gm tested cooling fan operation and both fans are running. Pressure tested system for leak. Found rear head gasket leaking fluid. Per gm head gaskets would need to be replaced. Heads would need to be sent out and milled. Parts and labor would be around $1849.22.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 buick rendezvous. While driving between 40-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive it to a nearby mechanic. The mechanic stated that the radiator fluid was mixing with motor oil because the intake manifold gasket fractured. The current and failure mileages were 58,000. Updated 05/06/08. *lj updated 05/06/08.
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 - engine gaskets, wheel bearings, awd, rear differential, A/C condenser and on and on. Car is a lemon.
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.
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.
03' buick rederzvous (with 65000 miles) being told leaking of lower intake manifold while being serviced at dealership for brakes. Given estimates of $1200 for the repair job. To its credit buick is helping with the tab (ended up of paying 400 out of pocket). While dealer was doing the intake job, he came back to say the water pump is also leaking which costs about additional 350 for the fix.
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