Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Buick Rainier submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 38 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 38, in the owner's own words
POWER STEERING LEAKS, THE GAS GAUGE AND OTHER GAUGES DON'T WORK, MOST THE ELECTRICAL DON'T WORK INSIDE THE CAR, MAKES A WEIRD NOISE WHEN IT BACKS UP AND THE ENGINE REVS WHEN IT'S STARTS AND SOMETIMES WHEN IT DRIVES AND GOES FASTER EVEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT HITTING THE GAS
ELECTRONIC BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROL MODULE COMMUNICATION. LOUD BANGING, AWD LIGHT CAME ON, CODE SHOWED THE ABOUT REASON. (ELECTRONIC BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROL MODULE COMMUNICATION)
THE DRIVERS DOOR MASTER POWER SWITCH SHORTS OUT - CANNOT ROLL DOWN WINDOWS (OF ANY KIND), LIGHTS FLICKER AND GO OUT COMPLETELY MY HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF COMPLETELY WHILE IM DRIVING!!!!! AND HAS CAUSED ME TO IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER WITH NO LIGHTS, NO VISION TO TURN THEM ON MANUALLY!!! UNACCEPTABLE!!
FUEL GAUGE IS ERRADIC. IT BOUNCES FROM FULL TO EMPTY.
OUR 2005 BUICK RAINIER STARTED ACTING UP THIS PAST SUMMER WHEN THE BLOWER STAYED ON WHEN CAR SHUT OFF..NOW WHEN WE TURN ON THE HEATER ON THE CAR HESITATES AND STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING! THE VOLT GAUGE IS MAXED OUT...THE PASSENGER WINDOW DOESN'T WORK NOW? NOW THE BLOWER DOESN'T WORK UNLESS I FOOL WITH WIRES IN THE GLOVEBOX GOING TO SOME BLACK BOX? I ALSO NOTICED FRONT HEADLIGHT ALWAYS FLICKERS WHEN DRIVING ..EVEN REPLACED BULB! ALWAYS DIMMER?? NOW WE SMELL WIRES BURNING FROM SOMEWHERE..SO MANY PROBLEMS !! OVER 100;000 MILES ON IT....
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED AND DISPLAYED 120 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 146,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
MY SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY. SOME TIMES IT SEEMS TO READ RIGHT, BUT LOTS OF TIMES IT WILL SAY I AM DOING 120 WHEN I AM DOING 30 MPH OR IT WILL SHOW I AM DOING 0 WHEN I AM ACTUALLY DOING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. I CANNOT RELY ON MY SPEEDOMETER TO BE ACCURATE. I CAN BE DRIVING, IT APPEARS TO BE WORKING BUT THEN IT STARTS TO SLOWLY GO DOWN UNTIL IT IS BACK AT ZERO AND ALL THE WHILE I AM IN DRIVE AND MOVING. ALSO, MY OIL GAGE HAS STOPPED WORKING. IT MOVES WHEN I START MY CAR AND SHUT IT OFF, BUT IT IS NEVER CORRECT EITHER. IT IS EITHER AT ZERO OR ON THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE SIDE. SOMETIMES MY CAR STALLS WHEN I AM SITTING AT A LIGHT OR DRIVING SLOWLY. MY DASH WILL SAY, OIL PRESSURE LOW, STOP ENGINE AND DIE ON ME. I KEEP MY OIL CHANGED REGULARLY AND KEEP THE LEVELS CHECKED. IT DOES NOT LEAK, IT ALWAYS MEASURES FINE WHEN I CHECK IT. SO SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE OIL GAGE AND IT IS CONTINUOUSLY TELLING MY COMPUTER THE OIL PRESSURE IS LOW CAUSING MY CAR TO DIE ON ME WHILE DRIVING OR IN TRAFFIC. THESE ARE BOTH VERY SERIOUS DRIVING HAZARDS. I COULD GO TO PULL OUT LEFT AND TURN, MY CAR COULD DIE ON ME, AND I COULD GET HIT FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED, BUT IT IS A POSSIBLE SCENARIO DUE TO MY CAR STALLING OUT OF THE BLUE BECAUSE OF THE OIL GAGE/SENSOR NOT WORKING RIGHT. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED SOME OF MY LIGHTS IN MY DASH AREA HALF WORK AND ON MY DOORS. OTHER THAN THIS, I HAVE HAD GREAT LUCK WITH MY VEHICLE. I BOUGHT IT NEW AND REALLY HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS BUT WITH THIS. I ALSO HAD THE FUEL GAGE GO OUT, BUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT, AND I HAD IT REPLACED. I CANNOT GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC DATE, BECAUSE THIS HAPPENS ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS, SO I WILL GIVE YOU AN APPROXIMATE DATE AS TO WHEN I THINK IT STARTED AROUND.
THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN WITH NO ENGINE LIGHT ON. THIS CAR DRIVING ON HWY SHUTS OFF NO WARNING
CAR SHUTS DOWN WITH NO WARNING , HAD 1500 DOLLAR POWER TRAIN WORK . THE CAR ALMOST CAUSED ME TO BE KILLED DUE TO CAR RUNNING NO ENGINE LIGHT AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AS IF YOU TURNED THE OFF. HWY 287 GOING 65
ON THE EVENING OF 9/5/2015 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 BUICK RAINIER WHEN THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A SAFE LOCATION USING MY HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS. WHEN INSPECTED BY MY LOCAL BUICK DEALER (FERMAN BUICK) IT WAS FOUND THAT RELAY 46 (HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE) HAD BURNED UP AND DAMAGED ADDITIONAL FUSES AND RELAYS. THE ENTIRE FUSE BOX HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE DAMAGE. THIS CASE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO GM (#8-1567980379). GM CURRENTLY HAS MULTIPLE YEARS OF BUICK RAINIER UNDER RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM, SO I'M HOPING THEY EXPAND THE RECALL TO COVER 2005.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. WHILE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE DOOR LOCKS STARTED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK RAPIDLY WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND THEN STALLED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.MA 09/25 UPDATED 11/27/2017*CN
WHILE DRIVING THE LOCKS START UNLOCKING AND LOCKING MULTIPLE TIMES, WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR ON THE DASH GOES FROM DRIVE TO PARK. THIS ALSO HAPPENED ON MAY 30,2015 AND JUNE 1,2015. I NOTICED THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE 2006-2007 MODEL IT WOULD SEEM THAT A PROBLEM LIKE THIS WOULD BE LOOKED AT IN ALL MODELS.
PASSENGER DOOR PANEL CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN THE CARE WASN'T USED FOR OVER 15 HOURS. THE WINDOW AND DOOR LOCKS WEREN'T WORKING ON THAT SIDE AND THE WINDOW WAS UP PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THE FIRE CAUSED THE WINDOW TO DROP DOWN AND A PASSING TOW TRUCK THANKFULLY SAW THE FLAMES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW PANEL FAILED TO OPERATE. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.
SPEEDOMETER DID NOT REGISTER CORRECT SPEED, AT TIMES WOULD READ GOING OVER 100MPH WHEN GOING 40MPH. WHEN CAR STOPPED WOULD REGISTER STILL A SPEED SUCH AS 30MPH. WOULD BE OUT FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN START WORKING AGAIN. CONTINUED TO KEEP THIS PATTERN FOR FEW YEARS. DEALER WANTED TO REPLACE WITH REBUILT INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR APPROXIMATELY $500. NO LONGER HAVE CAR. *TR
FUEL GAUGE/SENSOR NOT WORKING. WHEN FIRST STARTED TO GO OUT WOULD READ A QUARTER OF A TANK AFTER FILLING UP TANK. AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS IT NO LONGER REGISTERED ANY FUEL, AFTER FILLING TANK IT WOULD REMAIN AT EMPTY AND SENSOR WOULD TRIGGER BEEPING WARNING EVERYTIME CAR WAS TURNED ON. *TR
VEHICLE SPEEDOMETER PERFORMS ERRATICALLY OR NOT AT ALL. SOMETIMES SHOWS 80 MPH WHILE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND OFF, SOMETIMES SHOWS NOTHING WHEN VEHICLE IS MOVING. COMMON, LONG-STANDING AND WELL-KNOW PROBLEM AMONG THESE VEHICLES. REPORTED TO GM, WHO HAS DECLINED TO TAKE ANY ACTION. *TR
PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT OF A MEDICAL CENTER OFF OF RT. # 486 IN LECANTO, FLORIDA...ONTO A SIDE STREET. CAR TOTALLY DIED. I COULD NOT MOVE IT. I COULD NOT STEER. I COULD NOT START THE CAR BACK UP. I HAD TO CALL FOR TOWING. REPAIR FACILITY SAID IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE SAME THING HAPPENED A FEW MONTHS EARLIER IN LECANTO, FLORIDA IN A CARWASH...COULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD. CALLED FOR A TOW. THE REPAIR FACILITY SAID IT WAS A LINK ASSEMBLY. I AM VERY AFRAID THIS CAR WILL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD AND HAVE A VEHICLE CRASH INTO THE BACK OF ME. I CAN NOT FIND IT ON A RECALL LIST, BUT I SEE GM HAS RECALLED VEHICLES FOR FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES WHICH HAVE CAUSED FATALITIES. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER IS FAULTY AND IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. IT WILL READ I AM GOING 120 MPH WHEN GOING APPROX. 65 MPH OR IF STOPPED 40 MPH. TOOK IT TO GM MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR REBUILT, FOR $500. *TR
I HAVE VARIOUS TYPES OF PROBLEMS WITH MY 2005 BUICK RAINIER. I HAVE OWNED IT FOR ABOUT 6 YEARS NOW AND IT CURRENTLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 93,000 MILES ON IT. I AM REPORTED THE PROBLEMS TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN DOCUMENT THE PROBLEMS TO YOUR LIST AND I AM ALSO HOPING THAT YOU CAN LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THESE ISSUES? 1. AWD IS NOT WORKING. WHEN THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND. IT CAUSED ME TO DITCH MY CAR WHEN I WAS TURNING A CORNER AT A VERY LOW SPEED. THERE WAS A CAR COMING TOWARDS ME, BUT MISSED MY CAR. THANK GOODNESS IT DID NOT INJURE SOMEONE, MYSELF OR MY CAR. THE REAR ALSO SLIDES WHEN IT IS WET/RAINING OUTSIDE. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE IT WHEN IT IS WET OUTSIDE...ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS SNOW ON THE GROUND. 2. MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR CAUGHT ON FIRE. I JUST SEEN THAT MY DOOR COULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY A RECALL, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEN. I PAID FOR ANOTHER DOOR AND INSTALLATION. 3. WHEN I AM TURNING MY STEERING WHEEL TO BACK-UP. THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE. 4. MY SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK. I DRIVE WITH OTHER CARS WHEN I CAN, BUT I ALSO DRIVE SEVERAL COUNTRY ROADS. I HAVE RECEIVED 2 SPEEDING TICKETS DUE TO THIS. 5. MY GAS GAUGE DOES NOT WORK. I KEEP TRACK OF MY GAS BY MY CURRENT MILEAGE AND PER GALLONS OF GAS, BUT I HAVE STILL RAN OUT OF GAS AT LEAST 8 TIMES AND...NEARLY GOT HIT IN THE REAR SEVERAL TIMES. 6. I BELIEVE THERE IS A WINDSHIELD RECALL. IS IT STILL ACTIVE? I DO KNOW THAT ALL OF MY CAR PROBLEMS ARE VERY COMMON WITH BUICK RAINIER'S AND I AM HOPING THAT THERE IS ACTIVE RECALLS ON ALL OF THESE SERIOUS ISSUES AND THAT BUICK/GM WILL GLADLY REPAIR THEM. THESE ARE ALL SAFETY ISSUES THAT COULD RESULT IN FATAL INJURIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, RESEARCH AND RESPONSE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT READ THE CORRECT SPEED. SOMETIMES WHILE TRAVELING AT 55MPH IT WILL STATE I AM ONLY GOING 40 WHILE OTHER TIMES IT WILL STATE I AM GOING 120. SOMETIME WHEN I START MY VEHICLE THE NEEDLE WILL READ BELOW 0 AND OTHERS IT WILL READ OVER 80 WHILE JUST IDLING. THIS ON TOP OF THE GAS GAUGE NOT READING ACCURATELY, STATING I AM ALMOST OUT OF GAS AFTER I JUST FILLED IT TELLS ME THERE IS SOMETHING MAJORLY WRONG WITH THE ELECTRONICS ON THIS MAKE. ALL I HAD TO DO WAS PUT IN THE WORDS "2005 BUICK RAINIER SPEEDOMETER GAS GAUGE FAILURE" AND FOUND WAY TO MANY INCIDENTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED BUICK AND THEY ARE GOING TO SEND ME TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT, I HAVE A FEELING THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE ME. AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE A PREVALENT ISSUE AND MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 60K MILES ON IT FOR AN ALMOST 8 YEAR OLD CAR. IF I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, IT WILL BE THE LAST GM CAR I PURCHASE. ESPECIALLY SINCE MY GRAND DAUGHTER IS GETTING OF DRIVING AGE AND I WANTED TO PASS THIS ON TO HER. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEGUN REGISTERING SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SPEEDS THAN THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING. AT ONE POINT, A GPS DEVICE IN THE VEHICLE INDICATED A SPEED OF 55, AND THE SPEEDOMETER FOR THE VEHICLE REGISTERED MORE THAN 100 MPH. IN OTHER CASES, WHEN STANDING STILL, THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWED A SPEED OF 35 MPH. SUBSEQUENTLY, AND INTERMITTENTLY, THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS CORRECTLY, AND THEN REVERTS TO DEFECTIVE MODE. GM ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE COST OF REPAIR WOULD HAVE TO BE BORNE BY THE VEHICLE OWNER, EVEN IF IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. A GM DEALER IN VERMONT INDICATED THAT THE ENTIRE "BUNDLE" FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. WHEN GIVEN THE OK TO PROCEED, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT NEW BUNDLES WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, AND REBUILT BUNDLES WOULD HAVE TO BE USED - AND NONE WERE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. THEY SUGGESTED LEAVING THE VEHICLE, REMOVING THE BUNDLE AND SENDING IT AWAY FOR REBUILDING, AND THEN INSTALLING IT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE. I DECLINED THAT OFFER. THE DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETER PROBLEM CONTINUES TODAY, AND I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THE UNAVAILABILITY OF NEW BUNDLES, IF CORRECT, MEANS THAT THIS IS LIKELY A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND POTENTIALLY MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
I RECENTLY WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE WHEN I REALIZED THE SPEEDOMETER WAS INCORRECTLY WORKING. FOR A FEW DAYS IT WAS ACTING UP THEN STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. THEN A WEEK OR SO LATER THE GAS GAUGE READS EMPTY WHEN I HAD JUST FILLED IT. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THESE MATTERS FOR I USE THIS VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT 3 VERY SMALL CHILDREN AND BOTH ISSUES ARE VERY UNSAFE. I READ NOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THESE MATTERS ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES WITH THE SAME MAKE OF VEHICLE. I WOULD THINK THAT GM WOULD OFFER A RECALL ON THESE ISSUES BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH VERY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE FIXED. WHEN I PRICED THE SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER MY MECHANIC WANTED OVER 500.00 TO FIX AND I CURRENTLY CAN NOT AFFORD THESE COSTS DUE TO BEING OUT OF WORK ON MEDICAL LEAVE. *JS
WE NO SOONER HAVE OUR GAS GAUGE FIXED AND THEN THE SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING. AT FIRST IT WOULD MOVE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN 0 AND 120 MPH. NOW IT JUST STAYS ON 120 MPH. SINCE THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING HALF OF THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS NOW NO LONGER WORK, NEITHER POWER SEAT WORK AND LAST WEEK THE POWER WINDOWS IN THE BACK SEAT STOPPED WORKING. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THIS MAKE/MODEL BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES WITH THESE PROBLEMS. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER BEGAN STICKING APPX 70,000MI. IN SUMMER 2011. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER AN THEY STATED THE PANEL NEEDS REPLACED @ A COST $450.00 AND ONLY 5 TO 10MPH OFF AT THE TIME. I LET IT GO AT THAT TIME. SINCE THEN THE ALT. GAUGE STARTED JUMPING(CHANGED BATTERY) STILL JUMPING. NOW THE OIL PRESSURE GAGE BOTTOMED OUT AND I WAS OUT OF TOWN. HAD THIS CHECKED OUT AND THE PANEL NEEDS REPLACED NOW. SINCE THE OIL PRESSURE WENT OUT THIS IS NOW A SAFETY ISSUE! DO I TRUST THE ELEC. PANEL? (NO!). SINCE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS, IT'S TIME FOR THE MANUFACTURE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM! THIS IS A COSTLY REPAIR AND I'LL HAVE TO HAVE IT FIX NOW. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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