RoadVitals

2003 Buick Rendezvous Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Nov 20, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 281 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Buick Rendezvous submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Powertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Nov 20, 2010

UNDETECTED SAFETY HAZARD WITH 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS..SPENT OVER 11,000 WITH REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE ON THIS SUV AND NOW OVER 5000 DOLLARS TRYING TO FIND THE REASON FOR THE VEHICLE TO KEEP SHUTTING DOWN AFTER APPX. 40 MILES OF STOP AND GO TRAFFIC..HAVE HAD MANY CLOSE CALLS OF BEING HIT WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN 5 TIMES TO THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM TO NO AVAIL..CAN NOT AFFORD TO TRADE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TOO..IT LOSES POWER TOO WHEN THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS..THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE IT WHEN THEY DRIVE IT..I HAVE HAD 2 OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM..I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY BIG CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY AND OTHERS TOO. *TR

NHTSA ID
10366972
Incident
Feb 17, 2009
Mileage
114,324 mi
Other / unspecifiedTransmissionVisibility
Filed Apr 27, 2008

WHEN SNOW BUILDS UP IN WHEEL WELLS THE AWD BECAME DISABLED AND SPUN OUT IN ROAD, HAVE FAILED WITH MUD, BUILD UP AS WELL HAD REPLACED 3 TIMES SINCE OWNING VEHICLE. ALSO FEEL THAT THE SIDEVIEW MIRRORS HAVE DANGEROUS BLIND SPOT THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10225816
Incident
Mar 18, 2008
Mileage
141,000 mi
BrakesEngineTransmission
Filed Mar 13, 2008

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. *TR

NHTSA ID
10221120
Incident
Mar 1, 2008
Mileage
62,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 2, 2007

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM LITTLE APPLE TOYOTA IN MANHATTAN, KS ON JUNE 2, 2006. THE VEHICLE WE PURCHASED WAS A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS AND THIS WAS DONE THROUGH TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT CORPORATION. WE EXPLAINED TO THE GENTLEMEN NAMED TIM THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING A FEW TRIPS BACK AND FORTH FROM KANSAS TO TEXAS. ALSO, MY HUSBAND WANTED PEACE OF MIND WITH HIM DEPLOYING TO IRAQ THAT WE WOULD BE SAFE. WE WERE INFORMED BY HIM THAT THIS VEHICLE WOULD BE ACCEPTED EVEN UNDER THE MILES PROGAM AND THAT OUR VEHICLE WOULD MEET AND EXCEED THOSE. WE TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND HEARD SOME GRINDING AND HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD PUT ON NEW BRAKES THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY THE CAUSE. SO ANYWAY WE HAVE IT A YEAR TO DATE AND I AM MAKING A TRIP TO KANSAS WHEN IT GOES HAYWIRE. I TAKE IT TO LITTLE APPLE WHO WILL NOT HELP ME AND THEY SEND IT TO STAGG HILL TRANSMISSION WHO TELLS ME IT'S GOING TO BE $4,000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THAT ALL MY WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED REPLACED, BUT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO FIX THAT. I GUESS BOTTOM LINE IS THAT NO ONE WANTS TO MAKE GOOD ON A VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE ONLY HAD FOR 1 YEAR. THE TRANSMISSION SHOULDN'T JUST GO OUT AT 24,000 MILES. I WENT TO A SITE AND FOUND OTHERS COMPLAINING OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR BUICK RENDEZVOUS. I THINK THEY NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO MORE CAREFULLY. I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND ANYONE BUY ONE. NOW I AM STRANDED, CAR LESS, AND MY HUSBAND IS DEPLOYED AND CAN'T HELP TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUES. I WOULD LIKE THE BUICK RENDEZVOUS 2003 INVESTIGATED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10195158
Incident
Jun 24, 2007
Mileage
87,834 mi
Transmission
Filed Oct 16, 2006

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND TOOK INTO TRANSMISSION SHOP TO HAVE LOOKED AT TOLD IT MIGHT BE SENSOR SO TOOK IT TO ELECTRONIC SHOP WHO FIXED WIRING THAT HAD RUBBED IN HALF. STARTED TO NOT GO WHEN GAS PUSHED TOOK BACK TO TRANSMISSION SHOP AND TRANSMISSION OUT. *NM

NHTSA ID
10170946
Incident
May 30, 2005
Mileage
45,000 mi
BrakesEngineInterior & seats+3 more
Filed Jul 7, 2005

TRANSMISSION FAILURE- REPLACED 12/04, WHEEL HUB BEARING FAILURE-REPLACED 06/05, HEATING/AC PROBLEMS SINCE NEW 09/03, BRAKE PROBLEMS SINCE NEW, WINDOW REGULATORS REPLACED 2X'S, HATCH LATCH FAILURE-MULTIPLE, PARKING BRAKE FAILURE 07/04-PRESENT, OVERHEATING 07/04-PRESENT

NHTSA ID
10127764
Incident
Sep 1, 2003
Mileage
1,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 17, 2004

BLOWN TRANSMISSION. *JB

NHTSA ID
10087059
Incident
Aug 15, 2004
Mileage
39,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 9, 2003

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT GEAR ARM INDICATOR PROBLEM. WHEN CHANGING GEAR IT WOULD NOT ALWAYS INDICATE IN WHICH GEAR IT WAS ON. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK TO HER.*AK

NHTSA ID
10038567
Transmission
Filed Jul 14, 2003

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARK IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10027252
Incident
Jul 14, 2003
EngineTransmission
Filed May 5, 2003

ENGINE NOISE AND OVER HEATING, TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFTS BETWEEN 1-2. *JB

NHTSA ID
10017063
Incident
Mar 6, 2003
Mileage
1,914 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .