There are 31 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2005 Buick Rainierin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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)
FUEL GAUGE IS ERRADIC. IT BOUNCES FROM FULL TO EMPTY.
THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE RECALLED COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN WITH NO ENGINE LIGHT ON. THIS CAR DRIVING ON HWY SHUTS OFF NO WARNING
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!!
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
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.
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....
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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 AT NIGHT. WE KEPT DRIVING THE CAR USING THE RPM GAUGE TO TRY TO JUDGE SPEED. THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD WORK SPORADICALLY. IT NOW DOESN'T WORK. IT SHOW 100 MPH WHEN YOU MAY BE GOING 20 OR IT SHOWS 20 MPH WHEN YOU ARE GOING 60. LAST NIGHT WE WERE SHOWING 45 MILES AN HOUR PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A SAFE WAY TO DRIVE A CAR. I KNOW THAT GM HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND HAS RECALLED SOME TRAILBLAZERS AND TAHOES, BUT SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO HELP THE RAINIER OWNERS. THIS IS A COSTLY REPAIR AND IT IS CAUSED BY A NEW DESIGN GM TRIED. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 31 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026