There are 33 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2002 Buick Rendezvousin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MY VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE HEAT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS BLOWING COLD AIR OR NOT BLOWING AT ALL. BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO ADDRESS THE HEATING ISSUE, THE VEHICLE RAN HOT AND CONTINUED TO RUN HOT UNTIL A MECHANIC REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND THE COOLANT AND CU AT 2/3 SLIT IN THE RUBBER UNDER THE HOOD. IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE VEHICLE HAD OVERHEATING PROBLEMS BEFORE IT WAS SOLD TO ME. I HAVE SINCE TRIED TO SELL IT AND FOUND TH ST IT WAS NOT ACCEPTED BY TWO CAR BUYING/SELLING WEBSITES DUE TO PREVIOUS SALVAGE. I PURCHASED FROM A BUY-HERE PAY- HERE. IT STILL HAS OVER HEATING ISSUES AND IT STILL HAS NOT HEAT BLOWING INSIDE. I WANT TO KNOW IF REPAIRS WILL HELP SINCE IT'S REGARDED AS A SALVAGE. IS IT LAWFUL TO SELL A SALVAGED VEHICLE KNOWING THE PURCHASER WAS PUTTING THE CAR ON THE ROAD? I BOUGHT THE CAR IN OHIO AND I LIVE IN NEW YORK.
WHEN DRIVING THE BUICK RENDEZVOUS 2002 HOME THE BRAKES BEGAN TO NOT RESPOND. AFTER ARRIVING HOME AND DRIVING DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY, THE SUV HAD SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE BUICK RENDEZVOUS WAS TURNED OFF BUT CONTINUED TO EXPELLED LARGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE UNDER THE ENGINE AREA. WITHIN 5 MINUTES THE ENGINE AREA CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE BOZRAH FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED WITHIN 15 MINUTES OR SO THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE FROM THE FRONT INTERIOR VENTS. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND VACATED THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CAUGHT FIRE. THE WIRE HARNESS FROM THE FUSE BOX TO THE FIREWALL WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL, BUT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED. THE DETAILS OF THE RECALL WERE NOT PROVIDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD OVER HEAT LIGHT COMES ON TRIED EVERYTHING TOOK TO SERVICE AND HEAD CASKETS NEED REPLACED! 28 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING A USED AS IS VEHICLE!EVERYTHING I HAD TO PURCHASE A JUNK.LOOKS GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE AND RUN GOOD FOR FIRST FEW WEEKS EVEN TOOK TO MIDAS BEFORE PURCHASING ALL THE FIXES ALL VERY WELL HIDDEN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS A BEEPING NOISE WENT OFF IN THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE RADIO LOCKED UP AND BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 189,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL AFTER APPROXIMATELY EIGHT HOURS. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE ACCESSORIES, WARNING LIGHTS, AND GAUGES FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 181,000.
MY SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON AND THE HEADLIGHTS, RADIO, DOOR LOCKS, BEGAN TO CLICK OFF & ON REPEATEDLY. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND IT WENT AWAY FOR A WHILE THEN RETURNED. IT HAS SINCE DONE IT PERIODICALLY AND IS NOW STUCK IN HE SECURITY LOCKED MODE. *TR
I AM A 70 YEAR OLD WOMAN. THIS IS THE LAST CAR MY HUSBAND PURCHASED BEFORE HE LOST HIS BATTLE WITH CANCER IN 2009. HE IS A RETIREE FROM GM. HE LEFT ME WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A GOOD CAR. I WENT OUT TO START TO GO TO MY DAUGHTERS IN ANOTHER TOWN THAT DAY MY CAR WAS DEAD! NO LIGHTS NOTHING. MY SON TOOK ME GOT A BATTERY CAR SEEM TO RUN OKAY THAT EVENING. THE NEXT DAY OR TWO DEAD AGAIN! WELL THIS TIME I HAD TO WAIT A WEEK OR SO FOR HELP! AFTER 5 BATTERIES WE TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY CHARGED ME LIKE CRAZY FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND CHECKED MY BATTERY, STARTER, AND ALTERNATOR! THEY SAID MY BATTERY WAS BAD! SO 170 DOLLARS FOR THAT THEN MY BREAKS NEEDED DONE MY TIRES NEEDED AIR OR SEALED, LIST OF THINGS. SO OKAY BATTERY DONE CAR RUNNING FIX BREAKS ETC. 2000,00 LATER TWO DAYS LATER CAR IS DEAD! TAKE IT TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN! 1 WEEK LATER NOW THEY SAY MORE TESTING, FIND A MODULE GONE BAD 600.00 MORE! COME GET CAR ITS DEAD! WAIT 2 MORE DAYS! BATTERY AGAIN! GET IT HOME 1 WEEK LATER CAR IS DEAD! HAS TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN! DO YOU SEE THE PATTERN, THIS IS OVER A 2- 3 MONTH PERIOD! COLD COLD WEATHER ONLY! NOW THE NEXT RECURRING PROBLEM! 5 TIMES REPLACING THE AWD HARNESSES AND MISC PARTS! AND SINCE ALL THE TROUBLE AT DEALERSHIP NOW THEY WANT MORE MONEY FOR MORE TEST! THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY DONE! DAY 1! AND NOW MY CLUSTER BEHIND MY DASH IS BAD AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME BACK ON! PLEASE HELP ME! THANKS *TR
HAD BATTERY REPLACED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. AFTER TWO DAYS THE CAR WOULD NOT START BATTERY WAS DEAD. AFTER THE 3RD BATTERY WE TOOK THE CAT TO THE DEALER. THET CHECKED EVERYTHING SAID IT WAS THE BATTERY AGAIN!!! SO WE HAD IT REPLACED AT THAT TIME. WE ALSO HAD THEM FIX THE ABS FOR THE 3RD TIME IN 5 YEARS. THE CAR WAS AT HOME TWO DAYS LATER WOULD NOT START! HAD IT CHECKED THIS TIME IT WAS A MODULE AND THEN THE DASH CLUSTER WNET OUT WHILE THEY WERE FIXING THE CAR. STILL SAME PROBLEMS TOOK THE CAR OUT AGAIN THIS TIME AFTER GM CALLED US. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR THREE WEEKS, SAID IT WAS A SHORT IN THE STEREO. NOW 1 WEEK LATER CAR IS DEAD AGAIN!!!!! *TT
BODY CONTROL MODULE. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON WEBSITES THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR
5 MINUTES AFTER BEING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MILES PER HOUR THE VEHICLE STARTED DROPPING SPEED AND MESSAGE CENTER STARTED SHOWING LOW BATTERY, LIGHTS PROBLEM, SERVICE ENGINE SOON, BRAKE FLUID LOW, WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID LOW, LOW TIRE PRESSURE, SECURITY SERVICE. ALSO, WHEN I COME TO A STOP THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF BY ITSELF AS A LOW POWER, FEW MINUTES LATER, STARTS BACK UP AND CAN KEEP DRIVING BUT HITTING THE GAS PEDAL AND RELEASING IT AFTER A FEW SECONDS AT A TIME TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY SO IT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AGAIN. ALSO, AFTER THIS HAPPENED THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS BEGAN TO COME ON AND OFF BY THEMSELVES. TOOK TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE IT SERVICED THEY SAID TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR AND IF PROBLEMS CONTINUED THE STARTER. FEW MONTHS LATER AFTER REPLACING THESE PARTS, IT STARTED GIVING ME PROBLEMS WITH LOW FAN AS IF THE RELAYS WERE BAD BUT THEY ARE IN GOOD CONDITION, LOW BATTERY FUEL AND HAD TO BE CHANGED AGAIN BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS NOT RETAINING CHARGE. THE VEHICLE STILL HAS ALL THE MESSAGES IN THE MESSAGE CENTER, THEY NEVER WENT AWAY. THEN WITHIN THE LAST MONTH I WANTED TO HAVE THE RADIO REPLACED, BUT I FOUND OUT THE SPEAKERS HAVE POWER COMING STRAIGHT FROM THE BATTERY TO THE RADIO THAT CAUSES IT TO OVERHEAT AND MAKES STATIC WHEN THE RADIO IS ON WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, THE NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH FOR THE IGNITION KEY GOT BURNED SO NOW IT IS NOT WORKING BUT STILL HAS ALLOWED FOR THE CAR TO TURN ON AND OFF AND DRY. A WEEK AGO, 04/28/14 THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SHOWING AN ERROR MESSAGE IN THE MESSAGE CENTER, EVERY LIGHT POSSIBLE IN THE MESSAGE CENTER ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT NEED TO BE DONE COME ON, WHICH I ASSUME NOW IS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE THAT HAS GONE BAD. MOST FREQUENT MESSAGE IS SECURITY. GAS GAUGE GOES UP AND DOWN AND NEVER GIVES AN ACCURATE READING OF HOW MUCH IS IN THE VEHICLE. *TR
VALET PERSON WAS PARKING MY RENDEZVOUS IN DEC 2012 AND SAID AS HE APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP HE NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM HOOD. 2,000 IN DAMAGES. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINTIS THAT I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS TWICE IN THE PAST SIX YEARS. I KEEP BEING TOLD THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL BECAUSE GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR NOW WITH ALL THE REPAIRS IVE PUT INTO THIS, AND ITS PROBABLY NOT WORTH MUCH. WE HAVE ALWAYS BOUGHT GM VEHICLES BUT WE MAY THINK LONG AND HARD BECAUSE ONCE THEIR OFF THE LOT IT SEEMS NO ONE CARES AND NO ONE WANTS TO BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT.
THE HEADLIGHTS, DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, AND RADIO, CD PLAYER, INTERIOR LIGHTS, AND TAIL LIGHTS ON MY 2002 BUICK, RENDEZVOUS KEPT GOING OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID IT IS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THIS MALFUNCTION IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. IN MY SITUATION THE SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, I WAS IN A DANGEROUS PLACE (ON CURVEY HIGHWAY BETWEEN PENNSYLVANIA AND OHIO AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 55-70MPH) THE SITUATION WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS WERE OUT COULD HAVE HAD FATAL CONSEQUENCES ESPECIALLY WHEN TALL HILLS SURROUND CURVEY FREEWAYS AND ROADS AND SUCH AS A DEER CROSSING THE ROAD OR WORSE YET, A PERSON ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING AND THE BCM KEEPS MALFUNCTIONING EVERY FEW MINUTES TURNING OFF ALL LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD CLUSTERS AND IT COSTS TOO MUCH FOR ME TO FIX-ALMOST $1400. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE AND THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
TL *THE CONTACT OWNS 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATER WAS NON FUNCTIONAL AND ANTI-FREEZE WAS LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE ANTI THEFT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT A GRINDING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE AFTER THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000.
WHEN HOT OUTSIDE 80+. THE LIGHTS GO OUT, THE DASH KEEPS FLASHING ON/OFF, THE SECURITY SYSTEM LOCKS UP, THE AC STOPS WORKING\, THE RADIO STOPS WORKING, THE DOOR LOCKS STOP WORKING ETC ETC ETC. WE HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO MY MECH AND HE CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. WE ARE TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND MAKE HIM SEARCH FOR THE PROBLEM. I AM READING THAT IT IS THE BCM ON THESE CARS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION BEFORE SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 129,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK RENDEVOUS. WHILE DRIVING THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO TURN ON AND THEN OFF. ALSO THE DOOR LOCKS WERE UNLOCKING AND LOCKING ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 102000.
I HAVE A 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS AND THE BATTERY POWER DRAIN WHICH RESULTED IN THE CAR GOING INTO SECURITY MODE. THE SECURITY WARNING NOW FLASHES ABOVE THE SPEEDOMETER AND MY RADIO STATES LOCKED. THE POWER WINDOWS & LOCKS, RADIO, FOG LIGHTS, INTERIOR LIGHTS AND AC ARE NOT WORKING DUE TO THE SECURITY FEATURE BEING ENABLED. THE KEYLESS REMOTE IS NOT RESPONDING TO THE TRUCK AS WELL. I HAVE ALSO HEARD AND READ ABOUT SEVERAL RENDEZVOUS OWNERS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I AM SURPRISE IT IS NOT CONSIDER PART OF THE RECALL ON THE 02 RDZ. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 33 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