2002 Buick Rendezvous CXL

Summary:

Nice car, but needs a better design and better quality parts

Faults:

Windshield cracked - 14 miles.

Head gasket - 80,0000.

Air conditioner condenser - 80,000.

Key-less remote - 60,000 & 107,000.

Transmission - 107,000.

Radio - 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, and 50,000 (CD player, and displays...).

Rear door lifts - 90,000.

General Comments:

I am an owner of a CXL model. So far the AC condenser, and at the same time, the head gasket went. Luckily it was covered under the extended warranty I picked up.

The windshield (not PPG) cracked 24 hours off the lot. Getting it replaced was a nightmare. Had to get it professionally done at the dealer. Thankfully covered under insurance; the windshield was popped in and out so many times it shattered. Nobody besides the dealer knew how to properly seal it.

Getting parts for this car was and still is a pain; they are coming from Mexico, and take a few days.

Radio is cheaply made, replaced about five times (under warranty), CD player in every replacement skipped, and then fourth replacement it worked, but the display went bad.

Key-less remote very flimsy, the second replacement broke. The design where the keyring goes through the top is VERY thin, and easily breaks.

The rear door lifts are shot, a loud 'CLUNK' comes from the back door when first lifted, while the lifters only lift the door up half way.

Oh the fun part. Buick designed the Rendezvous to the point that if you need a tune up, you need to take your manifold off! They put three of the plugs in back of the engine, and a simple $200.00 tune-up turned into a $600.00 tune-up, because half the engine had to be taken apart to get to three of the six plugs!... VERY VERY poor design Buick!

Well now at 107,860 miles, the transmission went bad... Of course 8,000 over the extended warranty.

The dealer does want to touch it, due to they cannot guarantee something else might not break while opening the transmission, so they strongly recommend purchasing a new one ($3k).

So now the nice grinding sounds of the transmission occur when going up inclines and around corners.

Trying to find a good transmission place that will not rake us over the coals and repair the transmission (if possible) rather getting a new one for $3k.

Never had a transmission go on any car previous to this.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd February, 2006

2002 Buick Rendezvous CXL

Summary:

I would not buy this car again

Faults:

The wheel bearings had to be replaced 3 times. 2 of the times the car was still on it's extended warranty and of course right again, after the warranty expired at 75000 miles. The Buick dealer charged us $375 and when I asked why this has happened 3 times already they simply replied that it was the roads that caused the problem. Well in the 20 years I have driven cars in the state of Michigan I've never had this problem with any of the other cars I've owned so if this is the case, I would say there is something wrong with this car.

Also, the rear hatch will open whenever it feels like it.

Also, the side view mirrors will mysteriously begin to shake back and forth out of the blue for no reason. I have to turn the car off and restart it to get it to stop.

The digital heater is messed up. When it's really cold, you can turn the heat up, it goes down rather then up and won't work properly unless the car has been running for a while or unless you turn the dial really really slow, at one degree at a time.

General Comments:

For the price we paid for this car, almost $40,000, a small house payment in my opinion, I would expect it to run with no problems. I've never had as many problems with any of my other cars, new or used like I have with this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 27th December, 2005

9th Jan 2006, 16:08

My 2003 has had 4 sets of brakes 10k, 18k, 28k, and 36kk. My front hubs have both been replaced 20,000 miles. my rear wiper has never cleaned the window. I had a major control module burn out when the car was 3 months old. lights stayed on car would not start. the power mirrors seem to move where they want to, every time I look at them they are in a different location.

Lets see, the back hatch opens from time to time (has been recalled for this), you never know if driver 1 or 2 will show up when starting the car. Radio will start on XM AM or FM you never know what you are going to get.

On the plus side it is very comfortable, I do a lot of long distance driving. 40,000+ miles a year.

3rd Feb 2006, 14:06

Your heather control is bad. I had to have mine replaced when it did that. Make sure you get it done under warranty, it's a $400 part.

AND make sure if you have a black control panel that your knobs for the conrtols are transformed from the old heater control to the new one.

The new heater controls have black knobs with chrome trim. My Buick has no chrome at all within the dashboard. Therefore I had to fight tooth and nail to get the dealer to simply swap the control kobs.

They just pull right off and push right back on.