I have owned a 2002 CXL since it was new. It has given me trouble, but I've still enjoyed driving it and love the ride. Smart thing was an extended warranty I bought with it. Glad I did because it paid for the first set of bearings, AC replacement, transmission repair, and various other repairs. Now with over 100k miles I'm beginning to see more problems with the front end. For all of you with less than 60k miles check with your local dealership. There is a recall that will repair the front wheel bearings.
I bought a 2002 Rendevous in April 2004 and right away I had to take it in for the air conditioner. It was under warranty though and they fixed it. We were in Barrie visiting when the electircal problems started. All the lights inside and outside and the door locks and instrument cluster, radio started to go on and off. I put a rag under the harness on top of the motor to protect the wiring and the car was fine after that.
I took it back to a dealer and he replaced the ignition switch $339. Two hours later it started again and they said I needed a Body Control Module $544 plus labour. Twenty four hour delivery for the part. We like the way the car handles, but if
there is another costly repair, I'll probably buy foreign.
I bought a used 2002 buick rendezvous it has 77,000 miles on it and I have had problems since I drove it off the lot. the front and rear wheel bearings had to be replaced, and the AWD has also been replaced. The smog pump has been replaced twice. This vehicle has been nothing, but a lemon. I love the way it drives, but it is always in the shop, and has very expensive repair bills. Stay away from this car!
I bought a 2002 Buick Rendezvous in 2004 with about 30,000 miles on it. We have had to replace both front wheel bearings. The condenser on our air conditioner has a hole in it and now our All Wheel Drive is messed up. Am going to have to put a Electrical Brake Control Module on at a cost of around 1000.00. We have had nothing, but problems and we owe more on it than it is worth so cannot afford to trade it off.
We bought our 2002 Rendezvous off the showroom floor. We loved the look, seating, and smooth ride. We severely disliked the long history of repairs that came with the car. The best PR Buick could have done was to buy every Rendezvous back on the road. just like everyone else we have replaced both wheel bearings, the air conditioner condenser, starter, gasket, will not restart at times, overheats, I am sure there is more that I can't remember. What a list of repair costs. Adding insult to injury, the car has terrible resale value. I am 2 days away from cutting my losses and buying an Acura. The sad part about it is I know people that work for GM in Detroit and Shreveport. Building cars like this, I hope their resumes are updated.
I bought a 2002 Rendezvous CX two years ago. Since then I had it break down four times in the first month. I was just driving along and it stopped; it went completely dead. I took it back to the dealers, and they couldn't fix it; they took it to a GM service center and it took four more trips to put it right. Turned out to be fuel pump inside the tank. It took approx two months to sort out.
The car rides smooth when working; it's like driving in your armchair, but the cost of putting things right... three months after the battery post fell off again in the middle of nowhere.
Then the wheel bearing on the driver's side went; a new GM part was replaced. It lasted six weeks and went again; this time the dealer replaced the part, but not the labor; another 450.00. Again it failed, this time after 6 months.
Now it's out of its three month warranty, so I took it somewhere else and had it repaired with a lifetime backup.
I opened the door on a windy day; it nearly blew off. I had that fixed, but it's not been the same since.
Now the window does not work correctly and the switch needs to be replaced. Offside tail light filled up with water, which damaged the lamp holder. Had to replace the complete unit as you can't buy just the lamp holder.
The latest thing is the cluster panel flashes on and off, and the door locks switches on and off without the key in the switch. This is the last straw; I will fix everything and then dump it.
No more North American cars for me.
I did have a one year old Ford truck four years ago, but after one year there was more paint on the driveway than on the truck, and Ford wouldn't come clean for the paint job, so that was the last time I bought a Ford.
Wallaceburg, Ontario.
I have waited to post any comments on any of these sites hoping like the rest of us that GM might make right. Yeah, right! Whatever concern someone has posted, I have experienced it. I had researched and waited for my 2002 Rendezvous to be available for purchase. It seemed to be the vehicle I was looking for. There have been so many problems. Early on it was little things, under warranty. But more electrical, transmission, more electrical. Stalling. Overheating. It has been worse than having a boat. Just throw the money out the window. I have decided to write GM/Buick with an official complaint--but people we all have to do it.
We bought our 2002 new off the lot. The first year it was great. Then, the A/C quit, the battery exploded and the gas tank warped, leaving a full tank of gas in my garage. The fire dept. had to come out and clean up the mess, and also air out our house. This was at 2 in the morning with a 1 year old and a 4 year old.
The rear lift gate latch had to be replaced.
The wheel bearings had to be replaced along with the wiring harness. The harness was taped, not replaced, so it went out again, had to get a new one.
Then, the intake manifold gasket went.
Now the instrument panel cluster and radio are both draining my battery. The instrument panels works on and off.
This car is nothing but a lemon. Don't ever buy one, don't ever buy a GM car for that matter. Their coolant that they require eats the gaskets, then corrodes the engines and seizes them up, rendering them completely useless. If you see one on the road, run as fast as you can!!!
Last spring I had to replace my car and I decided I wanted something 4-Wheel Drive with some carrying capacity. I'd seen the Buick Rendezvous and we've driven Buick Sedans and had very good luck. We have a 2002 Buick Regal that we've put 100,000 miles on with minimal repairs.
I found a 2002 Rendezvous CRX at what looked like a great price at a small dealer listed on the Internet. We bought it even though the windshield was cracked. That explained the low price. Mistake #1-I didn't check the Internet for reviews of the car! Surprise #1 - on the way home, the AC didn't really cool the car. Surprise #2-when I called to find out what the cost to replace the windshield. It cost close to $2,000 (Heads up display, On-star antenna run up the cost). I called the dealer he agreed to take the car back and refund my money. Mistake #2 - I got an estimate to fix the AC, looked at what I paid and figured I still had a pretty good bargain I decided to keep the car and fix the AC. Surprise #3 - while they were replacing the AC condenser they noticed a leaking head gasket on the rear head. I bit the bullet and fixed that, too. Surprise #4 - within a month the AC went out again. This time the whole control panel for the AC had to be replaced.
After 2 months of trouble free operation, the car began to overheat. I'd start it up and head down the road, within 2 miles the heat gauge goes to the max. After a new radiator cap, It worked fine for a week. The same problem recurred. A new thermostat. The car overheated the next morning. Then a week in the shop, at the end of which they tell me I have a crack in the block or a head. This is pressurizing the coolant system forcing the water out of the radiator, into the reservoir and overheating the engine. The most cost effective solution is to replace the entire engine. A used engine and labor is about $2,500 and then where am I? I've got the holidays to think about my options.
I cannot believe I bought this Buick Rendezvous 2003. This is the worst decision I ever made. There have been problems since the day I bought it.
AC is not working properly, heat does not come out right, bearing needs to be replace, too many things to list.
Now this car is death sitting in my garage. The car is only 40,000 miles. I cannot believe about the poor quality of this car. I'll never buy an American car again.
2002 Buick Rendezvous
83,000 miles.
My fuel gauge stopped working about a week ago. According to the Buick Dealer, the fuel level unit needs replaced, a $500.00 fix (The analysis cost me 100 bucks). My extended warranty doesn't cover either.
Northern Virginia.
Don't feel bad folks. I recently bought a 2002 Rendezvous CXL. I really liked the style & the fact that it was all wheel drive. Well too bad I didn't read or research this site first. I have an electrical problem that makes my lights & instrument cluster flash on & off. While having my rear wheel bearings changed, I was informed that both my rear coil springs were broken in half. To top it all off, I get a loud whining sound from the rear when I reach 40-45mph. Seems like the thing is foreign since you can't find any parts for the thing unless you go through the dealer. I'm very upset. Quite possibly the worst investment ever made. BODY CONTROL MODULE changed by dealer, same electrical problems still exist. No winning with this thing. Should've got the Jeep Cherokee. So much for the pretty looks & luxury interior. PURE JUNK!!! Any suggestions on electrical or rear end noise? PLEASE HELP!!!
Gas gauge reads full when empty, and empty when full. Now the car just flat out won't start. Biggest mistake of my life.
I bought my 2002 Rendevous CX GM certified 3 years ago. Biggest mistake I ever made. Front bearings (hub assemblies) on fourth one for the driver side, 3rd for the passenger side. AC condenser blew just out of warranty. I did get the dealer to cover 1/2 of cost. Many electrical problems such as control back lights burning out, mirror lights burning out. Console lid latch breaking. Lumbar adjuster knob falling off even though never used. Replace driver side window motor. Steering wheel buttons have paint coming off. Squeaks and rattles everywhere. Major noises now coming from back end. Told possible springs. Runs hot, told needs need head gasket. Now I have an "error" message where my odometer should be reading. I have had many conversations with GM and gotten no where. They told me I need to accept responsibility for the up keep of my vehicle. No relief. The recall for the hub assemblies up to 60,000 miles should be 100,000. I replace 3rd at $450 at 62,000 miles and was told too bad I had exceeded the adjusted warranty. I think it is time GM accept FULL responsibility for this junk they put on the market. I will never buy GM again.
What a piece of garbage. I have an '02 Rendez-crap that I bought used with 18,000 miles and have had nothing but problems with it. I have replaced the front right wheel bearing twice and the left once. Of course the right failed after the 90 warranty was up and had to pay for it again. I have had the head gaskets replaced, the A/C condenser replaced, the fuel gauge replaced, the computer replaced and something for the computer a month later. What a racket. The lighted mirror fell off the windshield and broke. Had to pay for that. An oxygen sensor was replaced and some other things I know I'm forgetting. All that and I was fortunate enough to have purchased the extended warranty that covered most of the issues except for the $100 deductable. My warranty is over in 20 days and I'm hearing a noise when turning left. Hmmm sounds like a wheel bearing. It's a real shame this car can't stay out of the shop. It's a joy to drive and gets good gas mileage for a vehicle it's size. I'm trying to convince the wife to get rid of it before the transmission goes. I wish I were lying about all the problems but I'm not. I can't believe they would sell something like this that had a sticker price of 34K+. Wow!