2004 Buick Rainier
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Decode a VIN2 recalls and 158 owner complaints on record for this model year.
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A PERSON RAN TWO STOP SIGNS AND ENTERED VEHICLE PATH. THE TWO VEHICLES HIT HEAD ON AND THIS VEHICLE MADE IMPACT AT 40 MPH AFTER IT DECELERATED FROM 43 MPH. THE TWO VEHICLE HIT HEAD ON WITH NEAR PERFECT EVEN IMPACT, BASED UPON THIRD PARTY VISUAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLES DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AT A MAX SDM RECORDED VELOCITY CHANGE RATE OF -14.07 (MPH) AND A ALGORITHM ENABLED TO MAXIMUM SDM RECORDED VELOCITY CHANGE OF 127.5 MSEC. DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH HEAD KNOCKING THE PERSON OUT. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ONSTAR WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT. COMPUTER SHOWS THE SEATBELT WAS WORN BY DRIVER. WHEN THE ONSTAR WAS MANUALLY ACTIVATED BY THE DRIVER WHEN HE CAME TOO, THE GPS SHOWED THE VEHICLE FURTHER NORTH UP THE ROAD CAUSING INCORRECT POLICE DIVISION BEING CALLED. VEHICLE WAS GOING UP HILL WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. OTHER VEHICLE WAS GOING DOWNHILL. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS A SUBARU. VEHICLE COMPUTER DATA WAS RETRIEVED BY A BOSCH CRASH DATA RETRIEVAL TOOL USING VERSION 8.0 SOFTWARE. I HAVE A COPY OF THIS DATA. GM REPORTS THAT THE COMPUTER WAS CORRECT NOT TO DEPLOY AIRBAGS AND NOT CALL FOR HELP USING ONSTAR. THE VEHICLE HAD A SOFTWARE MODIFICATION DUE TO A FAULT WITH THE FAN SPEED CALIBRATION SETTING OFF A WARNING LIGHT. WE HAD COMPLAINED THAT THINGS WERE NEVER CORRECT AFTER THIS MODIFICATION OF THE SOFTWARE AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS COMPLAINING THAT COMPUTERS WERE DOING STRANGE THINGS AFTER THIS FIRMWARE MODIFICATION. VEHICLE VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TO CHANGE. ONE VEHICLE WAS IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS IMPACTED FROM THE REAR BY A THIRD VEHICLE TRAVELING AT A RATE OF SPEED I WOULD ESTIMATE AT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MPH. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT THREW MY CAR INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IN ADDITION TO THE SIGNIFICANT REAREND DAMAGE SUSTAINED, THE IMPACT DESTROYED THE FRONT END OF MY SUV, INCLUDING BUMPER, RADIATOR, HOOD AND DAMAGE TO BOTH FRONT QUARTER PANELS. AND YET THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I'M RECOVERING FROM BACK AND NECK STRAINS AND PAINS FROM THE WHIPLASH EFFECT OF THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, I AM SURE THAT I WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED AND ENDURED LESS TRAMA HAD THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE 2004 BUICK RANIER SUV HAS BEEN TOWED FROM THE SCENE. TODAY OR MONDAY, THE INSURANCE ADJUSTOR WILL DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRABLE. BELOW, I HAVE REFERENCED ALL COMPONENT CHOICES RELATED TO THE AIRBAG BECUASE IT DID NOT DEPLOY. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC PART RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG.
WHILE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF APPROX 50-55 ON A INTERSTATE, I WAS REARED ENDED BY A AUTO, MY AUTO WAS STRUCK THEN SHOVELED INTO A CEMENT WALL BLOCK AND THEN BOUNCED INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC TO THE OTHER CEMENT WALL BLOCK ON THE OPPOSITE SITE WHILE TRYING TO STOP, I WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAGS DIDN'T GO OFF AT ALL IN THE VEHICLE. A HEAD INJURY OCCURRED, NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES OCCURRED. THE AUTO WAS A TOTAL LOSS! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS AND TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. THE CONTACT'S HEAD STRUCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW AND THE CONTACT REMAINED IN A COMA FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HEAD, WHICH CAUSED WALKING COMPLICATIONS AND A LOSS OF FEELING IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT SUFFERED A LOSS OF SIGHT IN THE RIGHT EYE DUE TO A CRUSHED SKULL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND DEEMED DESTROYED. A DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION I WAS HIT IN THE FRONT RIGHT QUARTER OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS HIT BY A PERSON RUNNING A RED LIGHT. HE WAS DOING 40 TO 50 MPH IN A LIGHT TRUCK AND KNOCKED MY SUV SIDEWAYS ABOUT 15 FEET. THERE IS MORE THAN $8,000 DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE BUT THE SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND SOFT TISSUE INJURIES. GM TOLD ME I HAD TO GET HIT IN A CERTAIN WAY FOR THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THEY DON'T TELL YOU THAT WHEN SELLING THE CAR. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THE BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED? *NM
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR ELECTRICAL FIRE - VERY SIMILAR TO RECALL 15700 -FLUID ENTERED INTO THE DRIVER'S DOOR MASTER POWER WINDOW SWITCH MODULE, CAUSING CORROSION THAT COULD RESULT IN A SHORT IN THE CIRCUIT BOARD, CAUSING WINDOW SWITCHES, LOCKS, ETC TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. ALSO RESULTED IN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. VEHICLE WAS UNATTENDED IN A PARKING LOT AND WINDOW WAS OPEN JUST AN INCH. UPON RETURN TO CAR WINDOW WAS UP AND DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN WITH REMOTE. OPENED VEHICLE WITH KEY AND NOTED HORRIBLE SMELL OF ELECTRICAL FIRE AND ALL DRIVERS SIDE DOOR ELECTRICAL FEATURES WERE INOPERATIVE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE BLOWER CONTINUED RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WIRES FOR THE HEATER BLOWER WERE BURNED OUT. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE CONTACT THEN SPOKE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 105,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, SHE SMELLED AN ODOR OF BURNING WIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE EXAMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. UPDATED 10/10/12 *CN
IN SEPTEMBER 2004 WHILE DRIVING THE FUSE BOX BLEW AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. ON JANUARY 14, 2005 THE DASHBOARD COMPLETELY FAILED.*AK
A PERSON RAN TWO STOP SIGNS AND ENTERED VEHICLE PATH. THE TWO VEHICLES HIT HEAD ON AND THIS VEHICLE MADE IMPACT AT 40 MPH AFTER IT DECELERATED FROM 43 MPH. THE TWO VEHICLE HIT HEAD ON WITH NEAR PERFECT EVEN IMPACT, BASED UPON THIRD PARTY VISUAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLES DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AT A MAX SDM RECORDED VELOCITY CHANGE RATE OF -14.07 (MPH) AND A ALGORITHM ENABLED TO MAXIMUM SDM RECORDED VELOCITY CHANGE OF 127.5 MSEC. DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH HEAD KNOCKING THE PERSON OUT. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ONSTAR WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT. COMPUTER SHOWS THE SEATBELT WAS WORN BY DRIVER. WHEN THE ONSTAR WAS MANUALLY ACTIVATED BY THE DRIVER WHEN HE CAME TOO, THE GPS SHOWED THE VEHICLE FURTHER NORTH UP THE ROAD CAUSING INCORRECT POLICE DIVISION BEING CALLED. VEHICLE WAS GOING UP HILL WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. OTHER VEHICLE WAS GOING DOWNHILL. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS A SUBARU. VEHICLE COMPUTER DATA WAS RETRIEVED BY A BOSCH CRASH DATA RETRIEVAL TOOL USING VERSION 8.0 SOFTWARE. I HAVE A COPY OF THIS DATA. GM REPORTS THAT THE COMPUTER WAS CORRECT NOT TO DEPLOY AIRBAGS AND NOT CALL FOR HELP USING ONSTAR. THE VEHICLE HAD A SOFTWARE MODIFICATION DUE TO A FAULT WITH THE FAN SPEED CALIBRATION SETTING OFF A WARNING LIGHT. WE HAD COMPLAINED THAT THINGS WERE NEVER CORRECT AFTER THIS MODIFICATION OF THE SOFTWARE AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS COMPLAINING THAT COMPUTERS WERE DOING STRANGE THINGS AFTER THIS FIRMWARE MODIFICATION. VEHICLE VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
MY FIANCE WAS IN ACCIDENT WITH MY SUV AND THE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY CAN I SUE THE COMPANY WHO SOLD ME THE VEHICLE? *TR
CAR IS 2004 BUICK RAINIER WITH AWD. LESS THAN 2000 MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT. TEMP 0 F, 4" FRESH SNOW. RETURNING HOME AT 5:00 P.M., TURNED INTO 100' LONG DRIVEWAY AND PROCEEDED TOWARD GARAGE. BECAUSE OF SNOW IN DRIVEWAY, HAD TO ACCELERATE TO REACH FRONT OF GARAGE WHEN NORMALLY I JUST COAST BECAUSE IT IS A SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL APPROACH. CAR WOULD NOT STOP BY PUSHING BRAKES AND HIT GARAGE DOOR. CAR SEEMED TO BE ACCELERATING AS IT PUSHED GARAGE DOOR INTO SNOW BLOWER AND SNOW BLOWER INTO STORED VEHICLE INSIDE GARAGE CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH. SPEED WAS LESS THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. INCIDENT REPORTED TO INSURANCE COMPANY NEXT MORNING AND INSURANCE COMPANY SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER. DEALER PROVIDED ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS BUT DID NOT INVESTIGATE FOR MECHANICAL FAILURE. RETURNED VEHICLE TO INVESTIGATE AFTER CHRISTMAS BUT NOTHING FOUND TO HAVE CAUSED INCIDENT. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, BUT STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR. THE OTHER DRIVER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE BRAKE LIGHTS FROM BEHIND. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE HOME. WILL CALL THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN APPOINTMENT. *AK
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS REMAINED OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY SIX MINUTES. WHEN THE LIGHTS TURNED BACK ON, THE LIGHTING WAS DIM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO J.D. BYRIDER (5101 NEW BERN AVE, RALEIGH, NC 27610) WHERE THEY REPLACED THE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT DRIVER MODULE ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,471.
I NOTICED IN NOVEMBER OF 2016 MY BUICK RAINNER WAS SMELLING LIKE GASOLINE AFTER I GOT OUT AND LEFT IT RUNNING WHILE I WAS DROPPING STUFF AT HOME FROM WORK. WHEN I GOT BACK IN MY VEHICLE I DIDN'T SMELL ANYTHING, BUT COULD SMELL OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I WENT ABOUT ANOTHER 10 MILES LATER TO MY DESTINATION AND PARK. 20 MINS LATER WENT BACK OUT AND CRANK MY VEHICLE AND COULD SMELL A STRONG GAS ODOR COMING THRU VENTS ON THE INSIDE OF MY SUV. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER MY HOOD AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I WALKED TOWARD THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE THE GAS SMELL WAS EVEN STRONGER. I CHECKED THE FUEL / GAS TOP TO SEE I LEFT IT OFF BUT IT WASN'T. THEN I LOOKED UNDER MY VEHICLE AND NOTICE FUEL WAS POURING OUT AROUND MY GAS TANK AND NOTICE A BIG WET SPOT ON THE GROUND UNDER THE TANK. WHEN I CUT OFF THE VEHICLE I NOTICE THE GAS COMING FROM AROUND THE TANK HAS STOP. HAD MY VEHICLE TOOKEN TO A LOCAL GM/ BUICK DEALER. THE DID A INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AND SAID WHAT EVER THE PROBLEM WAS IT WAS AT THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK. SO GAVE THEM PERMISSION TO WORK ON IT AND FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. TWO DAYS LATER THE DEALER CALL ME AND SAID THAT THE GAS LINES GOING INTO THE TOP OF THE TANK WHERE FUEL PUMP GOES INTO THE TANK GAS WAS LEAKING FROM THEM. THEY COULDN'T TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT CAUSES MY LINES TO START LEAKING AT THE TOP OF THE TANK. ( AFTER READING THIS NHTSA REPORT IN 2008 ON THE CAUSE AND GM/ BUICK EXTENDED A WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS OR 120,000 WARRANTY). I'M TOTALLY UPSET ABOUT THIS BECAUSE NHTSA SHOULD HAVE DONE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM TEN YEARS AGO INSTEAD OF CLOSING THE INVESTIGATION AS LONG AS BUICK MAKES EXTEND WARRANTY FIX. THE DEALER HAD TO ORDER THE PARTS FOR THE VEHICLE AND TOOK TWO DAYS TO ARRIVE. AFTER THE PARTS ARRIVE AND TWO DAYS MORE TO WORK ON IT. I HAD A $1200 BILLS THAT I HAD TO PAY A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
Filed by owners of this model year and unverified by NHTSA — one person’s account, not an established fact.
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE DRIVER WISHING TO SIGNAL A TURN BY MOVING THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL LEVER, (UP OR DOWN) MAY CAUSE THE FRONT MARKER/TURN LIGHTS AND REAR TURN LIGHTS TO FLASH IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO HAZARD WARNING, RATHER THAN FLASHING ON THE DESIRED SIDE ONLY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SUSPECT FLASHER MODULES WITH A NEW FLASHER MODULE DESIGNED WITH SEALED RELAYS AND MORE DURABLE CONTACT MATERIAL INSIDE OF THE RELAYS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2005. ISUZU BEGAN MAILING OWNER LETTERS ON AUGUST 4, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, ISUZU AT 1-800-255-6727, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, AND OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, VIBRATION AND HEAT MAY CAUSE THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP BULB TO LOOSEN IN ITS SOCKET. IF THIS OCCURS, THE BULB MAY FLICKER AND EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP ASSEMBLIES, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 22, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.
Published by model year, not by VIN — may not apply to this vehicle, or may already have been done. Confirm with a dealer.