NHTSA — Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

2002 Buick Rendezvous (Page 1 of 2)

2.0

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
82,320 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Buick Rendezvous brakes problems

brakes problem

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2002 Buick Rendezvous Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #21

Mar 012011

Rendezvous

  • 66,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

TL - the contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that the traction control warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the brakes needed to be replaced. The brakes were replaced but the remedy failed to repair the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic who then diagnosed that the rotors and the hubs needed to be replaced. The hubs were replaced but also failed to correct the problem. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 66,000 and the current mileage was 116,765. Kmj

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #20

Aug 202011

Rendezvous

  • 98,120 miles
No brakes, brake line rusted and burst, due to it being under fire wall, according to the mechnaic the fire wall gets wet and this causes rust to set in. The brake line was not visible to mechanic to do an inspection during regular safety checks. Since the line was not visible there is no way to tell if it is viable. Thankfully we felt the brakes go soft and stopped safely. This is a poor design, and am not sure how many more cars are designed in a similar manner.

- Medford, NJ, USA

problem #19

May 262011

Rendezvous

  • 135,000 miles
2002 Buick Rendezvous. When pressing brake to slow down, the brake pedal pulsates and it is harder to brake. Also when you make a turn you feel vibration.

- Daphne, AL, USA

problem #18

May 272011

Rendezvous

  • 140,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. The contact was driving 35 mph approaching a traffic stop when the AWD warning light illuminated. As the brake was depressed, the vehicle jerked abnormally as the brake locked for approximately three minutes before releasing. The failure recurred sporadically and the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.

- Patterson, NJ, USA

problem #17

May 012005

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
Anti-lock brake sensor failed which caused excessive movement in the brake pedal when stopping. In addition, this sensor caused the traction control system to disengage and created difficulty in stopping the vehicle. In some instances the brake pedal would depress all the way to the floor of the vehicle when attempting to stop. Buick would not honor the warranty on this part. As a result, I paid $700 for the repair on this part.

- Alpharetta, AA, USA

problem #16

Jul 062010

Rendezvous

  • 105,000 miles
My 2002 Buick Rendezvous had complete brake failure a few months ago. Luckily I was only traveling about 10 miles an hour and was within a mile of home. The brake line had rusted out. This car was stored in a garage when not driven and has been in Florida for two years. The Buick dealership implied that this is just common wear and tear. There was no warning, and no repair shop that did work on the car ever indicated this rusting of the brake line was happening. Car had about 100,000 miles on it. I have also been through three control modules, luckily covered under warranty. Also, because I got an extended warranty at time of purchase, the air conditioning, the head gasket and various other problems were covered. This 2002 model definitely has some specific and expensive and dangerous problems. Lately, it's calmed down. Great car for comfort, and roomy for carrying household items. Too bad Toyota didn't make it.

- Fort Myers, FL, USA

problem #15

Oct 012010

Rendezvous

  • 85,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We purchased this vehicle used in 2004, and over the past years we have had to replace the following: Both front hub assemblies (with speed sensors), intake manifold gasket and the air conditioner condenser (one year ago). Just within the last 2 months we have had to replace the following: Tie-rod, radiator, water pump, thermostat, head gasket, and the intake manifold gasket again. The vehicle only has 86,000 miles on it to date. The only thing that we had the Buick dealer work on was the front hub assemblies, the rest of the work was performed by tire dealership, radiator shop, and an automotive repair garage. Now, the ABS light is on again meaning that one of the front hub assemblies are out (replaced by Buick themselves) and our anti-lock brakes are not working. And, also, the air-bag warning light is on. I have noticed quite a long list of complaints over the internet concerning all the above problems others have had as well with this model Buick which leads me to believe that it has been an on-going problem of which Buick will not deal with nor step up to their responsibility. I have been told by auto-repairmen that they have had numerous customers come in with problems with the 3400 model engine. I have contacted Buick concerning the air-bag problem, and they act as though they have never heard of any problems and deny any responsibility to look into it, even though they have issued a recall on the air bag inflator for this year, make, and model, just not for my VIN#. over the years that we have owned this vehicle we have invested quite a sum of money into repairs on this vehicle, and it has never been in an accident! I believe that with all the NHTSA safety complaints concerning the air bags system, Buick should be held responsible! all the other unique problems with this engine have been repaired by us, and is too late to expect any help

- Celina, OH, USA

problem #14

Jan 012011

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • 158,000 miles
I was driving with my family and went to apply the brake. I had good pressure at first, but then lost all brake pressure. I was able to get to the side of the road and coast to a stop. After getting the car home, I found a hole that had rusted through the brake line leading to the front right brake. I am currently in the process of getting the car in for repairs. A brake line should not rust through on a car that is under 10 years old....actually they should never rust through, they are the most important component of a safety system. Use quality steel, brakes are not a good place for car companies to skimp.

- Kasson, MN, USA

problem #13

Jun 162010

Rendezvous

  • 101,000 miles
2002 Buick Rendezvous otherwise known as the money pit. Seems that as usual our latest expense (101,000) is not covered under the recalls, due to the manufacturing date of the vehicle. Smelled gas for a week, then noticed gas gauge fluctuating, never showing empty even though trip odometer showed it had almost an empty tank. Mechanic stated crack in the fuel tank, but car was manufactured before the recall date, so Buick did not cover the cost of repairs. Have recently also experienced loss of all power to cigarette lighters, drivers side window fell down and entire regulator unit was replaced. Back hatch handle fell off, again. Rearview mirror also fell off. Ac fan will no longer blow at highest setting. These are all minor compared to the faulty ABS sensor, loss of traction control, ac condenser, tie rods, 2 replaced batteries, front wheel bearings, rotors. And those repairs are just from the last 3 years....

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

problem #12

Dec 102009

Rendezvous

  • 70,500 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. While driving at 10 mph, the contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal and the anti-lock brakes suddenly engaged on dry pavement. The contact released the brakes and reapplied the brakes to engage them. The failure occurred often. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who test drove it and noticed the failure while driving. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The contact had not spoken with the manufacturer and the VIN was unavailable when the complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 70,500. The current mileage was approximately 73,500.

- Columbia, MD, USA

problem #11

Jun 152009

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2002 Rendezvous. ABS indicator light is on and this system is suppose to be disable but the ABS brake system keep activate while driving on a dry road. This cause braking stop distance to be longer and possible causing accident.

- Canton, MI, USA

problem #10

Apr 092010

Rendezvous

  • 128,158 miles
Main brake line between front brakes rusted through and all brakes were lost instantly. According to brake mechanic, the line runs under the firewall and has insulation wrapped around the line. The insulation retains moisture and allows it to start the rust process. Brake failure would be sudden and without warning. Brake failure occurred in this situation when vehicle was being backed out of a parking stall and brakes were applied. Brake pedal went to the floor with little or no brake response. My wife and grandson were in the car. If this had happened on the freeway, they could have been killed with the sudden and total loss of brakes.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #9

Dec 152008

Rendezvous

  • 82,000 miles
2002 Buick Rendezvous with approx. 80K miles at time of failure. At approximately 40mph while exiting the freeway, the front brakes failed totally. I was (barely) able to stop the vehicle safely due to the relatively low speed at the time of the failure. It is pure luck that there was not an accident or fatality. The brake failure was due to a rusted out front brake line that runs from left to right behind the engine and against the firewall. It is impossible to see unless the vehicle is on a lift. The ruptured brake line was replaced by shelton Pontiac at a cost of $620. When GM was contacted about the failure, they took the position that rust was normal and it was the owner's responsibility to inspect the brake lines and replace as necessary. They refused to acknowledge a problem or to help with the repair cost in any way whatsoever.

- Rochester Hills, MI, USA

problem #8

Jun 022009

Rendezvous

  • miles
I have a 2002 Buick Rendezvous with 52,650 miles on it. In the past 3 months I have had to have the body control module, a rt frt wheel speed sensor replaced. When I had it in for the speed sensor replaced, the GM shop found that the intake manifold is leaking and must be repaired @ a cost od $1000 and then maybe the head gaskets may need to be replaced due to the type od gaskets that GM used and the dex-cool anti freeze used I by GM. This has been a problem for several years and numerous complaints have been filed. A class action suit was filed but no one--no one notified the public about it until it was to late to get in on it. I think that there needs to be a forced recall to correct this problem. Tax payers have bailed out GM and we get stuck with a faulty product. I contacted GM and in the end they refused to make good or even admit this problem has existed since they started to use dexcool.

- Hope Mills, NC, USA

problem #7

Mar 182009

Rendezvous

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. While driving 45 mph, the brakes failed and the ABS indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact kept pumping the brakes, but nothing happened. He applied the emergency brake to slow down the vehicle. Through online research, he found several complaints about this failure. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 82,000 and failure mileage was 74,000.

- Waupaca, WI, USA

problem #6

Mar 102007

Rendezvous

  • miles
I've had problems with this car since I purchased it in June 2005. First it was the fuel pump/sender, then came the brakes and traction system failure. I've many close calls, and had taken the car to a certified GM mechanic 5-7 times, to no avail. I'm still dealing with the brakes and traction system failure til this day. I will be getting rid of this as soon as I can get it good enough to sale...I will never buy another Buick as long as I live. This was one of the biggest mistakes I've made. I've called the customer service center in the states and this is what they have said to me "since you're overseas, there's nothing we can do about it, sir". I've served my country and sm still doing my part as a civilian. And I can't get any good service. Wow!!

- Apo , AE, USA

problem #5

Aug 032008

Rendezvous

  • 91,000 miles
I bought a Buick Rendezvous in July of this year. The car had 90 K miles on it. Immediately after I bought it, the brakes would push back whenever I tried to stop. I took it back to the dealership I bought it from and they said they couldn't diagnose it since it didn't occur when they had the car. I have been so close to getting in accidents, simply because my car wont stop. I think something really needs to be done about this.

- Vero Beach, FL, USA

problem #4

Jul 252008

Rendezvous

  • 85,000 miles
I have been having intermittent problems with the ABS brake system whereby when I apply the brakes at a slow speed of about 5-mph the vehicle feels like I am stopping on a gravel road when I am driving on clean dry pavement, also when this happens the vehicle doesn't stop like it should and it slides to a halt. Also sometimes when you apply the brakes while driving under 35 mph and apply the brakes the vehicle shutters and doesn't stop properly. I sometimes get the anti-lock indicator light and sometimes I don't. I also will get a warning light that states; "service traction system". I have taken the vehicle in to have it serviced and I am told that they can not duplicate the problem and that they don't know what could be causing it. They said to continue to drive the vehicle and as far as they can tell it is safe to drive. The mileage on the odometer was approximately 85,000 miles.

- Valley Lee, MD, USA

problem #3

Jan 012006

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. When the brakes were applied at 5 mph, the vehicle slid and felt as if it were driving over gravel. The vehicle took approximately 5-10 seconds to completely stop. The road conditions were not a factor. The dealer replaced the left and right wheel bearing as well as the control module. The current mileage was 71,000 and failure mileage was 68,000. The consumer stated has always had off and on problems with brakes the problem being if brakes are applied under 30 mph they will not respond the car feels as if you are sliding. The consumer stated that the anti lock light comes on. The dealer stated ac not working properly. Updated 08/28/07

- Wapwallopen, PA, USA

problem #2

Oct 292006

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,580 miles
: the contact stated upon purchasing the vehicle, the instrument panel gauges were inoperable. Also, the front driver side window would not operate up or down, and the exterior brake light located above the rear window did not illuminate. The service dealer or manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The consumer also stated the brakes were defective. Once the vehicle is driven for a while, the brakes began to make noise. Updated 12/01/06.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

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