NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
91,020 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.

2006 Buick Rendezvous electrical problems

electrical problem

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2006 Buick Rendezvous Owner Comments

problem #19

Jan 252023

Rendezvous

  • miles

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

Piece of junk since June when I paid $3,000 for it and have put $1200 into it and still broke down and won-??t start (ignition switch/key) and I refuse to pay for it to be fixed nor fixing it myself.. Has to be called home sweet home very soon and I need it fixed by GM asap or lawyer will be involved and I-??m not sinking anymore into it then I have.. GM products are junk!!! Repair

- Mason City , IA, USA

problem #18

Mar 182019

Rendezvous

  • 123,000 miles
Vehicle has hard start when engine is hot. For example when running errands. By the time you come out of the store the vehicle does not want to start. Takes multiple attempts. Gas must be pimped at the same time as turning ignition in order for the vehicle to start. Multiple mechanics state this is an electrical issue but cannot figure out what is causing the issue. Battery & throttle body have been replaced and still not render to the issue. This issue constantly happens and thankfully occurs when the vehicle is stationary.

- Mt. Prospect, IL, USA

problem #17

Nov 142017

Rendezvous

  • 212,314 miles
Car kept running hot and no remedy was found for it. Batteries and other repairs were done concerning the electrical things; but the car running hot was never resolved even with replacing the thermostat etc. I could only drive about a block and the check cooling system error came on and the car speed would automatically slow down and the engine would automatically cut off if you continued to drive it while hot....smoke from the hood etc. Would happen. Could feel intense heat when raised the hood. If the car was stationary....after running for a while it would still run hot and eventually the hot light would come on in the inside warning panel. The last mechanic took it apart and never put it back together, neither fixed the car running hot problem. The uploaded files and pictures will show the condition my car was left in and the auto parts taken aloose/apart and not reconnected.

- Thornton, CO, USA

problem #16

May 012017

Rendezvous

  • 175,000 miles

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

Vehicle shuts down while driving without warning, and it can only be started by moving the fuse box wiring around. Not sure what else to do about this problem. Mechanics are unable to help or diagnose this problem.

- Jackson, MS, USA

problem #15

Oct 012015

Rendezvous

  • 90,000 miles
Engine would shut off while driving or not start after driving. Engine power reduced light comes on and speed throttled down to 20mph, check engine light stays on now. Replaced relay box under hood since a connector was found burned. Have also replaced the computer, alternator, ignition relay switch, fuel sensor relay. Has not been driven on highway at all for fear of it happining in high speed traffic. Problems have been consistently happening since purchased Oct 2015.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #14

May 242015

Rendezvous

  • 128,000 miles
I've had so many problems with this vehicle. Spent over $4000 in repairs in the last 6 months. The first problem I had was while driving on the highway the reduced engine power light and traction system light would come on and the vehicle would just decelerate and wouldn't go over 15mph. I had it repaired once and was told it was the wiring harness and then 2 months later the same thing happened again had it repaired and was told it was the wiring harness and computer that needed replaced. And now I'm having a similar issue but this time the service engine soon light is flashing but the car doesn't want to accelerate and takes several seconds to even get up to 35 mph. I had this repaired once and was told it was a wiring/fuse issue and that the car was only running on 3 cylinders and literally 2 days after the repair it started happening again. This is ridiculous. My mechanic even told me I should just get rid of the vehicle because it obviously has major wiring issues. It only has 130,000 miles.

- Niles, IL, USA

problem #13

Sep 102015

Rendezvous

  • 160,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor under the hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The contact replaced the battery and the alternator independently. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

- Vanceburg, KY, USA

problem #12

Feb 102015

Rendezvous

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that the service engine warning light flashed randomly and the vehicle would not start frequently upon turning the key in the ignition. The contact also indicated that the vehicle stalled numerous times without warning. The contact constantly had to maneuver the fuse box wiring under the hood to get the vehicle to start. The vehicle was not able to be driven. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #11

Jul 152014

Rendezvous

  • 166,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately restart on numerous occasions. In addition, the contact noticed that the control panel on the driver side door was not operating properly. As a result, the windows would not roll down and the doors would not lock. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the start switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred multiple times. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 05V157000 (electrical system). The approximate failure mileage was 166,000.

- Seaford, DE, USA

problem #10

Jun 052014

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • 123,670 miles
We were traveling on the interstate at 65 miles per hour on June 5, 2016 and June 11, 20176. The vehicle just went totally dead. The motor, the power steering, everything...went totally dead. I was in the passing lane and a transfer truck was on my tail and I had to go into the grass median to avoid getting smashed and the truck had to swerve over to miss me. After repeated attempts to restart the car, it started. I went straight to an auto repair shop and they checked my starter, alternator, and battery. Those things were ok and they suggested maybe I had bad gas. On 6/11/13, I was on the road again doing 65 and with no warning whatsoever, the vehicle went dead just like the week before. I was able to pull into a turn lane barely avoiding a rear end collision. We took the car to a repair shop.. when we went to get the car, they told us it was the ignition part that GM was recalling. The mechanic tapped on the part while the vehicle was running and it died immediately. He also asked us if the airbag warning light had been coming on. We said yes it had been for about two months and the check engine light had been on a lot during the last month. We contacted the GM and talked to customer service who told us the Rendezvous was not yet on the recall list and I would have to pay for the repair myself. I went to the local GM dealer, [xxx], and the manager told me he could not help me. He said they were independent of GM and if they fixed it, they would not be able to recoup the cost from GM. Do I have any other recourse" is it going to take a family being killed in a Rendezvous before GM will take responsibility for this very well known part defect? I have lived through two miracles where my family could easily have been killed because of this known defective part. If I have to pay for this repair, is there a way I can be reimbursed by GM" information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Limestone, TN, USA

problem #9

Feb 102014

Rendezvous

  • 62,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rendezvous. The contact was driving under 5 mph and approaching a stop sign when the vehicle stalled. The failure would recur sporadically. The vehicle was taken to the sears several times where the failure was contributed to a loose battery connection. The failure persisted and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 62000. Updated 3/25/14 the consumer stated the vehicle was fixed. There has been no failure since. Updated 04/23/14

- Rome City, IN, USA

problem #8

Apr 162013

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the mileage light stopped illuminating. After some time it began to illuminate again but with a vastly different mileage number than before it failed. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the cluster would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was unknown....updated 05/29/13 updated 06/13/2013

- Stow, OH, USA

problem #7

Jul 172012

Rendezvous

  • 72,000 miles
I plugged my cell phone into the car charger in the front console. When I returned to the car after about 15 minutes, it was filled with smoke that was coming out of the car charger. I immediately unplugged the charger. I tried to start the car and it was completely dead. After examining the fuses, I noticed that the one for the charger as well as the one for the interior lights was completely melted. After further research it was discovered that the wiring harness under the dash was completely melted - had I not gone out when I did, the car probably would have caught fire. This should never have happened - there should be safety features int he vehicle to cut the power to the charger immediately if there is a short. It was towed to the dealer last night. They are claiming this is not covered by warranty though this is obviously a problem with the Rendezvous. Besides this - the check engine light has been on twice, the transmission is about to go, the alarm system never worked as well as the remote start. They sold me a vehicle with known issues and don't want to stand behind it. I don't think I will ever buy a Buick again.

- Macedon, NY, USA

problem #6

Jan 102010

Rendezvous

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Buick rendevous. While driving approximately 25 mph the fuel gauge reading began to fluctuate. The contact stated that he was unable to tell what the actual amount of fuel in the vehicle was. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians replaced the main computer module and the fuel gauge. A new sensor was also installed in the fuel tank. The failure continued after the vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #5

Sep 212010

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • 68,847 miles
On Sept.21, 2010, while driving my child to school. I pulled out into the highway where my 2006 Buick Rendezvous stalled out and the service engine light soon came on. On Sept.22, 2010 I took my Rendezvous to the Buick shop where they scanned for codes that came back as the camshaft position sensor faulty. A new sensor was installed and codes cleared on Sept.23, 2010. On Sept.23, 2010 my Rendezvous stalled again and service engine light soon came on while driving on the interstate. On Sept.24, 2010 I returned my Rendezvous to the dealer, they scanned for codes and the codes came back as the camshaft position sensor faulty again. After a thorough investigation the mechanic found that the part #15306175 a connector and part #15832816 F-harness on the Rendezvous had a short ground and melted wires. Part #15306175 connector is an egr power valve solenoid connector and part #15832816 F-harness is the harness asm-eng wires. The harness in question was sitting on the top of the battery because of a flaw in the design of engine wiring and where the wire is made to hook on the engine belt cover. This caused the wire harness to be covered in battery acid and corrode and melt the wires. My 2006 Buick Rendezvous had 68,847 miles on the vehicle at the time this problem started with a repair cost of $330.64 for the camshaft position sensor faulty code which really was not the problem to begin with to the cost of $1,113.95 for the replacement of the engine wiring harness being flawed. Because this to me is a safety issue that can and could be prevented. I have checked out other Buick Rendezvous on sale and owned by others in my area and the same problem is occurring on these vehicles. The electrical short and melting of the wires could have caused a serious accident for me and my family or other's on the road.

- Vidor, TX, USA

problem #4

Jan 142010

Rendezvous

  • 51,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph the vehicle lost power. The contact had difficulty driving onto the emergency lane. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer stated that the body modular which is a part of the computer failed. The dealer replaced the body modular at the owners expense since there were no recalls or warranties related to the failure. The Buick manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to be repaired. The failure mileage was 51,000.

- New Carisle, OH, USA

problem #3

Jan 032010

Rendezvous

  • 40,000 miles
40,000 miles trans went out. Starting grinding incident @same time.

- Rockford, IL, USA

problem #2

Mar 012006

Rendezvous 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rendezvous. While driving between 25 to 35 mph the vehicle would stall and become very difficult to restart. The dealer offered to inspect the vehicle but she declined and stated that they would improperly inspect the vehicle. She suspects that rain enters inside of the headlights, tail lights, and the cabin. The failure mileage was 90,000. The current mileage was 103,000. Updated 11/12/09 the consumer stated she also has a water problem with the vehicle. Water continues to enter the vehicle through the floorboard. The seats failed and the ac was not cooling properly which was part of the problem with the electrical system. The consumer stated the problem were due to water become trapped inside the headlamps and rear assembly receptacles. Updated 11/17/09

- Albany, GA, USA

problem #1

Nov 082007

Rendezvous

  • 17,542 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rendezvous. The contact heard a grinding sound and the brakes became hard when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they replaced the front and rear brakes. Shortly afterward, the automatic transmission, wiring for the all-wheel drive, wiring for the speed sensors, and the rear tie rods were all replaced between 17,500 and 22,000 miles. The rear driver's side door also fell off the vehicle and was re-adjusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer at least once a month for failed components. The failure mileage was 17,542 and current mileage was 23,126.

- Terre Haute, IN, USA

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