Home › Buick › Rendezvous › 2002

2002 Buick Rendezvous Problems and Recalls

Owners filed 486 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Buick Rendezvous, most often about the engine (27% of complaints, typically around 68,000 miles). It is the most complained-about Rendezvous model year since 2000 and has 2 recalls.

Complaints486
Recalls2
Crashes reported18
Fires reported8
Injuries reported211 death reported

Most common 2002 Buick Rendezvous problems

  1. Engine

    129 complaints · 27%

    Half of these problems showed up before 68,000 miles. Parts named most often: cooling system, engine, exhaust system.

    2002 Buick Rendezvous, - sold by gm s "gm certified".. Only must have been a joke. From the onset, solenoid difficulties created dangerous situation on highway, called them and spoke rather bluntly... That was after many, many calls. Wipers didn't work in the rain... Would stick.. Very dangerous while driving. Intake…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 68,000 miles
    The intake manifold gaskets deteriorated and started leaking on my 2002 Buick Rendezvous and on my 1997 chevrolet malibu. The same thing happened on my mother's 1997 chevrolet malibu. All of the vehicles cited had less than a 100k miles on the odometer. The Buick being the latest victim had 67k when it was discovered.…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2006, at 67,174 miles

  2. Fuel system

    103 complaints · 21%

    Half of these problems showed up before 87,000 miles. Parts named most often: storage, delivery, fuel injection system.

    We filled the gas tank up and parked it in the house garage, that night the house filled with the smell of gas, leaked on the floor .thankfully the gas water heated is off the floor or alot more than gas would have been lost.. I have not been able to afford to have it fixed at this time so it is parked outside and…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 87,000 miles
    Tl contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. He stated that there was a crack in the plastic gas tank, which caused a fuel leak. There is a recall for the fuel system storage tank (NHTSA campaign #07v349000). The dealer and the manufacturer stated that they have no knowledge of the recall and would be unable to make…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 84,000 miles

  3. Electrical

    103 complaints · 21%

    Half of these problems showed up before 74,000 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, ignition, instrument cluster/panel, 12v/24v/48v battery.

    I was driving in the dark and the lights shut off almost causing a crash, luckily, I was able to pull over in time, but this issue affects all the lights so no one can see me stopping.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2006, at 76,000 miles
    2002 Buick Rendezvous. Dealership has informed me that BCM needs replacement. Internet searches show me that this has been a problem for many owners. This is a very serious problem & I am just relieved that my family did not suffer any serious physical harm from the incident. Car packed to bring son back to college.…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 77,500 miles

  4. Brakes

    55 complaints · 11%

    Half of these problems showed up before 73,500 miles. Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, foundation components.

    I have a 2002 Buick Rendezvous that just recently started having ABS and traction active issues. This only occurs at slow speeds such as pulling into or out of a parking space, going through drive thru's, etc. When it happens, the anti-lock brakes come on and the pedal vibrates and it takes the car longer to stop.…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2006, at 73,000 miles
    Tl 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…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2009, at 74,000 miles

  5. Suspension

    45 complaints · 9%

    Half of these problems showed up before 59,000 miles. Parts named most often: front, rear.

    Wheel bearings need replacement. Fuel pump was bad. Replaced tires and brakes 3 times since I hav e owned the vehicle 2 years. Intake manifold was leaking, causing the car to be sluggish and not start sometimes. Abs lights came on frequently. The car was a big nightmare. Wish I never would of bought a Buick Rendezvous.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 60,000 miles
    When driving 55 MPH rear right tire blewout. This caused the consumer to pull of the road and change the tire. Consumer stated that the tire looked like it just melted ,and there were no objects and the road. This was a firestone tire. The consumer noticed that the passenger side front floor mat was wet. The…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2004, at 62,000 miles

  6. Transmission

    40 complaints · 8%

    Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, axle assembly, axle hubs, driveline.

    2004 Buick rendevous 64k miles - complete ato transmission failure - including transfer assembly. Occured 40mph with no previous signs or symptoms - almost caused rear end collision. Lost all gears, 1,2 and reverse - only 3rd barely operable. 5 miles from dealer - had to be towed. Superior Buick (kansas city) pulled…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2005, at 63,000 miles
    Vehicle's rpms kept racing when gas was pressed. Eventually felt a slipping in gear when car was in drive. Soon it started happening in reverse. Took in to dealership for diagnostics and a test drive and was told no error codes came up and nothing was wrong. This continued to happen and about a week and a half later -…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2006, at 54,000 miles

  7. Equipment

    40 complaints · 8%

    Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles. Parts named most often: appliance, electrical, other, recreational vehicle/trailer.

    Air condition not working properly, took to a dealer and found A/C condenser defective. Dealer replaced condenser. Front passenger side tire making a grating sound when making a sharp turn, took to dealer, and found passenger side tie rod defective it was replaced 1 year and 6 months ago. The problem has recurred.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 60,168 miles
    The air conditioner on my 2002 Rendezvous stopped cooling when the car had 60713 miles. I took the car into the dealer and was told that the condenser had 2 holes in it and it would need to be replaced. This repair was completed at a total cost of $910.
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2005, at 60,173 miles

  8. Visibility and wipers

    24 complaints · 5%

    Half of these problems showed up before 54,000 miles. Parts named most often: power window devices and controls, windshield wiper/washer, rearview mirrors/devices, windshield.

    I am having electrical problems with my 2002 Buick Rendezvous. First, the power door locks, windows, air conditioner, radio and remote keys entry would lock. Then yesterday the vehicle lost all power while I was driving in traffic. Somehow I managed to turn a corner (without power steering) and park the vehicle. After…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2007, at 59,795 miles
    Was informed by a friend of an ntmvsa-related recall (number 07273) on their 2003 pontiac vibe for a problem that has been happening on both of our 2002 and 2003 Buick Rendezvous. Window hardware deteriorates, resulting in the snapping of window support hardware. In most cases window glass drops totally inside the…
    Owner report to NHTSA, 2008, at 65,984 miles

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

2002 Buick Rendezvous recalls

  1. Fuel system: storage

    NHTSA 07V349000 · August 8, 2007 · 20,594 vehicles

    Risk: A fracture may allow fuel vapors to pass through and allow droplets of fuel to accumulate on the side of the fuel tank. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank. The recall will be mailed in two phases with the first phase beginning on december 4, 2007. The second phase will be mailed on december 13, 2007. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. The vehicle population includes buick rendezvous and pontiac aztek vehicle built in may 2003; chevrolet venture and pontiac montana vehicles built from june through august 2002; and all vehicles registered in nevada, arizona, virgin islands, puerto rico, and hawaii.

    Full defect summary

    On certain vehicles, variations in the manufacturing process or exposure to high ambient temperatures may lead to fracture of the fuel tank inlet check valve (icv).

  2. Air bags: frontal

    NHTSA 02V222000 · August 9, 2002 · 133,221 vehicles

    Risk: Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.

    Full defect summary

    Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.

Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.

NHTSA defect investigations

Questions about the 2002 Buick Rendezvous

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Buick Rendezvous?
By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (129 complaints, typically around 68,000 miles); fuel system (103 complaints, typically around 87,000 miles); electrical (103 complaints, typically around 74,000 miles).
How many recalls does the 2002 Buick Rendezvous have?
2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from August 8, 2007 (fuel system). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
Is the 2002 a bad year for the Buick Rendezvous?
It is the most complained-about Rendezvous model year since 2000, with 486 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.

Other Buick Rendezvous years

Buick Rendezvous problems by year