AI DamageBuick Rainier: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Buick Rainier across 5 model years: 391 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 37% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 14% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 146 complaints (37% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 77 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 54 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 28 complaints (7% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 24 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.2 L · petrol · 6 cyl 2004–2007
- 5.3 L · petrol · 8 cyl 2004–2007
- automatic, 4-speed 2004–2007
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 391 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 146 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 77 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 54 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 28 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 21 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 20 | 11 | 0 |
| Structure | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 11 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
I had involved car accident which from they called throttlebody due to (tps...shift by wire) you can find in ask.com encyclopedia *(see bottom) that I experienced which I had.
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.
The air bags did not deploy. Had gm mechanic look at the brakes after the accident to attempt to determine what went wrong with brakes. They stated that the brake module needed to be replaced and that it can cause the "computers to not communicate correctly."' the bad brake module also meant abs brakes would not work.
My drivers side door caught on fire. I just seen that my door could have been covered by a recall, but I didn't know that then. I paid for another door and installation. 3. When I am turning my steering wheel to back-up. There is a grinding noise. 4. My speedometer does not work.
The air bags did not deploy as the vehicle crashed into a ditch. The failure and current mileages were 120,000.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.