AI Damage2005 Buick Rendezvous: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Buick Rendezvous filed 138 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 138
- involving a crash
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 28% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 13% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 38 complaints (28% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 18 complaints (13% of all).
- Steering: 18 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 17 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 14 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 138 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 | 38 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
"takata recall" was in a rollover and the airbags didn't deploy not one vin# [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
This suv was purchased at the end of august 2016 and once in the car and driving down the road we realized the vehicle power steering was hard to turn and the brakes were going all the way down.
I was driving down eastern and stewart in las vegas nv when the car stalled and would not start again while trying to coast into a 7-11 parking lot hit a wall and car rear ended me .
My wife was driving down the interstate at 70 mile per hour when the accelerator pedal jammed itself down speeding up the car. When she noticed that this had happened she hit the brakes and nothing happened. The brakes seemed as though they were not working.
My 2005 buick rendezvous would periodically stall in turns or at red lights. 1 instance it wouldn't start again and it had to be towed to a buick dealership. They said they fixed the problem with a new battery. After that it would still stall at lights and intersections. I told various mechanics about this problem.
A few months ago my car stalled at the bus stop and shut down. It would not restart. The car needed to be jumped. The warranty was going to be up soon so we took the vehicle to rice buick in knoxville, tn to get looked at.
The consumer had other problems with the vehicle such as the power steering becoming hard . The dealer replaced the pump and the power steering rack. The abs, and brake light illuminated, then the awd disable light came on. The gas gauge fluctuated as well. The vehicle pulled to the left.
The contact expressed that during the incident it felt as if the hydraulic brakes were not grabbing, and conceived that the vehicle brake failure may be due fading caused by heat. The vehicle is equipped with 4-wheel antilock and 4 wheel disc brakes.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 2,817 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Rendezvous has 155 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 138, about average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Buick Rendezvous?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine, steering. Total complaints: 138. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (17%), warning lights, check engine (8%), steering or power steering problems (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 Buick Rendezvous?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2005 Buick Rendezvous from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2005 models
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.