AI Damage2006 Buick Rendezvous: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Buick Rendezvous filed 89 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 89
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 24% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 16% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 16% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 15% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 21 complaints (24% of all).
- Engine: 14 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 14 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 13 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 11 complaints (12% of all), 2 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.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 89 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 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 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.
My air bag did not deploy and I ended up with a broken back in 2 places. I had 2 have 2 surgery's thus far. I had my seat belt on. The impact was hard enough for the bags to deploy but they didn't. The doctor said if my air bags would of deployed I would not have suffered a broken back.
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained minor cuts to both arms, which required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin was invalid. The failure mileage was 140,000. Updated 06/14/16
The air bags failed to deploy. The windshield was completely shattered, glass flew everywhere. After the front impact, the vehicle rolled over then landed on on the passengers side. How is it safe to have multiple complaints about serious issues and nothing be done about it by the manufactures!
My wife was traveling south on a 2 lane roadway,heard a loud bang, lost control of steering and crossed the centerline , then swerved back across road to her side and struck a guardrail.
10/2012 - (aprox 115,000 miles on vehicle) vehicle was turning left onto a city street when without notice the right rear ball joint broke off and forced me to the side of the street. Luckily there were no cars directly behind me. The vehicle had to be towed and repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 buick rendezvous. The contact was entering a parking space with the brakes depressed when the vehicle abnormally accelerated. The contact crashed into another vehicle. He then discoed that the floor mat was positioned under the brake pedal and on top of the accelerator pedal.
Later, car rolled backward and hit another car in parking lot (luckily no one was injured). Dealer indicates that the keys cannot be removed when car is in drive. The rendezvous safety feature in the steering wheel / ignition is not working.
He left the radio on, but when his wife turned it off, the vehicle rolled backwards and crashed into an unoccupied vehicle. There were no injuries. The dealer has not been notified of the failure and the contact has not inquired about this failure occurring with other vehicles. The vin was unknown.
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 3,835 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Rendezvous has 155 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 89, below 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.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Buick Rendezvous?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine, suspension. Total complaints: 89. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (17%), warning lights, check engine (13%), rust, corrosion (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.