Buick Rainier Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 146 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Buick Rainier across 5 model years. The 2004 model year has the most (83). The words owners use most often: “instrument cluster” (9% of reports).
- 146electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $830typical repair cost reported by owners
- 48%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Instrument cluster: mentioned in 13 of 146 complaints (9%)
- Gas gauge: mentioned in 8 of 146 complaints (5%)
- Oil pressure: mentioned in 8 of 146 complaints (5%)
- Low beam: mentioned in 8 of 146 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the Buick Rainier at $830, and half of them between $700 and $910.
Based on 12 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2008–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 116 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 146 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 11 a fire, 1 an injury.
Buick Rainier electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Rainier | 7 | 18% | 61,357 |
| 2006 Rainier | 17 | 19% | 106,000 |
| 2005 Rainier | 38 | 37% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Rainier | 83 | 53% | 60,071 |
| 2003 Rainier | 1 | 100% | 61,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Visibility:power window devices and controls; electrical system
Model years: 2006, 2007
Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 SAAB 9-7x; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL; and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Isuzu Ascender vehicles. Fluid may enter the driver's door module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board. A short may cause the power door lock and power window switches to function intermittently or become inoperative. The short may also cause overheating, which could melt components of the door module, producing odor, smoke, or a fire.
Risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
Fix: Owners will be contacted and dealers will test the driver's door module. If the module is functioning properly, a protective coating will be applied. If the module is not functioning properly, it will be replaced. These repairs will be done free of charge. GM will notify Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC owners, Isuzu and Saab will contact their respective owners. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463, Isuzu owners at 1-800-255-6727, and Saab owners at 1-800-955-9007. GM's campaign number is 12180. This recall is an expansion of recall 12V-406.
Visibility:power window devices and controls; electrical system
Model years: 2006, 2007
Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, SAAB 9-7x, and Isuzu Ascender vehicles, originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Fluid may enter the driver's door module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board. A short may cause the power door lock and power window switches to function intermittently or become inoperative. The short may also cause overheating, which could melt components of the door module, producing odor, smoke, or a fire.
Risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
Fix: Parts for this recall are expected to available in March 2013. GM will notify Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC owners when parts are available. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. Isuzu owners will be notified by Isuzu Motors when parts are available. Owners may contact Isuzu customer service at 1-800-255-6727. SAAB owners will be notified by SAAB Cars North America when parts are available and for inquiries, owners may call SAAB customer service at 1-800-955-9007.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Window motors and window controls failing. I replaced two window motors at in 2017, at dealer because they failed, then the rear passenger window motor failed in 2020 and was replaced at mechanic shop with factory replacement, this rear passenger window is seldom used, but rear passenger window…
The contact owns a 2006 Buick Rainier. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in his driveway, the contact attempted to use the remote starter key fob to unlock the doors, but the doors failed to unlock. The contact stated that he manually unlocked the doors. The contact stated that…
Low beam lights go off intermittently while driving and eventually come back on. This does not affect high beams or any other lights on the vehicle. But causes a serious danger to my needing to drive at night due to my job.
We bought a buick rainier 2006 and it has had nothing but electrical, door problems and door handle problems. It has a faulty back window wiper. Suspension issues and a voting under body carriage. I bought it from a dealer and none of these recall issues where taken care of, and these recalls date…
Power steering leaks, the gas gauge and other gauges don't work, most the electrical don't work inside the car, makes a weird noise when it backs up and the engine revs when it's starts and sometimes when it drives and goes faster even when you are not hitting the gas
Frequently asked questions
Do all Buick Rainiers have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 146 owner complaints about electrical system for the Buick Rainier. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Buick Rainier electrical system?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the Buick Rainier?
Owners report a typical cost of $830 (half paid between $700 and $910), from 12 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Buick Rainier?
The most frequent phrase is “instrument cluster”, in 13 of 146 complaints, followed by “gas gauge” (8).
See all Buick Rainier problems.