2002 Buick Rendezvous Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Rendezvous years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 486 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Buick Rendezvous. That is the most of any Rendezvous model year in the database (7 years). The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (115 complaints, 24%), typically at around 65,000 miles. Complaints mention 18 crashes, 8 fires, 21 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 486owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 18complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Buick Rendezvous problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 115 | 24% | 65,000 | “intake manifold” (30%) | $1,400 |
| Electrical System problems | 103 | 21% | 74,000 | “body control module” (14%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 65 | 13% | 78,000 | “fuel tank” (35%) | $1,600 |
| Suspension | 45 | 9% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 41 | 8% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 40 | 8% | 60,168 | — | — |
| Power Train | 40 | 8% | 59,850 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 33 | 7% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 24 | 5% | 87,346 | — | — |
| Visibility | 23 | 5% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 20 | 4% | 45,289 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 17 | 3% | 49,023 | — | — |
| Steering | 16 | 3% | 37,342 | — | — |
| Engine | 14 | 3% | 143,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 2% | 100,290 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 11 | 2% | 110,345 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 10 | 2% | 62,898 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 7 | 1% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 1% | 147,317 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 1% | 58,166 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 1% | 21,056 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 3 | 1% | 82,673 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 0% | 85,802 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 0% | 93,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 200,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Buick Rendezvous recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage
Problem: 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).
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.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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.
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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel tank leakage (EA07006) — opened Apr 18, 2007, closed Sep 13, 2007, led to recall 07V349000.
- Fuel tank leakage (RQ06009) — opened Dec 14, 2006, closed Apr 18, 2007.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My car has a gas tank leak from the intake tube. In 2007 i received a recall letter for this problem but it wasn't a problem until now. I'm the original owner and the car has only 130,000 miles on it. Can i get help with this repair? My local dealer doesn't want to talk about it.
Over heating for no reason. Sometimes the fuel line seems clogged or full but will act as if it out of gas. Have changed the alternator and distributor and the problem is still occuring. Was told that it was a radiator but there seems to be a defect with the fuel system. Some days it will start to…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 buick rendezvous. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle and closing the door, the driver seat side air bag deployed without impact. The air bag deployed violently on the drivers head. The contact sustained head and face causing unconsciousness. In addition…
I find the 2002 rendezvous has a defective gas tank. When they make the tank they use two different plastic materials for the tank and the filler tube that result on the weld not holding on. And due to the unusual position of that filler tube in the middle of the gas tank a very dangerous situation…
No notice from gm on recall dated 08/08/2007 fuel tank defect. Fuel leaking from fuel tank at this specific location. Dealers will not repair this defect. I am the orig. Owner.
Other Buick Rendezvous years
← 2001 Rendezvous · 2003 Rendezvous →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Rendezvous | 43 | 0 |
| 2006 Rendezvous | 89 | 1 |
| 2005 Rendezvous | 138 | 1 |
| 2004 Rendezvous | 200 | 4 |
| 2003 Rendezvous | 281 | 6 |
| 2002 | 486 | 2 |
| 2001 Rendezvous | 4 | 0 |
See all Buick Rendezvous problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.
Similar Buick models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Buick Rendezvous?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 115 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Buick Rendezvous?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Buick Rendezvous a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Rendezvous model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.