Table 1 shows two common equipment related problems of the 2004 Buick Rainier.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Navigational (global Positioning System) Gps problems | |
| Equipment problems |
Driving on a city street- speed limit of 35 mph my meter read 75 mph. I put my gps system on to monitor my mph. At traffic light while idleing the meter read 45 mph. 2004 Buick Rainier had been sitting outside for 3 days with the temperature in the 20's and this was the 1st time I had driven it. Tried accelerating and stopping a little suddenly hoping to jolt the meter back to normal. No results. Parked for about 30 minutes, started the car and it began to register at 65 mph when driving 35 mph per gps. Idleing read 25 mph. After more stops and restarts the idle speed would read just below 20 mph. Called onstar for a diagnostic and they connected me with GMC tech. They were going to try and reset the speedometer but found out it could not be done and wanted me to go to a local dealership. I was 400 miles from home and instead contacted my dealership at home. I was informed that this is an ongoing complaint about 2004 Rainiers and that I should have no trouble traveling home in 2 days and that my speed control should work fine. I am very displeased that the GMC tech did not convey this information to me knowing that I was traveling and was concerned about safety. The next day I drove about 30 minutes parked the car for 1 1/2 hours and when I started driving then the speedometer was back to normal. Googled this problem and found many complaints and stories just as mine and found out the there has been no recall because there were not enough complaints about the problem. Shame shame shame on Buick!!! I have since visited my local dealership and will be having a cluster replaced next week. S. So consider this a complaint about 2004 Buick Rainier and a complaint about GMC tech handling of what I consider a safety issue. I intend to trade in a year or two - but at that time I will certainly reconsider purchasing a GMC and/or Buick.
Speedometer and tachometer step motors malfunction and do not go back down upon deceleration. My speedo will show I'm doing 40 mph while stopped and sometimes peg out while driving in the neighborhood. This creates an unsafe situation with speed management in all types of driving conditions.