Manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe Problems of Buick Rendezvous - part 1

Tl the contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle started to overheat and the temperature gauge started to flash. The vehicle was taken to an unknown independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the intake manifold gaskets were damaged and it would be best to rebuild the engine. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 169,000.

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Tl the contact owns a 2003 Buick Rendezvous. While driving, the vehicle failed to accelerate. In addition, while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle would jerk violently. Furthermore, the vehicle was leaking fluid and the check engine and brake warning indicators illuminated. The failures recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,200.

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The vehicle was running for 45 minutes on two-lane paved country roads. I drove the first 15 minutes, with one of my sons driving the other 30 minutes while I was a front seat passenger. We pulled into a parking lot and switched drivers so another son could begin a driving lesson with me. When he began to back out of the parking space he said that the brakes did not feel right and noticed what I thought was steam coming from under the hood. I told him to pull back into the parking space and release the hood so I could check for an overheating engine, even though there were no warning lights on the dashboard and the temperature gauge was in the center of the visible range. When I opened the hood I saw a six-inch wide area of flames to the right of the alternator. I told my sons to get out of the vehicle and asked one of them to call 911 on his cellphone and the other to go to the nearest building, about 75 yards away, and look for a fire extinguisher. In the meantime, I opened the rear vehicle hatch to look for something I could use to put out the fire. Finding nothing useful, I ran to the building my first son had approached for a fire extinguisher and found him inside the outer door of a locked lobby area. We both ran to the next building about 100 yards away where we located a fire extinguisher and returned to the vehicle. I estimate this took less than five minutes. When we returned to the vehicle the flames were about twelve inches wide, still only to the right of the alternator. I was able to quickly put out the fire, but had to aim much deeper into the engine compartment than the visible flame area to stop all flames. When the dealer later checked the vehicle I was told it appeared that a ruptured brake line had sprayed brake fluid on the exhaust manifold and started the fire. There had been no prior leaks or brake issues observed.

Gm has recalled (fire hazard) 6 models for a small oil leak onto the exhaust manifold but did not include the Buick Rendezvous. My Rendezvous doesn't drip a 'few' drops onto the exhaust manifold it 'coats' the whole underside of the vehicle all the way to the rear wheels. I have to carry a 5 quart jug of oil with me to re-fill. Going to the dealer inquiring about a fix they asked me if I lived on a dirt road. I'm totally confused as to what that had to do with anything. . . . But no, I don't live on a dirt road. With the severity of this leak compared to the 'recalls' it seems that gm should be liable for the fix. With that being said I'm sure there are other owners with the same problem. If the engine is running it's leaking, the motion of the vehicle just pushes the oil further to the rear. I don't have pictures now but I can get them.

The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle overheated causing the check engine warning to illuminate and the temperature gauge to rise. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered a leak coming from under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the manifold intake gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not been notified. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Vehicle lost coolant secondary to "blown" lower intake manifold gasket. Gasket replaced, by certified gm dealer service center, engine continues to exhibit overheating. Multiple attempts to 'purge' cooling system to no avail. Vehicle in day 8 of "hospital stay" at this time.

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Intake manifold gasket failure.

The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. While the vehicle was idle, the vehicle warning lights came on and within a few minutes the check engine light illuminated. She checked the owners manual and it stated that the failure was caused by a high engine temperature. She drove the vehicle a short distance and parked it. When she drove the vehicle to a local repair shop the mechanic advised her that a gasket needed to be replaced. She was not sure what type of gasket since the vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic advised her to continue adding coolant since she could not afford to repair the vehicle. On July 8, 2010 she stated that the low oil pressure light came on. She took her vehicle to an authorized dealer and was advised that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000 and the current mileage was 77,000.

Head gasket blew. Was fixed for $2000 then next day after I picked it up from the shop the engine caught on fire, they said brake lines leaked on manifold. . .

I own a 2002 Buick Rendezvous with 86,000 miles. Ever since I have had the vehicle I have had problems with the abs system, having it fixed over & over. About a month ago my vehicle began overheating all the time. Since my extended warranty has expired taking it though the dealership I am sure would cost me mucho bucks which I do not have. My neighbor is a top licensed mechanic who has worked for a Chrysler dealership for 30 plus years. He took the vehicle to work with him one day last week to see if he could locate the problem. . He informed me I had a leak in my intake manifold and it needs to be replaced. He checked to see if gm had any recalls for the problem, low and behold they did not. After telling me how much it would cost to replace it, I nearly passed out. I am a single woman and since the economy has fallen I have had to take 3 pay cuts at work. It was either take the paycuts or look for a new job. I can hardly even I have pay my mortgage, let alone pay for a major issue with my vehicle. I purchased gm cars before with no problems . I believe gm should stand up for their vehicles and fix the issue for me. I now understand there are many people out there that have this same issue.

The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that the intake manifold gasket was leaking coolant. After she placed more coolant in the vehicle, it would overheat while driving approximately five miles. She continues to add coolant, but the vehicle keeps running hot. The mechanic stated that the upper and lower intake manifold failed. The contact will call the manufacturer for assistance. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 109,000.

My 2002 Buick Rendezvous began to lose cabin heating and showed low coolant levels. Repair facility found coolant in engine oil and determined intake manifold gasket repair was needed. Repair facility commented that this is a common problem that was easily confirm by some research. I am strongly of the opinion that this matter should be a recall by the manufacturer.

I own a 2002 Rendezvous that has intake manifold / head gasket issue. I have condensation under the oil cap and have been told that this problem was part of a class action lawsuit as the result of dexcool antifreeze deteriorating the intake manifold and thus damaging the head gasket. It is now way past the class action filing deadline and am left to pay for the repairs myself. Gm service departments have acknowledged that this is a problem with the 3. 4l engines yet is not owning up to their responsibility by remedying the defect. Build a faulty product and get off scott free. The only time it seems the auto companies take responsibility is when someone is seriously injured or dies. Sad to say the least.

The contact owns a 2002 Buick rendevous. The contact experienced failure in the engine and was advised that the intake manifold gasket in the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that there were no recalls related to her VIN and she would be responsible for the repair. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. The first failure occurred in the summer of 2006. The vehicle overheated without warning. The contact took the vehicle to an auto repair shop and they stated that the gasket failed. The gasket was replaced. The second failure occurred on November 3, 2008. The contact noticed that the heater was not working and she added some coolant. After a few minutes, the vehicle began to overheat. She pulled into a parking lot and the vehicle shut off. Fluid was leaking from the rear of the vehicle and it was towed to a repair shop. The diagnosis indicated that the gasket failed and the intake manifold was deteriorating. The repair shop will replace the gasket and the intake manifold at the cost of $600. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 105,000 and current mileage was 143,000.

We have had to replace manifold gasket twice,now waterpump and cracked head gaskets resulting in need for new engine at 81,000 miles on 2002 Buick Rendezvous. From reading seems like common fault and yet no recall.

Bought the car aprox. 3 years ago,a 2003 Buick Rendezvous with 30,000 miles on it,it now has aprox. 60,000 miles on it. Within the last year [ 2008 ] it has started loosing coolant,not externally,having to refill overflow tank every 1,500 to 2,000 miles,we have the vehicle serviced every 3,000 miles,using pure synthetic,with the amount of upper engine gasket failures ,apparently caused by antifreeze deterating head and intake manifold gaskets,ending in catastrophic gasket failure,and most of the coolant in oil,and the only repair is replacing defective gasket,where as the proper repair would be for the whole engine to be replaced,has there been a recall or class action taken here in the u. S. I know canada has, I am concerned because my engine now has a bottom end rattle,ie the crankshaft and or connecting rod bearings worn, I have done auto mechanic work for 30 years and I know this is a sign of premature ware,then engine failure,and I feel g. M. Should be 100% responsible for engine replacement,please advise.

Vehicle overheats; intake manifold repaired twice (once in warranty and once out of warranty period); independent garage and Buick dealership say that head gaskets are leaking. Buick has been contact to assist but has said mileage is too high for any coverage; appears to be an issue with increased claims of head gasket repair after about a year and a half in service; the may 2002 build month has very high occurrence of this replacement (my vehicle was build in this period).

2002 Buick Rendezvous intake manifold gasket defective.

My car has a gas leak from the fuel tank. The intake manifold gaskets are leaking. I have an musty odor in the car along with gas smell. The air condition failed last week due to what I find out now is a known issue. The gasket failure is a known issue the fuel tank is a known issue. How can you allow a manufacturer get away with this.

I bought my 02 Buick Rendezvous in oct of 05. It had 53k. I just hit 90k the largest part is highway miles from this passed year with several deaths in my family. To start with my passenger floor would get soaked. At first I thought the window was left down or the sunroof was leaking. I checked and the rubber is still intact and I can spray water on the roof and nothing leaks in. The tract around the sunroof is not wet. One morning my on star system had water dripping from it but no water was felt around the sun roof and the windshield sits below it. This had been going on since I got the car. Now within the past 6 months everything on the car is failing. My driver door will not lock with the remote. This is a 300 motor. My coolant disappears from reserve with no sign of leaking. I had the check engine light come on and the first day off I had to go get it checked it went off. My ac stopped working. I have 3 kids and no ac in 100 weather suxs. Had it charged and within 2 weeks back to no ac now after weeks of research I am finding out that the intake gaskets on this motor are made from nylon and the dex cool that is said to be used in it can eat them prematurely. I have been stranded on the highway because my car was over heating. The ac condenser is also known to go out regular. I just bought brand new tires in may and had the alignment done. I noticed that the front of my car has began to shake and the front left tire is ate up. I am wondering if this is the bearing problem that this vehicle was recalled for. I am not understanding why the government is not forcing gm to recall this vehicle. My research has found hundreds if not thousands of these problems. A class action lawsuit in canada not including the recall that canada has forced over this exact yr and model. I still owe a lot of money on this car and my repairs are almost more then what I owe.

Wheel bearings need replacement. Fuel pump was bad. Replaced tires and brakes 3 times since I hav e owned the vehicle 2 years. Intake manifold was leaking, causing the car to be sluggish and not start sometimes. Abs lights came on frequently. The car was a big nightmare. Wish I never would of bought a Buick Rendezvous.

Engine ran hot. Service repaired the intake manifold gasket. All coolent was lost, but no leak was found under car. Gasket was replaced.

2002 Buick Rendezvous cxl has coolant leak from the intake manifold. Several times the coolant was almost gone. After the fourth refill of fluids the service engine soon light came on and is still on. I just keep filling the coolant and driving the vehicle because I was told by the dealership that this is not covered by warranty & no recall. I can't afford $1,500 for the repair so I am driving with the possibility that the engine may blow up. The problem has not been corrected. Updated 12/12/07.

2002 Buick Rendezvous - intake manifold gasket. . . Intake manifold gasket needs to be replaced - 2 mechanic opinions. . . One from dealer, one from private garage. After researching found out it is a common problem that Buick is aware of yet no recall. Needs "new" type of bolts, and replacement of gasket. Problems arise with low mileage. Cost to fix range from 500. 00 - 1000. 00.

Own a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. After numerous problems including speed sensor replacement, hub replacement multiple times, lift gate replacement, washer motor replacement, brake failure, odometer that zeroed out, now I am told the intake manifold has failed. Have been advised by independent garage that incidence of intake manifold failure in this vehicle is well above average. Also advised that since initial model rollout, gm has modified, redesigned the intake manifold to address manifold failure. Gm is unwilling to correct problem with vehicle which at the time of initial intake manifold problem had less than 60,000 miles on it. Repair will cost in excess of $850. 00 as long as the head gasket has not been damaged. Unfortunately while saving up the $850. For repairs, the head gasket could very well have been damaged. Will not know until I take it in for repair in a few days. Shouldn't have to pay to repair a defective design but gm is unwilling to stand behind their product.

The contact owns a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. The contact began experiencing failure with the heater and noticed that the coolant reservoir was always empty. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic and he stated that the intake manifold needed to be replaced at the cost of $800. The dealer stated that the intake manifold was replaced by the previous owner at 30,000 miles. The manufacturer stated that they could not assist due to the vehicle's age and mileage. The current mileage was 98,333 and failure mileage was 93,000.

2002 Buick Rendezvous head gasket and intake manifold gasket failures.

Intake manifold gaskets corroded by gm coolant after a couple years. Specific to combination of factory coolant and factory gasket. Mechanic replaced gasket with one that doesn't corrode when in contact with the factory coolant. This required 6. 5 hours of labor plus parts totaling $600.

Intake-manifold started leaking at 69,000 and will cost me $800. 00. Was told this is a common problem with 2002-2003 Buick rendevouz's.

The first indication of the problem was that the when the heater was turned on, it would not get warm or hot. I took the car to the dealership, they stated that it was the intake manifold gasket, which is a $900 repair. What they did not tell me was that, when this gasket leaks coolant, it will mix with the engine oil and cause the engine to blow or seize. In researching on-line, I have discovered that this is a well-known problem that both general motors and Buick are well aware of. In fact, gm sent out an internal service bulletin in July 2001 stating that the intake manifold gasket was defective and that when brought in to the service dept. , it should be fixed. Only they will not recall the defective part or pay for or reimburse consumers for the repair. This is outrageous! there are thousands upon thousands of people out there stating this same exact problem, yet gm refuses to recall it! there is a class-action lawsuit in canada for this exact problem and a petition for gm to recall this defective part in the u. S. Gm should be forced to recall this defective part that they have been deceiving consumers about all along. There is no excuse for continuing to sell vehicles with this problem and not so much as do a recall. I want to gm to pay for the repair as well as recall the part. I have already spent over $700 in repairs to the car, including wheel bearing sensors, brakes, and a gas-line leak. These are also well-known issues with the Buick Rendezvous.

Failure of manifold intake gaskets, and manifold cracked, both at 43,000 miles.

2003 Buick Rendezvous cxl 75000 miles cooling temperature varied widely indicating a possible problem. Took auto to authorized repair shop who replaced intake manifold gasket at 75000 miles.

The contact owns a 2003 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that the vehicle began to leak antifreeze, which caused it not to produce a lot of heat. The vehicle had to have antifreeze added every month, but the contact never actually saw it leaking. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and they stated that antifreeze and oil were leaking into the intake manifold. The repair would cost $700. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer stated that there was no current recall; therefore, they were not liable for any expenses. The failure mileage was 30,000 and current mileage was 105,000.

2002 Rendezvous. I have had all the problems: bad intake manifold, hole in the a/c condenser, windows falling down into the doors (twice) due to bad regulators, front passenger door became sprung on it's own, it eats tires for breakfast. I could go on. . . I contacted Buick a few times but got nowhere. I traded the car in for a Toyota.