Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Buick Rendezvous owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When driving the Buick Rendezvous 2002 home the brakes began to not respond. After arriving home and driving down our driveway, the SUV had smoke coming out of the engine. The Buick Rendezvous was turned off but continued to expelled large amounts of smoke under the engine area. Within 5 minutes the engine area caught on fire. The bozrah fire department was called and by the time they arrived within 15 minutes or so the entire vehicle was on fire.
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. …
Note: "service traction system soon" "anti-lock", and the "traction" lights lights began to come on, then off. Ocassionally ,there would be a vibration on the brake pedal when the brakes were applied. I had my son-in-law drive it but none of these things occured. Nest time I was driving all these lights came on then off and the brakes made the vibation. I drove it to the garage where I buy my tires and where they do service vehecles and asked them to check out all these problems. He drove it around the blocks but no lights came on nor did the brakes vibrate. He pulled a wheel but could not find anything wrong. A few days later the lights came on again and when I applied the brakes, the brakes would not stop the car and caused me to rear-end the car ahead who was stopped at the red light. …
Car stopped in front of me, was room to stop in time, however ABS system kicked in & prevented vehicle from stopping - it only slowed it down. Road was clear & dry, no need for ABS brakes. Brake pads & rear rotors were less than 3 weeks old & front tires were only 3 days old at time of accident. Tested brakes by removing ABS fuse & car stops great - fault in ABS system. Also, air bags did not deploy, but air bag warning light on dash came on solid red & stays on at all times now. Accident was caused by ABS system improper setup or manufacturer.
My 2002 Rendezvous almost had a crash because of instant brake failure due to a rapture of the original brake-line. I had the brake line repaired immediately and was told all my original brake lines are corroded and need to be replaced. I contacted GM with this issue , got a case number [redacted], and was told by [redacted]( the highest ranked resolution officer ) GM does not consider this a latent defect issue and will not correct the brake line problem.
Two safety related issues with my 2002 Buick Rendezvous cxl. The front hub ABS sensors failed at 51,000 miles (left side) and 58,500 miles (right side). Difficult to diagnose the problem until actual failure and error code. Meanwhile, the brakes are very erratic at low speeds. Often long stopping distance while the pedal pulsates severely. Vehicle pulls severely to one side. Dealer replaced a wheel hub the first time it happened. They rewired the ABS sensor on the other front wheel the second time. It was corrected when finally diagnosed but, particularly with the first incident, we had to drive the car with unsafe brakes until the error code would register and the dealer would perform the repairs. Second issue involves the AWD rear axle assembly. Moaning noises start in the rear end, especially in low speed turns such as parking lot maneuvers. …
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. …
Got ABS & TCS lights and either "traction system active" or "service traction system". Two DTC codes c0036 & c0245. Ck'd left wheel sensor per Buick service manuals by disconnecting connector at wheel hub & ck'd OK. No problem again for more than a year. Recently got same lights abt & TCS and master light (ck traction system). Also, concurrent got a thumping sound from left front of vehicle over bumps & when applying brakes. Also, when turning left/right the ABS pump would turn on (felt thru steering wheel). Scan tool confirmed left wheel solenoid activated during test drive. Ck'd the front wheel sensors ac voltage out put per Buick service manuals & found left wheel sensor output at 150 mvac and right wheel sensor at 120mvac for "approx" same wheel speed; spec is 100mvac when "spinning wheel" (no speed of wheel in spec!). …
1st occasion (3/11/11): I was driving east bound on a freeway, in the right lane, and at a speed of approximately 45 miles per hour. I also had my two young boys (ages 4 and 7) in the car with me. I had to brake suddenly when traffic backed up unexpectedly and it was at that moment my brakes failed and I had to veer off the right shoulder and up onto the embankment and fortunately did not crash into another car. I had minimal brake power. My regular repair shop was about 3 miles away and was able to very slowly drive my car there. The brake line on ABS pump to right wheel had to be replaced. 2nd occasion (2/28/13): I was driving east bound in the right lane of a busy road during rush hour traffic. I was going about 30 miles per hour. I had to brake hard for traffic backed up at an intersection. …
When changing the oil to our 2002 Buick Rendezvous, my husband found bubbles in both front brake lines. We took the vehicle to bob myers Buick dealership in our home town of anderson, in and was told the service department inspected the brake system and found all rubber components damaged due to possible fluid contamination. They advised it would require replacement of all rubber components and complete system flush to prevent further damage. The estimate was quite expensive and we were advised this would not be under warranty. We took our vehicle then to dean's engine shop, anderson, in and had them do repair work. …
Brake complaints in other Rendezvous years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2002 Buick Rendezvous?
NHTSA has 57 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Buick Rendezvous, 12% of the model year's 486 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Buick Rendezvous brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2002 Buick Rendezvous, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Buick Rendezvous brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.