Most common 2005 Buick Rendezvous problems
Share of the 138 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Buick Rendezvous complaints by model year
Best Rendezvous years: 2007, 2006, 2005. Years to avoid: 2002, 2003. Compare all years →
2005 Buick Rendezvous recalls (1)
Air bags › Frontal
Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
Remedy: Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (GM) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in GM's letter to…
What 2005 Buick Rendezvous owners say
Electrical system all 38 →
I bought my car from a used car lot. I had it about 3-4 months and out of the blue it overheated very quickly, the warning light was on, some type of loud buzzer was going off so I pulled over and let it cool off, it took about 45 minutes but it started back up. I checked all the fluids and coolant levels and everything was ok. This continued to happen for about 3 weeks, quickly overheat, lights, alarms pulled over, checked fluids over and over. After about 3 weeks it would quickly overheat and then shut off on its own and several times it happened so fast I barely got off the road.i took it to a mechanic that drove it around a little until it overheated which at this point only took about 3 minutes to happen. …
On, Thursday, July 9th 2005, I tried to start my vehicle, it started but the ignition seemed to keep trying to start. None of the start up lights worked (oil, brake, service engine, seat belt), so I knew something was wrong. I turned the engine off and tried restarting it and it wouldn't start. I kept trying to start it for about 10 minutes. I finally gave up and went inside. I came back out and tried to start it again about 15 minutes later and it started up just fine and everything was working inside. On Monday, July 13th 2005, I tried to start it and nothing happened. I waited about 10 minutes and it started right up like nothing was ever wrong. I feel like there's a problem with the ignition somewhere. I'm afraid of what will happen if the car stalls while I'm driving it. The ABS seems to come and go as it pleases as well, I don't know if there have been any complaints about that.
Engine & cooling all 32 →
The contact owns a 2005 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and was shuddering while shifting gear. The "Service Engine Now" warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to side of the roadway, turn off and restart the vehicle and drove to her residence safely. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 175,000.
I bought my car from a used car lot. I had it about 3-4 months and out of the blue it overheated very quickly, the warning light was on, some type of loud buzzer was going off so I pulled over and let it cool off, it took about 45 minutes but it started back up. I checked all the fluids and coolant levels and everything was ok. This continued to happen for about 3 weeks, quickly overheat, lights, alarms pulled over, checked fluids over and over. After about 3 weeks it would quickly overheat and then shut off on its own and several times it happened so fast I barely got off the road.i took it to a mechanic that drove it around a little until it overheated which at this point only took about 3 minutes to happen. …
Fuel & propulsion system
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Buick Rendezvous. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle caught fire near the rear passenger side. The driver was alerted by another motorist that the vehicle was on fire. It was determined that the fire was due to a fuel leak from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 196,000.
Intermittent loss of power, loss of ABS brakes and loss of AWD. When you apply pressure to the gas pedal (accelerator) if you depress the pedal for what feels like over a 1/2 inch you lose power and the rpms go sky high and you can hear it trying to rev up. To get going you have to release the gas and press lightly. I loss power, ESP. Going uphill since it needs more to go, but you can't give it more gas else it won't go. I and my fianc were almost hit in an intersection because of this loss of power. You can gain speed, but very slowly and anytime you depress the gas pedal further it again fails. Replaced three wheel bearings, all brakes, two calipers and the throttle position sensor. Nothing shows on the readout except for the front bearings aren't reading right, but they're brand new and have been re-checked for defect. Still that hasn't fixed the issue. …
2005 Buick Rendezvous engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Buick Rendezvous a good car?
Based on 138 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Rendezvous rates average: 23% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Rendezvous at the same age. It is one of the best Rendezvous years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Buick Rendezvous?
The electrical system — 38 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year, most often about instrument cluster/panel. Next are the engine & cooling (32) and fuel & propulsion system (19).
How many recalls does the 2005 Buick Rendezvous have?
There is 1 recall for the 2005 Buick Rendezvous, the most recent from October 31, 2006 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Buick Rendezvous?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007, 2006 and 2005. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002 and 2003. See the full Buick Rendezvous years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Buick Rendezvous problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 40% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.