Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Buick Rendezvous owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
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. …
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.
My 2005 Buick Rendezvous would periodically stall in turns or at red lights. 1 instance it wouldn't start again and it had to be towed to a Buick dealership. They said they fixed the problem with a new battery. After that it would still stall at lights and intersections. I told various mechanics about this problem. They would look into it and never found a problem. I even had my fuel filter changed etc. Well, on January 21 2011, I was making a routine left hand turn into work across 2 lanes of traffic when my car stalled... It wouldn't pick up and go. I was then hit hard on the passenger side totaling out my vehicle and resulting in minor injuries on both parties.
We found out that we had a problem with my wife's vehicle. Initially, the vehicle was stationary. I took it to get an oil change and was asked to come into the shop to be shown that the antifreeze was like yogurt in the reservoir. We were told that we needed a coolant flush. This LED to being told that we needed a new radiator; bypass hose; and last but not least, head gasket job amounting to approximately 1600.00. We were told that there was no open recall but yet there was litigation going on regarding dex-cool antifreeze and that it was causing all of the problems that were and are having with this vehicle.
Vehicle overheated to the maximum, then it stalled. I waited a bit and was able to restart it. The temp. Returned to normal. While continuing to drive home at 35 mi per hr. It stalled again, and I was able to restart it, and make it home. I phoned my mechanic, and had it towed there. He informed me there was water in the exhaust which indicated expensive head gasket problems. He suggested I sell this vehicle asap. I had only owned it 2 months! When this problem occurred I was in motion at 35 mi per hr. On a city street. Very dangerous!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that the heat failed to operate without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Buick Rendezvous. The contact stated that the oil pan of the vehicle leaked oil onto the floor of the garage. The failure was recurring. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed and that the oil pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,159. The VIN was not available. Updated 04/22/16
My 2005 Buick Rendezvous ---heads were leveled and complete valve job done with new water pump, thermostat, relay belt,bypass hose, upper radiator hose, and complete coolant flush. My car keeps running hot. Please help!
Engine complaints in other Rendezvous years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Buick Rendezvous?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Buick Rendezvous, 23% of the model year's 138 complaints. The component named most often is engine (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Buick Rendezvous engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2005 Buick Rendezvous, though it has 1 recall 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 2005 Buick Rendezvous engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.