2006 Buick RAINIER - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2006 Buick Rainier received mixed safety ratings according to the data provided. While the driver side of the front crash received a rating of 3 out of 5 and the passenger side received a rating of 4 out of 5, the overall side crash ratings for both the driver and passenger side scored a perfect 5 out of 5. The car also scored a 4 out of 5 in rollover ratings. It is worth noting that the Buick Rainier comes equipped with standard electronic stability control, which is a significant safety feature. However, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems installed.

In terms of complaints and recalls, the car has a relatively high number of complaints at 90 and has been subject to 7 recalls. While the side crash ratings are impressive, potential buyers may want to consider the overall safety rating along with the absence of certain safety features and the number of complaints and recalls before making a decision on purchasing the 2006 Buick Rainier.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

90

Recall Count

7

Investigation Count

4

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2006 Buick Rainier 4-DR. Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2006 Buick Rainier 4-DR.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2006 Buick Rainier 4-DR. Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2006 Buick Rainier 4-DR. Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2006 Score 2007 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 3 3 3
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2006 Score 2007 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2006 Score 2007 Score
Rollover Rating 4 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Complaints for the 2006 Buick RAINIER

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the fuel gauge suddenly showed empty after filling and then about 10 miles later showed full. shortly later empty again. the erratic fuel readings continue to date. this malfunction is creating a very dangerous situation. buick is not willing to repair or replace the fuel gauge. *tr"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2011-01-11

Complaint:
"this tuesday as i was driving down a major highway with my 2 year old daughter, my 2006 buick rainier turned off and came to a complete stop. it was freezing cold and we were on a major highway, luckily i was able to coast to the shoulder and no one was hurt. come to find out i ran out of gas. i have never in my life run out of gas, my fuel gauge was reading incorrectly. i had to make my husband leave work, while my daughter and i had to sit in the freezing cold car!!! i have an appointment to fix the fuel gauge, and i was informed this is a common problem. gm is only paying half the repair costs, although they admit this is a defect. please help, these repairs are not in my budget, but i also can not be stranded again. *tr"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2012-03-01

Complaint:
"filled up at the gas station one day. started my rainier and the gas gauge read empty and the low fuel light was on. drove for a bit and the gas gauge appeared to start working again. over the next couple of weeks the gauge would fluctuate randomly. then one day, with my children in the car and my gas gauge telling me i had plenty of fuel, i ran out of gas on a very busy street. i was fortunate enough to coast into a parking lot and avoid an accident. my dealer kept telling me i needed to put a fuel cleaner into my gas tank and that would fix the problem. this faulty fuel sensor has caused me to run out of gas a number of times (even when using the trip mileage indicator to give myself some idea of my fuel levels). this creates a very dangerous situation. please, please please issue a recall as soon as possible. *tr"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2009-06-07

Complaint:
"fuel gauge works erratically. when the gas tank is filled completely the fuel gauge reads low and dings the "low fuel" alarm. gauge then climbs toward full as you speed up and then repeatedly drops to the low fuel alarm. the faulty fuel level could leave you stranded on the highway with no gas if you are not tracking your fuel level. *tt"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2011-09-09

Complaint:
"fuel gauge stopped working. gauge became erratic reporting low/no fuel when tank was filled. fuel gauge continuously bounces between full and empty. behavior continues to exist. can't rely on fuel gauge to determine when a fill up is required. currently calculating mileage to next fill up by tracking mileage. flashing low fuel light is distracting. *tr"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2013-05-04

Complaint:
"the gas gauge began reading empty when it was actually full. this started in spring 2010 with the odometer reading about 65k. when the tank is initially filled the gauge will read full, then go down until the gauge read empty. this continued for several days after fill-up and fluctuated between full and empty. after driving approximately 15 to 20 miles the gauge would return to full and back to empty again. there needs to be a recall on this vehicle. i already paid my buick dealer over $500 to correct this problem, which is not the result of wear and tear or carelessness or misuse on my part, but rather the failure of a critical safety device. the consumer should not be required to bear this financial burden. *tt"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2010-10-04

Complaint:
"fuel level sender in the gas tank fails, gauge is unreliable and indicated full tank or empty tank randomly. can indicate a full tank with only a little bit of fuel left. *tr"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2011-01-06

Complaint:
"approximately 3 months ago after filling my tank and starting my 2006 buick rainier the gas gauge read past 'empty' and the 'low-fuel" warning light came on. this continued for several days after fill-up and fluctuated between full, empty and all points in between. in addition the check engine light comes on with each fill-up. after driving approximately 15 to 20 miles the gauge would return to more accurate readings. however, most recently this is no longer the case as the false gas gauge readings, low-fuel and check engine warnings have become constant and i can no longer trust them at all. this is a huge problem with a $500 + price tag which consumers should not have to bear. *tr"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2012-08-03

Complaint:
"the gas gauge began reading empty when it was actually full. this started on 03/03/2011 with the odometer reading about 70k. it now has about 76k on the odometer. when the tank is initially filled the gauge will read full, then go down gradually while driving until the gauge read empty. when the tank was full the service engine light would also light until the tank would be at approximately 3/4. at 3/4 full the gauge would then read correctly and the service engine light would go off. *tt"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2011-03-03

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2006 buick rainier. the contact stated that after refueling, the fuel gauge would not read the actual level of gasoline in the fuel tank. in addition, when refueling, the pump would shut off before the tank was half full. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or repaired. the dealer was contacted and they informed her that they are aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the vin was unavailable. updated 09/01/2011 *ln"
Components Involved: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Date of incident: 2011-07-03

Recalls for the 2006 Buick RAINIER

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"general motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 buick rainier, chevrolet trailblazer and gmc envoy vehicles, and 2006 gmc envoy xl and chevrolet trailblazer ext vehicles. fluid may enter into the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board, causing window switches to become inoperative. previously, the affected vehicles may have had their master power window switch module treated with a protective coating, instead of having it replaced."
Consequence:
The protective coating may not eliminate the risk that the circuit board could short and result in a fire, even while the vehicle is unattended.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new driver's door switch module, free of charge. The recall began on November 2, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15700.

Component(s) Involved: VISIBILITY > POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
Date of incident: 2015-09-24

Recall:
"general motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 saab 9-7x; 2006 chevrolet trailblazer ext and gmc envoy xl; and 2006-2007 chevrolet trailblazer, gmc envoy, buick rainier and isuzu ascender vehicles. fluid may enter the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board. a short may cause the power door lock and power window switches to function intermittently or become inoperative. the short may also cause overheating, which could melt components of the door module, producing odor, smoke, or a fire."
Consequence:
A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the part number on the door module, and install a new door module if necessary, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. An interim letter was mailed to owners in August 2014. A second owner letter will be mailed when parts are available. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-955-9007 (SAAB), and 1-800-255-6727 (Isuzu). GM's number for this recall is 14309. NOTE: This recall provides a new remedy for all vehicles covered by recall 13V-248. Vehicles whose modules were modified but not replaced as part of the previous recall remedy must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign.

Component(s) Involved: VISIBILITY > POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
Date of incident: 2014-07-02

BUICK Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

BUICK ranks 20 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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