There are 5 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2004 Buick Rainierin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I WAS IN THE MIDST OF A 10 HOUR ROAD TRIP OVER THE HOLIDAYS WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER ORIGINALLY QUIT WORKING. I WAS TRAVELING AT A RATE OF 70 MPH. THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED INCHING UP AND BURIED ITSELF AT 120 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE SPEEDOMETER TO GO BACK DOWN BUT IT SETTLED ON 60 MPH WHILE IN PARK. I CONTINUED ON W/MY TRIP AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP UPON ARRIVAL IN ABILENE, KS. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM IN THE CLUSTER AND CHECKED BULLETINS FOR PAST PROBLEMS W/SPEEDOMETERS. OVER THE COURSE OF 3 MONTHS THE SPEEDOMETER CONTINUED TO REPEAT THIS ACTION. I HAD IT INTO A DEALERSHIP IN AUSTIN, TX ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS W/THE SAME RESPONSE FROM THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL THE SPEEDOMETER FINALLY QUITE WORKING ALTOGETHER. THE DEALER TOLD ME HE HAD SEEN THIS IN A FEW OTHER MODELS BY GM. I CALLED AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GM AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. I THEN HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE CLUSTER REPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2007. THREE WEEKS LATER THE CAR WAS BACK IN B/C THE ENTIRE SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AND THE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAW THE PROBLEM UPON ARRIVAL BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROLONG. *JB
TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER WITH A FAILURE MILEAGE OF 47,000 AND A CURRENT MILEAGE OF 57,000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED THE INCORRECT SPEED. WHEN SHE PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWED THAT THE SPEED WAS ABOVE ZERO. THE REGISTERED SPEED VARIED. WHEN SHE STARTED THE VEHICLE IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY DISPLAY A SPEED WHICH WAS ABOVE ZERO. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED TO DRIVE THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD KEEP GOING HIGHER UNTIL IT REACHED 120. THE CONTACT HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER OR SPOKEN TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
CAR IS 2004 BUICK RAINIER WITH AWD. LESS THAN 2000 MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT. TEMP 0 F, 4" FRESH SNOW. RETURNING HOME AT 5:00 P.M., TURNED INTO 100' LONG DRIVEWAY AND PROCEEDED TOWARD GARAGE. BECAUSE OF SNOW IN DRIVEWAY, HAD TO ACCELERATE TO REACH FRONT OF GARAGE WHEN NORMALLY I JUST COAST BECAUSE IT IS A SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL APPROACH. CAR WOULD NOT STOP BY PUSHING BRAKES AND HIT GARAGE DOOR. CAR SEEMED TO BE ACCELERATING AS IT PUSHED GARAGE DOOR INTO SNOW BLOWER AND SNOW BLOWER INTO STORED VEHICLE INSIDE GARAGE CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH. SPEED WAS LESS THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. INCIDENT REPORTED TO INSURANCE COMPANY NEXT MORNING AND INSURANCE COMPANY SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER. DEALER PROVIDED ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS BUT DID NOT INVESTIGATE FOR MECHANICAL FAILURE. RETURNED VEHICLE TO INVESTIGATE AFTER CHRISTMAS BUT NOTHING FOUND TO HAVE CAUSED INCIDENT. *JB
NUMBERS ON SPEEDOMETER DISAPPEAR IN EARLY MORNING AND JUST BEFORE DARK. *AK
AT DAWN OR EARLY EVENING THE DIGITAL DISPLAY SPEEDOMETER DISAPPEARS, AND MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE HOW FAST CONSUMER IS TRAVELING. MANUFACTURER STATES THE VEHICLE IS DOING WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO DO.*AK...ALSO, DOES IT DURING DAY IF IT GETS VERY CLOUDY LIKE IT IS GAONG TO SNOW, ETC. IN MICHIGAN, WHER ECONSUMER LIVES, THERE WERE SEVERAL SUCH DAYS. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026