There are 6 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2005 Buick Rainierin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
My 16 year old son was making a left hand turn out of a school onto a road with no curve, no hole, no accident but the 4 side air bags deployed for no reason. He was OK and pulled over for safety and got a ride home. We had it towed home and contacted gmac buick and they had it towed to a dealership and had a diagnostic test ran and found no reason for them to deploy but they said the car had been altered because we had put subs and a radio in it through a lisc. Professional but that makes them not liable for anything that would happen. They said putting a radio in can cause the bags to deploy or brakes to fail and it is in their manual and they are not liable for any problem if we alter the car in any way. If this is the case anyone with an aftermarket radio should be warned that their child car anyone can be killed and it will. E no one's fault. I am out a car because insurance said they don't cover it because it wasn't an accident and GMAC says it happens not uncommonly but that they will not help in any way. They told me I was not allowed to talk abijt this to anyone. They read me a statement on the phone which said I can not talk outside of GMAC. They don't want people knowing this is happening. People need to be aware that bags can randomly deploy and if he was in the interstate he could have been killed. I am terrified to get in it and drive. Why do people not know this can happen. Why is gmac not doing anything or putting out psas saying people could die if they out sibs in professionally or otherwise.
DRIVING ON FREEWAY, ENGAGED IN NORMAL BREAKING AND WHEELS LOCKED UP AND BRAKES NO LONGER WORKED. I DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO BRAKE OR STEER THE SUV. I ULTIMATELY HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER NEARLY HEAD ON, MOSTLY MIDDLE TO PASSENGER SIDE FRONT OF CAR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HAD GM MECHANIC LOOK AT THE BRAKES AFTER THE ACCIDENT TO ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE WHAT WENT WRONG WITH BRAKES. THEY STATED THAT THE BRAKE MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT CAN CAUSE THE "COMPUTERS TO NOT COMMUNICATE CORRECTLY."' THE BAD BRAKE MODULE ALSO MEANT ABS BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE SIDE AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED ERRONEOUSLY. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED DURING THE DEPLOYMENT. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER OR CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
2005 BUICK RAINIER WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VAN IN COMING TRAFFIC. MY WIFE DRIVING THE RAINIER HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND BENT IT. SHE RECEIVE A LARGE LACERATION REQUIRING ABOUT 30 STITCHES, CLAVICLE STRAIN, BROKEN COLLAR BONE AND MULTIPLE BRUISES. SHE WAS WEARING THE SEAT BELT. COLLISION WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO LIFT THE REAR OF THE CAR OFF THE GROUND AND TURN IT FACING THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE VAN SHE HIT. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! *TR
FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT MALFUNCTION, LOCKS UP AND CAN NOT PUT SEAT BELT ON. *TR
ON FEBRUARY 18, 2005 APPROXIMATELY 6:25 AM WAS TRAVELING WEST ON QUAIL MEADOW DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 65 FEET FROM STOP SIGN A BUS MADE A TURN INTO MY LANE COMING FROM INTERSECTING STREET. MOVED OVER TO RIGHT ONTO THE CURVE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE CAUGHT THE EDGE OF A GUTTER WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET FROM WHERE CARE ENTERED THE CURVE. WHEN THE TIRE HIT THE EDGE OF THE GUTTER THAT WAS ROUNDED, THE TIRE BLEW THROWING THE CAR TO THE RIGHT AND THE OVERHEAD AIRBAGS DEPLOYED CAUSING SEAT BELTS TO GRAB TIGHT AROUND ME, AND I MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR BETWEEN A LIGHT POLE AND A BRICK FENCE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE WHEEL, TIRE, AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE, HEADLINER, SEAT BELTS, AIRBAG SENSORS AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE AIR BAG MODULES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3800.00. OEM PARTS WERE REPLACED. WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO ORDER ANOTHER AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE BECAUSE THE FIRST ONE THEY RECEIVED WAS DEFECTIVE.*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 25, 2026