There are 17 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2005 Buick Rainierin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE SENSOR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
ON 2/29/12 I CAME BACK FROM THE GROCERY STORE AND PARKED MY VEHICLE AND UNLOADED MY GROCERIES AND RETURNED TO MY VEHICLE WHICH WAS LEFT RUNNING. I PUT MY VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND PROCEEDED TO DO A UTURN AND HAD PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE TO PREVENT COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLES PARKED ON THE ODD SIDE OF THE STREET. WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE THE CAR JUST STALLED, IT DID NOT MOVE AT ALL. I LOOKED AT THE DASHBOARD AND IT KEEP INFORMING ME THAT THE FUEL WAS LOW. THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO THE FACT I KNEW I HAD OVER A HALF TANK OF GAS IN MY VEHICLE. I HAD TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND RE-START THE CAR TO CONTINUE PARKING THE VEHICLE. I LIVE ON A VERY BUSY STREET AND LUCKILY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC COMING WHEN MY CAR STALLED. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN ON 3/4/12 WHEN I WENT TO START MY VEHICLE AND THE DASH INDICATED THAT THE FUEL WAS LOW BUT THIS TIME THE GAS GAUGE PROCEEDED TO BEEP AND THE ORANGE LOW FUEL INDICATION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE GAS GAUGE NEEDLE BEGAN TO MOVE TO E AND THEN THE CAR STALLED ONCE AGAIN AND I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. *TR
THE FUEL SENSOR GAUGE DOES NOT ACCURATELY DEPICT HOW MUCH GASOLINE IS IN THE TANK. WHEN I FILL UP THE TANK IT REMAINS ON "E" AND THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR LIGHT IS ON. THE GAUGE WILL FLUCTUATE UP AND DOWN AND NEVER GO ALL THE WAY TO "F". I AM VERY UPSET THAT THIS PROBLEM IS SO PREVALENT YET GM WILL ONLY COVER 50% OF THE EXPENSES. IT IS UNSAFE TO NOT KNOW THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL IN ONE'S VEHICLE. *TT
THIS JUST STARTED WITH MY LAST FILL UP OF GAS. THE GAUGE IS STARTING TO GO UP AND DOWN. NOT SURE IF GAS GAUGE IS CORRECT. *TR
VEHICLE FUEL GAUGE STARTED FLUCTUATING FROM FULL TO EMPTY, AND VEHICLE WOULD PAUSE WHILE ACCELERATING. DEALER PRICED REPAIR AT $535. THIS PROBLEM STARTED AT 47,500 MILES AND NOW FUEL GAUGE IS STUCK ON EMPTY. VEHICLE STILL RANDOMLY HESITATES ON ACCELERATION. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON GM RANIERS, TRAILBLAZERS, YUKONS, ETC. GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM/DEFECT FOR SOME TIME WITH NO RESPONSE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL INDICATOR GAUGE WOULD READ INACCURATELY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO DETECT HOW MUCH FUEL WAS IN THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL SENSOR WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER ASSISTED THE CONTACT WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
FUEL GAUGE SENSOR MALFUNCTION. CORRECT FUEL LEVEL NOT INDICATED ON INTERIOR OF VEHICLE. READS AS ALWAYS EMPTY. *TT
GAS GAUGE IS INACCURATE- DOES NOT READ GASOLINE LEVEL CORRECTLY 2005 BUICK RAINIER. *TR
NO GAS GAUGE, IT READS EMPTY EVEN WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. LOW FUEL LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON, AND WHEN I AM TRULY GETTING LOW ON FUEL, IT MAY BOUNCE TO AN AREA BETWEEN E AND 1/4 TANK MARK. I AM HAVING TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE MILES I DRIVE AND HOPE THAT THE MPG AT 15.9 IS ACCURATE SINCE NOTHING ELSE SEEMS TO BE. *TR
WE FILLED UP THE SUV AND THE GAS GAUGE DID NOT REGISTER THAT THE TANK WAS FULL. AFTER A WHILE THE GAUGE SLOWLY MOVED UP AND SHOWED THAT THE TANK WAS FULL. AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF THAT, THE GAUGE NOW DOES NOT MOVE OFF OF EMPTY AT ALL. OFTEN TIMES THE GAS REMINDER SIGNAL GOES OFF LETTING US KNOW THAT THE TANK IS EMPTY, HOWEVER WE HAD JUST FILLED UP THE TANK. *TR
FUEL GAUGE REGISTERS INACCURATE READINGS, GIVING FALSE "LOW FUEL" WARNINGS IMMEDIATELY AFTER FILL UP AND DROPPING TO E UNPREDICTABLY AT OTHER TIMES, CAUSING GREAT CONSTERNATION AT BEING "RUN OVER" ON THE FREEWAY OR STRANDED WITHOUT PROPER WARNING. THE GAUGE SEEMS TO BOUNCE UP AND DOWN AT WILL. THIS IS AN '05 BUICK RAINIER, UNDER 47K MILES, SISTER VEHICLE TO CHEVY TRAILBLAZER AND GMC ENVOY WHICH ARE ALREADY DOCUMENTED WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR
GAS GAUGE FAILED READS LESS THAN 1/8 TANK. WARNING FOR LOW FUEL ALARM COMES ON EVEN AFTER FULL FILL-UP. CHECK EMISSION LIGHT PERIODICALLY TURNS ON. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS PROVIDING INACCURATE FUEL LEVEL READINGS. WHEN REFUELING TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY, THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD READ THE FUEL TANK AS EMPTY OR HALF FULL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE WHEN HE WAS INFORMED OF AN OPEN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FUEL GAUGE FAILURE, BUT THE CONTACT WAS NOT TOLD WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 8/30/11 *CN UPDATED 09/28/11
THREE YEARS AGO THE FUEL SENSOR ON MY BUICK RAINER FAILED. GM HAS ISSUED A BULLETIN ON THE REPAIR THAT COVERS 50% OF THE COST. I VIEW THIS AS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM GM THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SENSOR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A BUICK DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE TO REPAIR THIS ITEM IS AROUND $200. AFTER NUMEROUS CALLS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE I GAVE UP ON TRYING TO GET GM TO COVER 100% OF THE COST. AFTER TALKING TO YOUR OFFICE I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ENGINEERS ARE STILL LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE. DO YOU KNOW WHEN THIS WILL BE RESOLVED? *TR
MALFUNCTION OF FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009, THE FUEL GAUGE IN OUR 2005 BUICK RAINIER BEGAN REGISTERING EMPTY AT ALL TIMES, EVEN WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FULL. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING TO DO WITH A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL PUMP MODULE ASSEMBLY. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING WITH GM VEHICLE OF THIS TYPE INCLUDE THE RAINIER, BLAZER, JIMMY AND SO. I BELIEVE THIS IS SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM THROUGH THIS FAMILY OF VEHICLES AND IS DANGEROUS AS THE FUEL GAUGE WILL NOT ACCURATELY READ THE FUEL LEVEL. *TR
FUEL GAUGE READING INCORRECT. DEALER REPLACED SENSOR AND HAD TO DRAIN/REMOVE GAS TANK TO REPLACE. WHILE THIS WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY (55,000 MILES, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY APPROXIMATELY $550. *TR
GAS GAUGE IS ERRATIC, GOES FROM EMPTY TO FULL AND FULL TO EMPTY LEAVING YOU WITH NO IDEA HOW MUCH FUEL YOU HAVE. WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR TURNING, VEHICLE LUNGES OR STALLS. ALSO, LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OFF WITH NO WARNING AND TAKES TIME TO RE-LIGHT. LOW BEAMS ALSO TEND TO FLICKER TO DIM.
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