2005 Buick Rainier Lighting Problems

The contact owns a 2005 Buick Rainier. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front windshield wipers and wiper fluid spray activated independently and failed to turn off. The contact also stated that occasionally the headlights would inadvertently turn off; requiring the vehicle to be restarted before the vehicle regained headlight functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced the headlight failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V519000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE LAST NIGHT AT ABOUT 70 MPH MY LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OFF PLUNGING THE ROAD AHEAD OF ME INTO PITCH BLACK DARKNESS. FULL BEAM AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS WERE STILL FUNCTIONING, MANAGED TO SAFELY PULL OF TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE, AND LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO USE MY CELL PHONE TO DETERMINE THAT THE SOLID STATE HEADLIGHT RELAY HAD FAILED. LUCKILY THERE IS A SIMILAR RELAY LOCATED IN THE FUSE BOX THAT CONTROLS THE ENGINE FAN THAT I WAS ABLE TO UTILIZE AND CONTINUE ON MY JOURNEY. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS WAS A VERY UNNERVING/SCARY EXPERIENCE AND CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE FOR A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT GM THOUGHT THAT A SYSTEM THAT COULD AFFECT BOTH HEADLIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THIS WAY WAS REMOTELY EVEN A GOOD IDEA?!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWO MORE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (MODERN CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 5955 UNIVERSITY PKWY WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA 27105) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOW BEAM MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V519000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT NHTSA DETERMINED WHICH VEHICLES TO INCLUDE IN RECALLS AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,800. UPDATED 09/01/17*LJ *CN

THE LIGHTS GO OUT COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING.

OUR LOW BEAM LIGHTS QUIT WORKING WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK ON AT OTHER TIMES THEY DO NOT AND YOU HAVE TO HIT THE HIGH BEAMS OR EVEN THE FOG LIGHTS. NOT A GOOD THING TO HAPPEN. CAR IS ALWAYS IN MOTION AT NIGHT WHEN FAILURE HAPPENS. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES OVER LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. NOT SURE HOW MANY TIMES. NOT ALWAYS NOTICEABLE DEPENDING ON IF YOU ARE IN CITY LIGHTING OR IN COUNTRY. DAYLIGHT RUNNING LIGHTS, HIGH BEAMS AND FOG LIGHTS SEEM TO WORK BUT NOT LOW BEAMS.

WE OWN A 2005 BUICK RAINIER AND THE HEADLITES AND DASH BOARD LITES CUT OFF ON THERE OWN JUST LIKE THE 2006 VEHICLES ARE DOING AND THERES A RECALL ON THE 06 THRU 09 RAINIERS G.M. NEEDS TO EXPAND ITS RECALL TO INCLUDE 05 MODELS. I FILED A COMPLANT WITH G.M. MY COMPLAINT CASE NUMBER IS [XXX] I WOULD LIKE YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE ITS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND SOMEONE COULD BE HURT OR KILLED . *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO REACTIVATE THE LIGHTS BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT HAD TO HOLD THE SIGNAL IN ORDER TO HAVE THE HIGH BEAMS LIGHTS REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE RELAY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED SEVERAL MONTHS LATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

HEADLIGHTS DIM WITH HEATED SEATS ON AND WITH HEATER ON. IN COLD WEATHER. NOTICE LIGHTS DIM AT NIGHT AND VOLT GAUGE GOES DOWN AND THEN BACK TO NORMAL. DO NOT WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND PAY FOR DIAG WHEN THERE IS A TECH BULLETIN OUT. AND I KNOW I WILL BE TOLD THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE IT. I DON'T DRIVE THE CAR MUCH ONLY AT NIGHT, HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. I HOPE THERE WILL BE SOME KIND OF RECALL THAT COMES OUT. BUT GM DOESN'T CARE. *TR

INSTRUMENT PANEL HARD TO READ WHEN SUNLIGHT CREATES SHADOWS OR AT TWILIGHT. IT TAKES LONGER THAN IT SHOULD TO READ THE DISPLAY, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO TAKE HIS/HER EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. *NM

INSTRUMENT PANEL HARD TO READ DURING TWI-LIGHT WHEN HEAD LIGHTS ARE ON. .K. DURING DAYLIGHT AND COMPLETE DARK. HE SILVER BACKGROUND BLENDS IN WITH THE WHITE LIGHTS OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LEAVING NO CONTRAST.*AK