CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2006 Buick Rainier has a lot going for it and just a few issues that keep it from making our "best vehicles" list.

The good news is the SUV has a quiet interior (thanks to triple door seals, acoustic laminate glass, and thicker sound-absorbing pads), a low number of overall complaints, and a RWD system which offers good balance and handling.

Unfortunately, it received poor safety ratings in crash tests, owners report that the gas gauge is unreliable, and there was a large recall for melting power window switches.

So close, Buick. So close.

2.9

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,400 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Buick Rainier suspension problems

suspension problem

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2006 Buick Rainier Owner Comments

problem #5

May 102020

Rainier 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We bought a Buick Rainier 2006 and it has had nothing but electrical, door problems and door handle problems. It has a faulty back window wiper. Suspension issues and a voting under body carriage. I bought it from a dealer and none of these recall issues where taken care of, and these recalls date back to 2015 I bought the rainer in March 2018.

- Wausau, WI, USA

problem #4

May 132016

Rainier

  • 94,000 miles
Rear of car drops to just above tires when car sits for a few hours. Air suspension pumps it back up after car is started. Air suspension is leaking....unsafe to drive.car has 94000 miles

- Rochester Hills, MI, USA

problem #3

Sep 012014

Rainier 6-cyl

  • 69,000 miles
My rainer started to loose air in the rear suspension, air ride system. At this time the compressor works and does fill the air ride suspension but you can't be in a hurry to go anywhere. You must let the car sit while running for several minutes before you can leave. If you don't, you bounce down the road and that could be a danger to you or someone else on the road, I have spoken to my local dealer about the issue and they would be more than happy to charge me thousands of dollars to fix the issue. I think this is something that GM should take care of under a safety recall since it seems to be a design flaw. My car only has 70,500 miles on it.

- Shelby, OH, USA

problem #2

Jul 142014

Rainier 6-cyl

  • 46,000 miles
While the vehicle was parked in our driveway the air suspension failed causing the rear of vehicle to drop to and unsafe level. Upon starting the vehicle the compressor refilled the suspension bags but when parked and not driven for any period of time the air bags leak down causing the rear suspension to drop down again. This has been happening for several months now and I understand that this is not and uncommon problem with this make and model vehicle. The vehicle now has only 50,000 actual miles and has never been used for towing.

- Chatham, VA, USA

problem #1

Oct 022009

Rainier 8-cyl

  • 38,000 miles
There are two kinds of problems I brought to the attention of the service department several times since purchasing the vehicle but mechanics still cannot find what is causing the problems. First, my vehicle stutters when I back up and turn slowly or turn forward slowly. It does not do it every time, just occasionally so the mechanics do not experience it. Second, when stopped at a red light for a few seconds, my car feels like it has been hit in the back but when I look back to see if I've been bumped, there is no vehicle behind me. It feels like the powertrain or engine wants to jerk forward. I've taken it to the dealership twice and they say they have fixed the problem, but it continues.

- Shelby Twp, MI, USA

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