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#BS-2004-BUIRAI-4910

2004 Buick Rainier

Based on reports from 205 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
205
Crashes
17
Fires
5
Recalls
2
TSBs
651
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 205 complaints, 17 crashes, 5 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

air suspension suv loses height in the rear

4 complaints • Severity 9.5/10

$X,XXX
2

ac system stopped working

3 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

rear end drops

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

52 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 64K miles.

!Inspect the Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panelMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

30
0–30K
48
30–60K
37
60–90K
25
90–120K
13
120–150K
14
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (48 reports) • Median: 64K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (52 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical52 (25%)
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel27 (13%)
Lights15 (7%)
Fuel System15 (7%)
Speed Control12 (6%)
Airbags9 (4%)
Exterior Lighting:headlights6 (3%)
Drivetrain6 (3%)

2004 Buick Rainier: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 25% of all reports filed for the 2004 Buick Rainier, with 52 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 64,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 64K-mile mark.

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel Issues

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2004 Buick Rainier, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system: instrument cluster/panel-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Lights Issues

Lights complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2004 Buick Rainier, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to lights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2004 Buick Rainier, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

10
04
23
05
5
06
10
07
20
08
16
09
19
10
18
11
14
12
13
13
28
14
8
15
8
16
7
17
5
18
1
19

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Buick Rainier. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

04V527000Nov 2004

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, VIBRATION AND HEAT MAY CAUSE THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP BULB TO LOOSEN IN ITS SOCKET. IF THIS OCCURS, THE BULB MAY FLICKER AND EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE.

05V198000Aug 2005

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE DRIVER WISHING TO SIGNAL A TURN BY MOVING THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL LEVER, (UP OR DOWN) MAY CAUSE THE FRONT MARKER/TURN LIGHTS AND REAR TURN LIGHTS TO FLASH IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO HAZARD WARNING, RATHER THAN FLASHING ON THE DESIRED SIDE ONLY.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Buick Rainier is the 2005 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is suspension.

2004 Buick Rainier vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

205

Class avg

375

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 205 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Buick Rainier Model Years

20072006200520042003
View all Buick Rainier years →

2004 Buick Rainier: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Buick Rainier?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Buick Rainier is related to the electrical, with 52 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Buick Rainier reliable?
The 2004 Buick Rainier has 205 complaints, 17 crash reports, and 5 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Buick Rainier problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2004 Buick Rainier have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Buick Rainier has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Buick Rainier problems start?
Based on 167 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 64,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 205 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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