2006 Buick Rainier Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
No verdict The 2006 Buick Rainier has a complaint index of 50, ranking 2nd-worst among 3 model years, with 91 complaints, 7 recalls, and 5 reported fires. Fuel System issues lead at 38% of complaints, followed by Electrical System problems at 32%.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 50/100
- #2 of 3 Rainier years
- Verdict
- No verdict
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 91
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 7
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 1
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 5
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Fuel System
- Best nearby year
- —
- no alternative with data
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 16
- 14 city / 20 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
Top 2006 Buick Rainier problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Fuel System35 (38%)
- Electrical System29 (32%)
- Visibility & Wipers8 (9%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (8%)
- Transmission & Powertrain7 (8%)
- Engine6 (7%)
- Structure & Body6 (7%)
- Brakes5 (5%)
- Airbags3 (3%)
- Other3 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Driver's door switch modules and headlight sockets reportedly melt or burn, in some cases starting fires under the dashboard or near the driver-side headlight wiring.
- Owners describe electrical fires breaking out even while the vehicle is parked or idling, sometimes destroying the engine or the whole vehicle.
- Power window switches have reportedly burned and melted at their edges.
- Heating and air conditioning controls reportedly stop working or behave erratically, with dealers unable to identify a cause.
- Engine reportedly stalls without warning at low speeds, or the accelerator becomes unresponsive at highway speeds.
- Front wheels reportedly shudder or rumble at low speeds when backing up or turning, on all-wheel-drive versions.
2006 Buick Rainier recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 15V599000Sep 24, 2015Visibility & Wipers9,932 vehicles
Visibility:power window devices and controls
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer and GMC Envoy vehicles, and 2006 GMC Envoy XL and Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT vehicles. Fluid may enter into the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board, causing window switches to become inoperative. Previously, the affected vehicles may have had their master power window switch module treated with a protective coating, instead of having it replaced.
Risk: The protective coating may not eliminate the risk that the circuit board could short and result in a fire, even while the vehicle is unattended.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new driver's door switch module, free of charge. The recall began on November 2, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15700.
- NHTSA 15V519000Aug 14, 2015Electrical System429,170 vehicles
Exterior lighting:headlights
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlamp driver module (HDM) may overheat and fail, causing the headlamps and daytime running lights to not illuminate.
Risk: Headlamps that do not illuminate reduce the driver's ability to see the roadway and reduce the vehicle's visibility to oncoming vehicles, both of which increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HDM, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14291.
- NHTSA 14V404000Jul 2, 2014Visibility & Wipers184,611 vehicles
Visibility:power window devices and controls
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 SAAB 9-7x; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL; and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Isuzu Ascender vehicles. Fluid may enter the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corrosion that could result in a short in the circuit board. A short may cause the power door lock and power window switches to function intermittently or become inoperative. The short may also cause overheating, which could melt components of the door module, producing odor, smoke, or a fire.
Risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the part number on the door module, and install a new door module if necessary, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. An interim letter was mailed to owners in August 2014. A second owner letter will be mailed when parts are available. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-955-9007 (SAAB), and 1-800-255-6727 (Isuzu). GM's number for this recall is 14309. NOTE: This recall provides a new remedy for all vehicles covered by recall 13V-248. Vehicles whose modules were modified but not replaced as part of the previous recall remedy must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign.
2006 Buick Rainier fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 14 MPG
- Highway
- 20 MPG
- Combined
- 16 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $4,050
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other Rainier years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Buick Rainier reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2006 Rainier has a complaint index of 50 and ranks 2nd-worst out of the 3 model years with data. It logged 91 complaints and 7 recall campaigns, with fires reported in 5 cases.
- What are the most common problems with the 2006 Buick Rainier?
- Fuel System complaints make up 38% of all reports, and Electrical System complaints make up 32%, with a median mileage of 105,500 for electrical failures. Visibility & Wipers issues account for another 9%.
- Does the 2006 Buick Rainier have a recall for electrical fires?
- Yes. NHTSA recall 15V519000 covers an electrical component (HDM) replacement, and several other recalls address a driver's door switch module linked to fluid intrusion, which owners connect to melted switches and fires.
- How does the 2006 Rainier compare to other years?
- The 2005 model year has a complaint index of 100 with 103 complaints and only 1 recall, while 2007 has a complaint index of 0 with 38 complaints but 5 recalls. The 2006 model sits between these with 91 complaints and 7 recalls.