NHTSA Complaint #10250361 — 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

OUR VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN NORTH CAROLINA FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21ST WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND WE ARE SHUT DOWN. AFTER TOWING TO A LOCAL GARAGE WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE VEHICLE AT ALL. WE KNEW THAT THE OIL CHANGE HAD BEEN DONE VERY RECENTLY AND WAS COMING DUE AT 3000 MILES BUT THE OIL LIFE WAS STILL 38% MEANING WE STILL HAD OIL AND IT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION UNTIL THE LIFE WAS 0%. SO THE OIL LEAK WAS A MYSTERY. THEY RECOMMENDED WE LEAVE THE VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE ENGINE. WE CHOSE TO DRIVE ON TO VIRGINIA SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AND NEW OIL PUT IN. CHECKED ALL THE WAY-NO OVERHEATING ETC. CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY TOLD US TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR ASSESSMENT. THEY FINALLY GAVE US THE BAD NEWS ON TUESDAY. ENGINE NEEDS REPLACEMENT. WE WERE STRANDED IN DC FOR 6 DAYS WAITING ON GM TO TELL US IF THEY WOULD ASSIST WITH ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND THEY WILL NOT. HAD TO LEAVE OUR VEHICLE THERE AND COME HOME. NOW THEY WANT US TO PAY $6000 FOR A NEW ENGINE ON A VEHICLE WORTH $8000, BUICK RENDEZVOUS 2003 WITH 55K MILES. WE HAVE COMPLETE MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWING WE TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF THE VEHICLE. WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT THAT INVOLVES OUR VEHICLE AND RELATES TO ENGINE FAILURE. ACTION ENDED OCT 2008 SO WE HAVE NO CHANCE OF PARTICIPATING-PLUS THERE IS A CANADIAN CLASS ACTION FOR THE SAME ISSUES-WE KNEW NOTHING FROM GM ABOUT DEFECTS THAT WOULD CAUSE OUR ENGINE TO FAIL. NOW I AM STRANDED AT HOME (LUCKILY I WORK FROM HOME BUT MANY OTHERS WOULD BE UNABLE TO WORK WITH OUT A RENTAL). CAN SOMEONE HELP WITH EXPOSING THIS ISSUE BEFORE MANY OTHERS SUFFER FROM THIS TERRIBLE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND FAILURE BY GM TO FACE THE PROBLEM? ACCORDING TO ALL RESEARCH THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE AT LEAST 2004 AND THERE HAVE BEEN TBS ISSUED TO DEALERSHIPS. *TR