02 - 06 Rear Differential on AWD CX

[dug_e_j]

Why will GM not recall and replace or make the rebuild parts available to rebuild the rear diff on the AWD models? Even the technitions at the GM shop I take my Rendezvous to think it is retarded. A rear end should not go in 5 years and 180,00 KM's (90,000 or so miles, mostly Highway). I have e'd Buick but have yet to recieve a response. They want $6,100 Canadian for a new one a used will cost anywhere from $1,280 to $2,250 for a used one, if you can find it!

Sorry for taking up posting space but I am frustrated after spending $50 for diff oil (because you can only use the "special" GM diff oil) and several hundered only to find out the rear end is gone and will soon sieze up.

Anybody else encounter this yet??

[francodc]

I hear you!
I have a Buick Rendezvous 2002 AWD as well and I have the same problem. My Buick is a piece of crap. Since I bought it 2.5 years a go I have changed, the intake manifold gasket, the head gasket, 3 yes 3 wheel hubs and bearng, 2 rear knuckles, 2 rear drive shafts, 1 rear motor wiper, 1 speed control module for the ventalation system, 1 AC evaporarator (just today), 2L of Versacrap fluid and today my mechanic tells me the good news that my rear differential is starting to make noise and the GM does not make any replacement parts for it. I have spent ovr $6000 in repairs and now GM says that it will cost me $6000 for a new rear diff!!!

I can not believe this crap. I sold my Chevy and Volks to buy a Buick thinking that now my wife and I will be able to use 1 vehicle as opposed to having to upkeep 2. Instead I find myself with the worst piece of crap ever to come out a Mexican American assembly plant. SHAME ON YOU GM... YOU ARE SUCKING ME DRY!!! Maybe GM CEO can call my 3 year old son and tell that we can no longer go on vacation because daddy has to use up 2 years worth of vacation money to repair a peice of junk call Buick Rendezvous, what GM forgot to mention was the RENDEZVOUS realy meant Rendezvous at the bank.

Should anyone have a solotion as to what I can do about my differential, please let me know. Selling the piece of crap is not an option becuase I still have a loan on the vehicle and trading it in wont work because bank just don't understand that my wife no longer works because she needs to take care of our son and one salary just wont cut it....

Sorry for the emotional dump....

Thanks in advance for any help. God bless.

[dug_e_j]

Well, I lucked out and found a reareend out of an Aztec with only 35,000 km's on it. I amou out about $5k since November and now I have to spend $480 to replace my ignition key cylindar. As soon as this repair is done the Rendezvous goes!!!

[stadlr1@sympatico.]

Franc I feel for you, your problems are practically identical to ours. How can GM live with the shame of screwing people out of their life's savings to keep repairing a vehicle that was supposedly a reputable 'Buick' model. I have not yet? had the rear differential, but all the other problems including rear wiper and now fan on 1,2 and 3 doesn't work. Show me any other vehicle on which this has ever happened?? uh, yes, GM Montanna!
In addition tires seem to wear funny, front outside tread is almost gone on second set of tires. We have 150,000 KM on it and have easily spent over $4K, PLUS we still owe moeny on it and found that we could buy a brand new one now for $8K less than the 1 yr old 02 we bought with 38K on it in 2003. That burns me more than anything. I think we could all write a book on the problems the RDV has. Most importantly they are common to all owners, neighbor just paid $3500 for transmission. Seems that 02 and 03 have the most problems, and GM should take some recent stock profits and reimburse us . God Willing.

[cmax]

Hi,just bought a 02 AWD and after 1500 miles the rear end starting making noise.Of course I found out what everyone else has Buick makes a bad AWD.I didn't want to spend the money on a new rear end so started checking around at local shops and one of them is making it into a FWD.I had it done and it only cost me $196,and it works great.I know its not the AWD I wanted but at least I can use it without the expensive repair of the rear end.

[eisemj]

Hey cmax, I like your fix. I have an 05 Rendezvous with the typical AWD problem, noise on turning. Too bad GM has a chronic of problem of designing things overly complicated, then refusing to help owners that are stuck with their screwups.

My 05 has made the groaning noise for a long time, and the threads seem to give only limited chances of fixing the problem with chatter in the differential clutch pack by changing the "special" expensive fluid.

I would be happy just converting the car to FWD only, as I really do not need AWD. I have simply unplugged the wiring harness to the rear differential, and therefore disabled the AWD. That solves the noise problem, but the driver display gives a constant alert the the AWD is disabled. All I want to do at this point is remove the alert.

You mentioned that a service guy Converted your car th FWD only. Can you describe what he did, or how I could do the same thing? Thanks!

[Tech II]

I have never had a problem getting rid of rear end noise, as long as you don't wait forever to fix it after first hearing the noise.......you dump the fluid, add new fluid, drive the vehicle clockwise in a lot for 10 minutes, then 10 minutes CCW.....drop the fluid, and replace......fixes it every time......but you can't drive it with the noise for any length of time and then expect this procedure to fix it.....