At a glance

Reported mileage160,782 mi

LocationMd, USA

ColorBlack

Last listed price$1,100

Open recalls2

Vehicle identity & specifications

Make

Buick

Model

Rainier

Year

2004

Trim

CXL

Body style

Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]

Vehicle type

MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)

Engine

4.2L 6-cyl

Cylinders

6

Fuel type

Gasoline

Drivetrain

4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4

Doors

4

Assembly plant

MORAINE, OHIO, UNITED STATES (USA)

Manufacturer

GENERAL MOTORS LLC

What's a 2004 Buick Rainier worth?

What comparable 2004 Buick Rainier vehicles are listed for — a quick gut-check before you negotiate.

Low

$1,300

Typical price

$3,107

High

$5,200

Most 2004 Buick Rainier listings fall between $1,300 and $5,200, from 43 comparable cars.

Is the seller's price fair? Get this exact VIN's current market value — retail, trade-in & loan value — in the full report.

See this car's exact value →

Full vehicle history report

$14.99 USD · one-time

What a full report checks for VIN 5GADT13S142222781

⚠️ 2 open safety recalls — shown above, free 🔒 Title & brand records 🔒 Accident & damage history 🔒 Salvage, total-loss & theft 🔒 Odometer & owner count 🔒 Liens & market valuation

A full report searches national title databases (NMVTIS) and licensed history providers for this VIN and shows whatever records are on file — not every vehicle has every record type. The decode, safety recalls and owner complaints above are always free.

📜 Title status Clean, salvage, rebuilt, junk, flood or lemon

🏷️ Title brand history Every brand ever applied, by state

🧾 Number of owners How many registrations on record

🛞 Odometer readings Reported mileage over time

🔎 Rollback check Mileage inconsistency / tamper flags

💥 Accident & damage Reported collisions and damage events

🚧 Total-loss records Insurance total-loss declarations

♻️ Salvage & auction Salvage-yard and auction history

🚓 Theft records Reported / recovered theft events

🏦 Liens & impounds Outstanding liens or impound records

🏷️ Sale & listing history Past marketplace and dealer listings

💰 Market valuation Estimated value for this exact spec

Unlock full report — $14.99 → or get up to 20 reports a month for $19.99/mo → One-time purchase · permanent access · VIN 5GADT13S142222781

Safety recalls 2

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.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SUSPECT FLASHER MODULES WITH A NEW FLASHER MODULE DESIGNED WITH SEALED RELAYS AND MORE DURABLE CONTACT MATERIAL INSIDE OF THE RELAYS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2005. ISUZU BEGAN MAILING OWNER LETTERS ON AUGUST 4, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1

NHTSA Campaign #05V198000 · 05/05/2005

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.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TAIL LAMP/STOP LAMP ASSEMBLIES, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 22, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.

NHTSA Campaign #04V527000 · 01/11/2004

Get free recall alerts for this vehicle

We'll email you the moment a new safety recall is issued — no spam, unsubscribe any time.

Common problems & what to inspect

Based on 158 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Buick Rainier, here are the most-reported problem areas — and exactly what to check before you buy.

💥 1 involved a crash 🔥 1 involved a fire 🚑 1 reported injury

Exterior Lighting 6 reports

🔍 Confirm all headlights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights work, with no moisture inside the housings.

Electrical System 4 reports

🔍 Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.

Fuel/propulsion System 3 reports

🔍 Check for fuel or battery warnings, hard starts and stalling. On a hybrid/EV, confirm charging and range behave normally.

Electronic Stability Control (esc) 2 reports

🔍 Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.

Air Bags 1 report

🔍 Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.

Vehicle Speed Control 1 report

🔍 Test cruise control and throttle response, and watch for any hesitation or unintended acceleration.

Pre-purchase checklist

Match the VIN on the dash, door jamb and title — they must be identical.
Cold-start the engine; listen for knocks and check for blue or white exhaust smoke.
Test-drive through all gears at low and highway speed — no slipping, shudder or pulling.
Confirm every warning light clears at startup (none should stay on).
Check fluids — oil, coolant, transmission — for level, color and leaks.
Look underneath for rust, fresh undercoating or signs of collision repair.
Always get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic.

Owner complaints 158

Complaints filed with NHTSA by owners of the 2004 Buick Rainier.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS REMAINED OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY SIX MINUTES. WHEN THE LIGHTS TURNED BACK ON, THE LIGHTING WAS DIM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO J.D. BYRIDER (5101 NEW BERN AVE, RALEIGH, NC 27610) WHERE THEY REPLACED T…

NHTSA ODI #11196567

AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS AND TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. THE CONTACT'S HEAD STRUCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW AND THE CONTACT REMAINED IN A …

Crash · 1 injured · NHTSA ODI #11099015

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I NOTICED IN NOVEMBER OF 2016 MY BUICK RAINNER WAS SMELLING LIKE GASOLINE AFTER I GOT OUT AND LEFT IT RUNNING WHILE I WAS DROPPING STUFF AT HOME FROM WORK. WHEN I GOT BACK IN MY VEHICLE I DIDN'T SMELL ANYTHING, BUT COULD SMELL OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I WENT ABOUT ANOTHER 10 MILES LATER TO MY DESTINATION AND PARK. 20 MINS LATER WENT BACK OUT AND CRANK MY VEHICLE…

NHTSA ODI #11096442

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEADLIGHTS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. WHILE DRIVING LAST NIGHT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. THE HIGH BEAMS STILL WORKED. THIS IS ABOUT THE SIXTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. I CHANGED OUT THE HEADLIGHT RELAY JUST BEFORE THIS OCCURRED AS I HAD SEEN A RECALL ON 2006 AND 2007 RAINIERS SHOWING THIS AS THE PROBLEM. AFTER A SHORT TIME THE HIGH BEAMS A…

NHTSA ODI #11090229

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BUICK RAINIER. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, A FUEL ODOR WAS NOTICED OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE CONTACT ENTERED THE VEHICLE, THE ODOR WAS STRONGER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL LINES WERE ROTTED AND THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS …

NHTSA ODI #11074102

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILURE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. OCCURRED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. FIRST TIME A YEAR OR SO AGO, LOW BEAM RELAY REPLACED BY BEST RECOLLECTION

NHTSA ODI #11056167

STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

TRANSFER CASE SHIFT MODULE CONTROL MODULE

NHTSA ODI #11055966

EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER

LOW BEAMS ON LIGHTING GOES OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY JUST CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. ALTHOUGH THEY HAD ANOTHER VEHICLE THERE WITH SAME PROBLEM. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH GM SUV'S. MY 1994 GMC DID THE SAME THING AND I HEARD REPORTS OF OTHER GMC'S DOING THE SAME THING. N…

NHTSA ODI #11010081

+ 150 more complaints on record.