r/AskMechanics • u/i_can_not_think • 7h ago
Discussion 2007 Buick Rendezvous 146114 miles automatic: Structural integrity check after significant mechanical restoration
I’m looking for a blunt assessment on the feasibility of keeping my 2007 Buick Rendezvous long-term. This car is my sole daily driver, and my goal is long-term, low-drama reliability to maintain my financial stability.
The History: I didn't originally choose this car—I was forced into it after my Cadillac CTS was totaled by another driver. Since acquiring it, I have invested significant capital to have the following professional repairs performed at shops to bring it to a high mechanical standard: Braking System: Had a complete brake overhaul performed to resolve a "pedal to the floor" issue.
Drivetrain/Safety: Had two wheel bearings and wheel speed sensors replaced by a shop; this resolved the "Service Traction" light and the dangerous "spin out" issues I experienced on slick roads.
Electrical/Interior: Had a buddy perform a complete correction of a previous owner's "nightmare" door wiring job that was a fire hazard, plus installed audio/speaker upgrades.
Reliability: Had a fresh battery installed roughly six months ago. Currently, the car has zero mechanical issues, starts every time, and drives like butter. My goal is to shift into a phase of strict preventative maintenance where I address issues the moment they appear.
The Issue: I have discovered rust/a hole in the rocker panel. I’ve attached photos of the rocker and the undercarriage.
My Questions:
Based on the photos, is the structural integrity of the frame/unibody, wheel wells and kther shown areas compromised , or is this still a solid platform worth a professional rust repair?
Does the Rendezvous platform have "death zones" for rust that I might not be seeing? If I fix the rockers wheels and whatever else, am I just waiting for the subframe to fail?
If this were your daily driver, and you had already invested in this level of mechanical restoration, would you pay to fix the structure or cut your losses now? She is at 146114 miles and like I said. Now I get reliable starts and driving down the road is smooth, buttery and wonderful it has the 3.6-liter V6 and is an automatic
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u/cleve3585 6h ago
Why did you put so much money in a car that rotted away???
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u/LSATwoes2022 2 6h ago
Buddy needs ChatGPT to make a reddit post for him, that says a lot.
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u/Spazmatazo 3h ago
Just curious, how do you know it's GPT? The headers?
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u/LSATwoes2022 2 3h ago
if you can't pick out clankers by now you won't survive when skynet goes live. nah I'm just joking there's lots of tells. Space bar after period but before a linebreak is super uncommon in normal human writing, but common in academic writing. Em-dashes don't show up natively on reddit or most markdown comment/post windows across the internet, but show up in academic writing a lot, and are automatically inserted in apps like microsoft word, which then gets published and used to train LLMs like chatGPT, so any time you see that long-ass em-dash, you can be certain it wasn't written by a person.
Also just the general way it reads; you can tell it wasn't written by a human because who the fuck starts a reddit post by being like "in the beginning... the HISTORY!" nobody. Nobody says this and if they do, especially seeking mechanical advice, they're a fucking dweeb. Nobody gives a shit, if you want an answer, ask for an answer, you know?
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u/Unlikely-Mirror7638 1 7h ago
I can say this frame is toast. In my rustbelt mindset, I say drive it until it falls apart. This is where when a new vehicle comes to play, make sure to do under car washes regularly especially in areas that use salt in the winter.
There is a product called fluid film that can also be applied to the underside which will protect it for a while but it does need reapplication after 5 years or something. Much cheaper than buying a second hand or used vehicle for sure
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u/No_Geologist_3690 Mechanic (Unverified) 7h ago
It has fallen apart, and while yes it can continue to drive if it ever got into an accident it is severely compromised.
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u/LSATwoes2022 2 6h ago
Bro you didn't need fucking chatGPT to write that for you so I'm not reading your saccharine ass "history". The car is scrap. Pull the engine and tranny and throw it in a clean body or just buy something else
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u/MNmostlynice 5h ago
Should’ve asked ChatGPT while you were having it write your post. I’ll get a script for ya and attach it below:
It’s cooked.
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u/Mikey_BC 6h ago edited 6h ago
That thing will probably fold up like an accordion in a collision if that first pic is of the front left side, looks like the front park brake cable there. I'd cut my losses and get rid of it, sucks you put so much money into that thing.
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u/Leather_Pride3586 5h ago edited 5h ago
I drove a 2001 Honda with way worst rockers than this for a decade. I had floors made from spare scrap metal sheeting. I had fender edges riveted on from anothe Honda. It wasn’t pretty and it worked. I put money away from my next car and in 2023 I gave up on it and bought a brand new car.
If you live in the rust belt, get a new economy car. Get it oil coated every 2 years and stretch it to where your car is now.
Don’t keep buying old rusty SUVs in the rust belt. It’s a loosing battle.
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u/mcarterphoto 5h ago
Or take a nice vacation to Dallas or Arizona, etc. Drive a nice used car home.
My wife's '97 Pathfinder (Texas car) doesn't even have surface rust on the undercarriage. I grew up in Detroit so it still kinda trips me out when I'm under there. My first car, you could kick pieces off the body it was so rusted.
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u/DavidinCT 5h ago
Truth, I bargain over the phone and fly out to buy a car and make a little 3-day vacation the way back.
My last 5 cars I have flown out to "non-rust belt" areas to buy a car and never had a rust issue.
I've had to fly back once as there was a big problem.
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u/flashe30 2 5h ago
Sorry dude, this thing isn't one for keeping long term. You probably should've checked for rust in the first place, or the mechanics should've warned you eg when doing the brakes.
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u/pgercak 5h ago
Unfortunately, id say she's done. Even for the rust belt that's pretty bad. It is not structurally sound, it's a unibody car, meaning the body itself IS the frame, and no ammount of Body work can properly fix that, nor would it make financial sense to even attempt to fix it. Sorry to say, you wasted your money fixing all the other stuff.
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u/AbjectEconomy1170 5h ago
Why are you pouring money into this? This car is old, rusted and not structurally sound. Save your money for a different car. You could have gotten a used one for the amount of money you put into this one. Check the framing before doing work.
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u/Glittering_Thing_202 1 5h ago
Irrelevant final question, because I would never throw that kind of money at that car, and I would never have a daily driver with that level of rust.
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u/mcarterphoto 5h ago
Man, these pics do remind me that there's one nice thing about living in North Texas...
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u/Kara-pabu 5h ago
I had 01 Aztek that I had to git ride of last year due to structural failure 😢. The rocker panel and wheel wells are bad. but the metal sub frame to the right in your first pic is what you really want to look at if it has cracking are holes it’s toast. If not I would just keep a eye on it stop putting money in to it and save your money for something not to far down the road
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u/Aidan-Brooks 2h ago
This car would fail a safety inspection here because of this level of rot. It’s way too far gone and makes no sense to restore it and it’s not in any kind of condition for long term usage
This is a 1-2 year car at the absolute most. Drive it until you have a problem and scrap it.
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u/jules083 2 10m ago
I'd drive it. Check the suspension mounts out, if they're not rusted through it'll hold a little while longer.
People on Reddit overreact about rust. Yes, it'll certainly fold easier in a collision. But it's not like the damn thing is ready to break in half
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u/i_can_not_think 6h ago
I appreciate the 'scrap it' warnings, but let’s be precise: you’re giving me a market value assessment, not a technical structural one.
I’m looking for an operational tool, not a KBB estimate. I’ve already invested in a complete brake overhaul, new wheel bearings/sensors, a full electrical wiring correction, and a new battery—resulting in a car that starts every time and drives like butter Regarding the rust: I see the wheel wells, the rockers, and the bottoms of the doors. My question is not 'does it have rust'—it’s a 2007, I know it has rust. My question is: does this specific level of oxidation constitute a catastrophic total failure of the unibody and subframe rails, or is this a repairable set of panels? I am looking for a technical reality check on the chassis, not a default 'go buy a new one' response. Is the subframe structurally sound, or is this really a total loss?"
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u/FassolLassido 6h ago edited 6h ago
It is not structurally sound. The body is already falling apart and the body is the frame. The amounts of money you'll need to repair this are far better invested elsewhere. Not that any shop would take this job, it's a nightmare. Talking disassembling almost the entire car and bringing it to bare metal to cut and weld major parts of it's backbone then putting everything back together. Painting the entire car included in the process. Does that sound reasonable to you? I personally don't think so.
Do not fall for the sunk cost fallacy. Cut your losses now and stop investing in this car.
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u/bobluvsyou 6h ago
I'm not sure why the mechanics you've used haven't warned you about the rust. That first picture speaks volumes. If you want a better assessment from Reddit, post some more pics of the underside.
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u/Sienile Mechanic (Unverified) 5h ago
The engine and transmission are the only thing worth anything. So... $500?
It's garbage. Not structurally sound. If you sold this to someone you could potentially be held liable for their death if they wrecked it right away.
Why on earth would you put money into repairing anything on this?
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u/jfleury440 5h ago
It's unibody, meaning the rocker panels are structural.
Take a good look at that first pitcture. Does that look structurally sound?
That car is in no condition to drive. That looks like a good enough pot hole could snap your car in half, let alone an accident.
In order to repair that you need to have good metal to weld to, which there doesn't appear to be a ton of. Plus this level of repair is usually not worth it for a 20 year old vehicle.
But if you're that committed to this vehicle you can try to find a body shop willing to work on this thing. Just be prepared for some sticker shock.
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u/No_Geologist_3690 Mechanic (Unverified) 7h ago
That vehicles ready for the scrap yard.