Page 1 of 432

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................1-19
Child Restraints
.......................................1-45
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-67
Restraint System Check
............................1-76
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-13
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-18
Mirrors
....................................................2-31
OnStar
®System
......................................2-32
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-34
Storage Areas
.........................................2-37
Sunroof
..................................................2-45
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-46
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-33
Message Center
.......................................3-44
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
........................................3-53
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-64Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-31
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under
the Hood
............................................... 5-9
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-41
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-42
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-47
Tires
......................................................5-48
Appearance Care
.....................................5-77
Vehicle Identi cation
.................................5-85
Electrical System
......................................5-85
Capacities and Speci cations
.....................5-92
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-93
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
Index................................................................ 1
2003 Buick Rendezvous Owner ManualM
2003 - Rendezvous Owner Manual
Page 8 of 432
Front Seats
Manual Passenger Seat
Pull up on the lever,
located on the front of the
seat, to unlock and
move the seat.
Slide the seat to where you want it and release the
lever. To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to
move the seat back and forth with your body.
Four-Way Manual Driver Seat
Use the lever located on
the front left side of the
seat to adjust the seat
forward or rearward.
Pull up the lever to unlock the seat. Slide the seat to
where you want it and release the lever.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move
the seat back and forth with your body.
1-2
2003 - Rendezvous OM
Page 11 of 432
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, pull up on the lever located on
the outboard sides of both the driver’s and front
passenger’s seats. Release the lever to lock the
seatback where you want it. Push and pull on the seat
to make sure it’s locked into position. Pull up on the
lever, and the seat will go to its original upright position.But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-5
2003 - Rendezvous OM
Page 13 of 432

The rear seat head restraints in your vehicle may be
adjustable. They work the same as the front seat head
restraints, except they do not tilt forward or rearward.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
The rear seats in your vehicle have seat operating
features to adjust, fold, remove and reinstall the seats.
By using the seat operating procedures, in the
correct order, you can easily remove the seats from
your vehicle.
When you put the seats back in the vehicle, be sure to
follow the label on the back of the seat for proper
location.
Split BenchSeats
If your vehicle has the split bench seat, the seatbacks
can be folded forward or reclined individually and
the sections can be flipped forward or removed
individually.
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
To recline the seatback on
base-level split bench
seats, lift up on the recliner
lever located on the
outboard side of the
seatback.
Base-Level
1-7
2003 - Rendezvous OM
Page 14 of 432
To recline the seatback on
up-level split bench seats,
push forward on the
recliner lever located on
the outboard side of
the seatback.
Move the seatback to the desired position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean
forward and take the weight off the seatback.
The seatbacks on each section also fold forward to put
items behind the seats.
Lift up or push forward on the recliner lever and fold the
seatback forward. The seatback will lock into place
when you push it back to the upright position.
After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and
pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright.Removing the Split Bench Seat
Each section of the split bench seat can beflipped
forward or removed individually.
1. Unlatch the shoulder belt from the lap-belt.
2. Make sure that the seatback is in the upright
position.
3. Lift up or push forward on the seatback recliner
lever to fold the seatback forward. Up-Level
1-8
2003 - Rendezvous OM
Page 16 of 432

Replacing the Split Bench Seat
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
{CAUTION:
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing it.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After installing the seat, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are properly routed
and attached, and are not twisted.
Make sure that the seatback is in the folded forward
position and that the safety belts are on the correct
section of the seat.
Don’t put the sections of the bench seat in so that they
face rearward because they won’t latch that way.
The split bench seat sections have seat position labels,
located on the back of each section, showing where
the section must go.
1-10
2003 - Rendezvous OM
Page 18 of 432
4. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
5. Lift the seatback recliner lever and raise the
seatback until it locks upright.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is
locked upright.
7. Attach the lap belt.
Captain Chairs
If your vehicle has captain’s chairs, the chairs and
seatbacks can be adjusted forward or rearward.
Adjusting the Captain’s Chairs
(Second Row)
To adjust he second row captain’s chairs, use the
adjustment bar located below the front of each seat.
Lift up the lever to slide the seat forward or rearward.
Release the lever. Push and pull on the seat to
make sure it is locked into place.
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
1-12
2003 - Rendezvous OM
Page 19 of 432
To recline the seatback, lift up on the recliner lever
located on the outboard side of the seatback. Use the
recliner lever to move the seatback to the desired
position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean
forward and take the weight off the seatback.
The seatbacks on the second row captain’s chairs fold
forward the same way.
After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and
pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright.Removing the Captain’s Chairs
1. Make sure that the seatback is in the upright
position.
2. Lift the seatback recliner lever to fold the seatback
forward.
3. Pull up on the lever, located at the base on the
outboard side of the seat, to release the rear
latches from thefloor pins.
1-13
2003 - Rendezvous OM