2004 Buick Rendezvous Ultra Sport Utility 4-door 3.6l on 2040-cars

 The vehicle you are bidding on is a 2004 Buick Rendezvous "Ultra" edition Sport Utility Vehicle, with a 3.6 liter V6 engine, all wheel drive, loaded with interior features, and 148,500 miles.  The vehicle runs great and is amazingly maneuverable for a mid-size SUV.  Very smooth ride for both in-town driving and long-distance road trips.  Have driven through the mountains of East Tennessee and North Carolina several times.  AWD handled snowy, winding mountain roads easily (I'm talking about you, Route 421 from Johnson City to Boone).  

CONDITION

For a 10 year old SUV the vehicle is in good shape.  

(1)Maintenance: Had transmission fluid flushed at 134,000 miles.  Have done all oil changes myself (Castrol GTX High Mileage), most recently at 134,000, 140,000 and (pre-sale) 147,000.  Flushed coolant at 142,000.  Have replaced fog lights, front and rear blinkers, and the fun-to-get-to (have to remove the panel on the rear hatch that includes the license plate) brake and reverse lights.  Installed aftermarket back-up camera (yours if you want it, can easily remove if you don't).  Rotated tires recently at 134,000.  Changed out the driver's side door window switch at 134,000(ish).

(2)Engine & drivetrain: Vehicle runs great.  No problems starting up, shifting gears, or breaking.  Two very minor issues.  With our recent cold weather the vehicle's Service Vehicle Soon light has been coming on intermittently.  The computer gives a generic P1028 error code which could mean low coolant or a sticking thermostat.  As I flushed the coolant recently, my bet's on the thermostat.  The vehicle doesn't run hot so the thermostat may be sticking open, but I have not noticed any serious reduction in gas mileage (which can happen if your thermostat's stuck open -- if stuck closed, your engine's going to overheat).  Replacement thermostats for 2004 Buick Rendezous run $14-$18 online.  A second minor issue is the front AWD fluid (P/N 12378514, I think) is getting a little low.  I haven't had time to change this out myself or run it over to our local mechanic.  This doesn't effect the vehicle, even when the AWD is engaged, but you will notice a grindy-moaning maybe once every other day after the vehicle starts or is idling after driving on city streets for a bit.  These are the only issues I know with the engine or drivetrain.    

(3)Exterior body: The vehicle's exterior is in very good shape.  Again, you're looking at a 10 year old SUV.  There are some minor scratches and scuffs, a couple small dings on the doors, and a light "somebody opened their door on me" hard-to-see dent on the passenger's door.  Over the rear passenger's wheel the paint was scuffed (I indicate this in one photo).  The vehicle bumped into a low retaining wall once, leaving a 3 inch cut on the left rear bumper, and a slight warping on the bumper near the hatch.  Vehicle paint is, I believe original, and looks very sleek.  Paint below the hatch on the rear bumper has faded, but you can buy touch-up spray paint online for less than $30 if that bothers you.  Exterior base trim and roof racks are in great shape, no fading at all.

(4)Interior: Doors, dashboard, center console, floor and ceiling upholstery are in great shape.  No stains, chips, or wear on buttons or steering wheel.  I'm a non-smoker, and I was told the previous owners were not smokers.  There are two very small "singe marks" on the floor near the door trim, so somebody at some time might have smoked in the vehicle, but there is no smell of smoke currently (the interior today smells of Griot's leather care, plastic, and pine).  When I bought the vehicle several pieces of interior trim were damaged or missing.  I've replaced or repaired most of these, except: (1)leather seats are worn - no holes or large tears, but creases, cracks -- driver's seat leather is discolored.  I've used Bag Balm and most recently Griot's leather care which has helped soften the leather.  If you're concerned with the discoloration, automotive leather dye is less than $40 online, and car seat covers are less than that.  (2) A plastic panel is missing from the side of the rear passenger's "captain's chair" -- this doesn't effect the function of the chair, but you do see it when opening the door.  The piece is available online for less than $40.  (3)The passenger radio and rear center console are scuffed.  A couple buttons on the center console radio stick, but I have had the radio working (don't hardly use it, just make the kids listen to their old man's music most of the time).   

FEATURES

I've described all the features above.  If you have a question about any specific feature, please ask and I can check. 

HISTORY

I purchased the vehicle in October of 2013 from a used car dealership in Knoxville, Tennessee.  I want to sell the vehicle and put the proceeds towards buying a very nice classic Jaguar for sale locally.  With my wife's crossover SUV, we don't need two SUVs in the garage, and I'm sure it'll be better for the planet too.

Vehicle has two previous owners.  Both were human beings, not rental agencies or businesses.  One lived in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the other somewhere in Maryland.  

The vehicle has an amazingly clean CarFax report.  The first owner religiously took it in to the dealership for all recommended maintenance (wow, right?).  The second owner took it to a Pep Boys regularly.  

SHIPPING AND PAYMENT

All purchases should be made through PayPal.  A $500 deposit should be made within 48 hours of purchase.  The balance of the winning bid is expected to be paid before I transfer the vehicle and title.  Buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title service fees in the state where the vehicle will be registered.  Check your local Motor Vehicle registration office for fees and requirements in your state. 

I have done my best to represent the vehicle's condition to my knowledge.  I may know my way around a car, but I am not a certified mechanic.  The sale is AS-IS with no warranty.  Potential buyers are more than welcome to contact me and ask questions or ask for additional photos or video of the vehicle.  If you wish to have an ASE Certified mechanic inspect the vehicle prior to purchase, you may do so provided you pay for the inspection -- there's a option to do that on the eBay listing.  If you want to test drive the vehicle you can do so any time before the end of the auction (provided I'm not at work!), just make sure you have a valid driver's license and some insurance.

Local-pick up is preferred "shipping" option on this sale.  We live down the road from the Knoxville McGhee-Tyson Airport, and have an Enterprise car rental location just down the street -- airport pickup or driving you over to/from Enterprise wouldn't be a problem.  I can deliver the vehicle to you if you live within 150 miles of Knoxville, Tennessee, provided you pay for a rental car to get me back home (still cheaper than flying here, and saves you time on driving the rental yourself). 

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Purchase price.  I have set a reserve price on this auction sensitive to used car market conditions within 500 miles of Knoxville, Tennessee.  please don't contact me about the reserve price -- I've set a "Buy It Now" price, and the reserve is a bit less than that.  A couple of "no-haggle" dealers in Tennessee are selling the CXL model for more than my reserve price -- the CXL for sale at one of those dealerships has over 180k miles and is around $500 more than my reserve.  Call me a nerd but my reserve price is based on a linear regression model of 22 2004 Rendezvous Ultra and CXL models for sale within 500 miles of Knoxville, so when I say I think I'm asking a fair price, I'm being really accurate/nerdy about it.

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I've included stats on the Rendezvous pulled from Edmonds.com.  I believe these are accurate.  

Exterior Measurements

Interior Measurements

Fuel

DriveTrain

Engine & Performance

Suspension

Interior Features

Front Seats

Rear Seats

Power Features

Instrumentation

Convenience

Comfort

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