Owners filed 12 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. It has been recalled 1 time.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts › Front › Retractor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Exterior Lighting › Headlights | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defect. OWNERS MANUALS DID NOT FULLY EXPLAIN HOW FRONT SHOULDER BELT COMFORT FEATURE WORKS.
Risk. CARS WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 208, AND INCORRECT USE OF SAFETY RESTRAINTS COULD LEAD TO PERSONAL INJURY TO OCCUPANTS IF AN ACCIDENTSHOULD OCCUR.
Remedy. INSERT STICKER THAT PROVIDES MISSING INFORMATION IN OWNERS MANUALS.
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE JAMMED 1/3 OF THE TIME. THE CONSUMER HAD TO STEP OUT OF THE VEHICLE, STILL BUCKLED AND THEN THE SEAT BELT UNBUCKLED.*AK FAILURE OF THE SEAT BELT TO RELEASE WHEN THE BUTTON WAS PRESSED HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. *PH *JB
OUR BUICK STARTS JUST FINE BUT OFTEN DIES OUT INTERMITTENTLY AT STOP SIGNS, WHEN WE SLOW DOWN, WHEN WE ARE JUST IDLING, WHEN WE FIRST START IT AND WHEN WE PUT IT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. IT HAPPENS WHETHER IT'S COLD OR HOT, BEEN RUNNING FOR A LONG TIME OR NOT, GOING 50 MPH OR 2 MPH, IT JUST DIES OUT. WE'VE HAD 3 DIFFERENT MECHANICS TRY TO FIX IT THIS PAST YEAR, COSTING APPROXIMATELY $900 AND IT STILL DIES OUT. WHAT THE HECK IS THE PROBLEM? IT'S PRETTY SCARY DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND HAVING IT DIE OUT AT 50 MPH AND HAVING TO RESTART IT, SOMETIMES 3 TO 4 TIMES. I BELIEVE THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS. AS FAR AS THE "INCIDENT DATE" IT HAS HAPPENED SO OFTEN I CAN'T PUT JUST ONE DATE ON IT. AND THE NUMBER OF FAILURES IS JUST TOO MANY TO COUNT. THE VEHICLE COMPONENT INFORMATION I PUT DOWN IS A COMPLETE GUESS. 3 MECHANICS AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES. *NLM
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS COMPONENT WAS SUBJECT TO RECALL ON THE 1990 BUICK REGAL WHICH APPEARS TO USE IDENTICAL COMPONENTS. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
WHEN MOVING TRANSMISSION PAWL FROM PARK TO DRIVE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
TWICE WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, CAUSING POOR VISIBILTY AT NIGHT. POSSIBLE CAUSE DEFECTIVE AUTOMATIC LIGHT SENSOR. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES THE PEDAL RESISTED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
KELLY-SPRINGFIELD TIRES GT,P205/75R14 TIRES FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.
ABS: WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY WOULD GET SPONGY & THEN PULL HARD TO RIGHT. TOOK TO DEALER & DIAGNOSTICS WAS PERFORMED. PROBLEM INTERMITTENT. FINALLY MECHANIC FOUND PROBLEM & HAD THE REAR BRAKES ADJUSTED. *AK
OWNER SAID THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO PULL OFF AND THE BRAKES WENT OUT. *AK
SEAT BELT LOCKING MECHANISM FAILS TO RELEASE WITHOUT TURNING VEHICLE OFF. *DSH
ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED. *SD
12 of 12 complaints, reproduced as filed.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2004 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2002 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | Routine |
| 2001 | 57 | 2 | 6 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2000 | 81 | 3 | 7 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 | 140 | 3 | 22 | 0 | High concern |
| 1998 | 246 | 2 | 29 | 0 | High concern |
| 1997 | 219 | 3 | 21 | 0 | High concern |
| 1996 | 59 | 3 | 4 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 1995 | 117 | 1 | 3 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 | 48 | 0 | 3 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 64 | 1 | 10 | 0 | Routine |
| 1992 | 77 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 1991 | 92 | 1 | 6 | 0 | Routine |
| 1990 — this page | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Jun 6, 1990. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.