Buick Riviera
Owners filed 293 complaints across 9 model years of the Buick Riviera. The 1995 drew the most (130); the 1993 the fewest (5).
Model years9
Complaints293
Recalls12
Fires13
Deaths2
Every Buick Riviera model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 6 | 0 | — | 1 | Steering | Routine | |
| 1998 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 3 | Engine | Routine | |
| 1997 | 43 | 0 | 5 | 3 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 1996 | 44 | 2 | 1 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System | Routine | |
| 1995 | 130 | 1 | 4 | 6 | Seat Belts › Front › Retractor | Fatalities reported | |
| 1993 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 1992 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 1991 | 8 | 1 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1990 | 16 | 5 | — | 1 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine |
Which Buick Riviera years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 1995 is the weakest year on record, with 130 complaints concentrated in the seat belts › front › retractor. It carries 1 recall.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.