Buick Riviera
Owners filed 293 complaints across 9 model years of the Buick Riviera. The 1995 drew the most (130).
Model years9
Complaints293
Recalls12
Fires13
Deaths2
Which Buick Riviera years should you avoid?
Going by 293 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Buick Riviera years to avoid are 1995.
- 1995130 complaints, 3.0× a typical Riviera year, most often about the engine.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
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 | |
| 1995Avoid | 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 |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.