Owners filed 12 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. It has been recalled 2 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air Bags › Frontal
2
2
1
1
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
1
0
0
0
Vehicle Speed Control
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Steering › Rack and Pinion
1
0
0
0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
1
0
0
0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
1
0
0
0
Exterior Lighting
1
0
0
0
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
1
0
0
0
Electrical System › Ignition
1
0
0
0
2 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Seat Belts › Front › Webbing95V110000
Filed May 31, 1995113,343 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.
Defect. THE FRONT OUTER SHOULDER BELT WEB SEW STOP CAN BECOME STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR. THE BELT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO PULL OUT OF THE RETRACTOR AND SOME OCCUPANTS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FASTEN THE BELT.
Risk. THIS CONDITION CAN PREVENT A PERSON FROM USING THEIR RESTRAINT SYSTEM RESULTING IN AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy. DEALER WILL INSTALL A WEBBING STOP BUTTON IF THE CUSTOMER REQUESTS REPAIR.
Defect. THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT TO STEERING RACK LOWER COUPLING PINCH BOLT MAY BE MISSING.
Risk. IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS AND SHAFT DISENGAGEMENT OCCURS, LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WILL BE EXPERIENCED BY THE DRIVER WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy. INSTALL PINCH BOLT.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Steering › Rack and Pinion
Filed Aug 21, 2006172,000 milesOH
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER SEAT BELT CATCHES AND WILL NOT FEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO MENTIONED, NHTSA RECALL # 113343 PERTAINING TO THE SEAT BELT WEBBING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. UPDATED 9/27/2006 - THE VEHICLW WAS ALSO NOT INCLUDED IN THE STEERING SHAFT COUPLER RECALL 91V-157000. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LOCK UP. *NM
Air Bags › Side/WindowCrash2 injured
Filed Sep 4, 2001IL
WHILE TRAVELING AT 30 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED OUT OF A PARKING LOT ILLEGALLY, AND CONSUMER HIT OTHER CAR ON REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED BUICK. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Tires
Filed Sep 19, 2000CT
COOPER TIRE LIFE LINER, CLASSIC II, 205/70R15 WAS ON A BUICK, RIVIERA, 1992. WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED RIGHT FRONT TIRE SUDDENLY EXPLODED, CAUSING TREAD TO SEPARATE FROM SIDEWALL. THIS HAPPENED AFTER TRAVELING A SHORT DISTANCE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Sep 15, 1999TN
VEHICLE WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, EXTERIOR TEMPERATURE GAUGE RED LINE APPEARED AND THE BRAKES BECAME VERY SPONGY. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL. CONSUMER SAID THAT WITH REDUCED TRAFFIC AND INCREASED SPEED, COOLING OCCURED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL EFFECTIVENESS RETURNED. CONTACTED DEALER. *ML
Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Jun 23, 1999MO
WHILE DRIVING SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed May 14, 1999MN
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION AT 30 MPH AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Oct 30, 1998PA
EVAPORATOR CORE FAILED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
Filed Nov 6, 1997FL
INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, CAUSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR, AND CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER REPLACED WITH A "NEW" MASTER CYLINDER. *AK
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 27, 1997CA
ENGINE DID NOT DEACCELERATE AFTER RELEASING ACCELERATOR PEDAL, INSTEAD, ACCELERATED HIGH SPEED, DRIVER KEPT BRAKES APPLIED TO AVOID HIGH SPEED, NO WARNING, TWO OCCURRANCES WITHIN 10 DAYS, CAUSE UNKNOWN.
Exterior Lighting
Filed Dec 8, 1995CA
PURCHASE CAR NEW THE SENTINEL LIGHT DOESN'T WORK . TT
Air Bags › FrontalCrashFire1 injured
Filed Apr 21, 1995NJ
AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING FRONT END ACCIDENT; VEHICLE HIT TELEPHONE POLE. TT
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Apr 13, 1995KY
WINDSHIELD WIPERS SKIP ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD, CUTTING THE VISION IN HALF, DEALER SAID WIPER DESIGN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT TT
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: May 31, 1995. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.