What breaks most · 1990 to 1999 model years
Buick Riviera problems by year
Owners have filed 293 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Buick Riviera across model years 1990 to 1999. One year stands out: 1995 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1991 and 1992.
- Years to check closely: 1995
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1991, 1992
- Complaints on file
- 2931990 to 1999, all trims
- Worst year
- 1995130 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 2113 fires · 19 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 82kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 12Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 1 | 5 | Brakes (hydraulic) (4) | |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (3) | |
| 12 | 3 | 2 | Air bags (3) | |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (2) | |
| 130 | 7 | 1 | Engine and cooling (21) | |
| 44 | 0 | 2 | Engine and cooling (8) | |
| 43 | 3 | 0 | Steering (10) | |
| 29 | 3 | 0 | Steering (7) | |
| 6 | 1 | 0 | Tires (2) |
What fails on the 1995 Buick Riviera
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 16% |
21 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1995 Buick Riviera |
| Seat belts | 16% |
21 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 14% |
18 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 1995 Buick Riviera |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
17 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1995 Buick Riviera |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 11% |
14 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1995 Buick Riviera |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 10% |
13 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 1995 Buick Riviera |
| Air bags | 6% |
8 | 5 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
8 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1995 Buick Riviera |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I was told that the intake manifold failed as well as the lower intake(plenum). (3.8l v6) the work was performed by a firestone retail store in myrtle beach, sc. Has anyone else had this problem and what were the repair costs? I sure am curious. As far as paint, i had the car painted for $1000.00.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Buick Riviera years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1995 carries the most filings on the Buick Riviera. The 1995 alone has 130 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Buick Riviera problem?
On the 1995 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 21 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Buick Riviera problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Buick Riviera complaints that include mileage is about 82,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.