1987 Buick Park Avenue: common problems

Owners of the 1987 Buick Park Avenue filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and steering. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 13

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 31% of all complaints
2 Steering 31% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 23% of all complaints
4 Seats 8% of all complaints
5 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (31% of all).
Steering: 4 complaints (31% of all).
Powertrain: 3 complaints (23% of all).
Seats: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (8% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

steering or power steering problems3 · 23%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 8%
transmission slipping1 · 8%
vibration1 · 8%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine and cooling	4	0	0
Steering	4	0	0
Powertrain	3	0	0
Seats	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	0
Other	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Vehicle was not running. Consumer contacted dealer to have a new motor installed. Please provide further details.
Engine and cooling · 2001-10-31 · NHTSA complaint #898564
While driving motor mounts broke, causing the engine to fall down and have no steering ability which almost caused a crash. Please provide further information.
Engine and cooling · 1999-07-07 · NHTSA complaint #841816
The power seat panels continues to pop out of place when people over 140 pounds sits down.
Seats · 1998-07-02 · NHTSA complaint #537696
Vehicle was parked, started to put vehicle into reverse, the driveshaft sheared off, applied brakes, vehicle shot forward.
Powertrain · 1996-12-11 · NHTSA complaint #806175
Loss of power steering during cold weather; becomes operative after engine warms up. Tt
Steering · 1995-05-05 · NHTSA complaint #964913

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19951
19963
19972
19983
19992
20001
20011

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Park Avenue has 60 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1987 Buick Park Avenue?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, steering, powertrain. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (23%), loss of power / limp mode (8%), transmission slipping (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Buick Park Avenue?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1987 Buick Park Avenue from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1987 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.