1989 Buick Park Avenue: common problems

Owners of the 1989 Buick Park Avenue filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 21
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Structure 29% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
3 Tires 14% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
7 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
8 Equipment 5% of all complaints

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

Structure: 6 complaints (29% of all).
Service brakes: 3 complaints (14% of all).
Tires: 3 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 2 complaints (10% of all).
Powertrain: 2 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 21 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion1 · 5%
infotainment or screen glitches1 · 5%
seat belts1 · 5%
stalls while driving1 · 5%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 5%
vibration1 · 5%
warning lights, check engine1 · 5%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Structure	6	0
Service brakes	3	0
Tires	3	1
Electrical system	2	0
Powertrain	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	1
Engine and cooling	1	0
Equipment	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Seats	1	0
Other	2	0

What owners report

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

This vehicle was involved in 3-car crash following victim driver starting car and engaging transmission into drive following a fill-up at a local gas station. Vehicle accelerated rapidly and victim driver attempted to avoid crash through steering, but could not. Vehicle reached max. Speed of approx.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1998-11-14 · NHTSA complaint #700604
All four michelin tires blew out while driving, resulting in an accident.
Tires · crash · 1996-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #506918
Carriage roof comes loose. May blow off at freeway speeds.
Structure · 2012-03-19 · NHTSA complaint #10452183
I have a 1989 buick park avenue. The car was repainted but the paint has been coming off 3 or 4 years after it was repainted. I see a white coat and the original gray coat, which tells me they didn't prepare the surface correctly. I have paint peeling off on the door, roof and trunk.
Structure · 2008-06-02 · NHTSA complaint #10229662
There are a list of recall on this vehicle and I have not been notified on them. See the website. Can I have these items fixed or be reimbursed for the money that I have paid out? Http://www.alldata.com/tsb/07/890742ii.html these are only approximate dates as I can exactly remember. Thank you.
Tires · 2008-06-02 · NHTSA complaint #10229664
Roof cover on vehicle began ripping off while driving causing damage to trunk lid. (ohio traffic crash report) nlm
Structure · 1999-11-29 · NHTSA complaint #549329
Gas pedal stuck, causing vehicle to accelerate out of control, resulting in a collision and injuries.
Vehicle speed control · 1999-01-11 · NHTSA complaint #781808
Rear brakes locked up due to fluid leakage from brake cylinder that caused corrosion/gum formation on the drum brake pad.
Service brakes · 1998-04-29 · NHTSA complaint #514358

When owners complained

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

19952
19963
19972
19986
19994
20031
20082
20121

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 8,077 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Park Avenue has 60 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 21, below average.

What to check before buying

Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1989 Buick Park Avenue?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, service brakes, tires. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (5%), infotainment or screen glitches (5%), seat belts (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 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 1989 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 1989 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.