1992 Buick Park Avenue: common problems

Owners of the 1992 Buick Park Avenue filed 77 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 77
involving a crash: 10

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 27% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
3 Air bags 10% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
5 Visibility 9% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
7 Equipment 5% of all complaints
8 Fuel system 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.

Service brakes: 21 complaints (27% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 11 complaints (14% of all).
Air bags: 8 complaints (10% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 7 complaints (9% of all).
Visibility: 7 complaints (9% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
3.8 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 77 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbags did not deploy5 · 6%
brake failure4 · 5%
A/C or heater3 · 4%
rust, corrosion3 · 4%
seat belts3 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 4%
stalls while driving3 · 4%
headlights and tail lights2 · 3%
warning lights, check engine2 · 3%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	21	4
Engine and cooling	11	0
Air bags	8	8
Electrical system	7	0
Visibility	7	0
Vehicle speed control	5	0
Equipment	4	0
Fuel system	4	0
Powertrain	4	0
Seat belts	3	0
Suspension	3	0
Latches, locks, linkages	2	0
Parking brake	2	0
Seats	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.

A oil truck hit consumer's vehicle on driver's front, and airbags didn't deploy.
Air bags · crash · 2001-02-01 · NHTSA complaint #879606
Consumer was involved in an accident in which there was no deployment of driver's side airbag. Cause of problem unknown. Vehicle was totaled.
Air bags · crash · 1999-02-17 · NHTSA complaint #826964
At speed of 35 mph applied abs brakes and had extended stopping distance, pedal went to the floor, impact 12:00 position, driver's side airbag did not deploy.
Service brakes · crash · 1997-02-24 · NHTSA complaint #807560
Abs brakes did not stop auto causing consumer to hit another auto causing approx 4000.00 worth of damage-drivers air bag did not deploy. Tt
Service brakes · crash · 1995-12-11 · NHTSA complaint #976373
Consumer attempted to stop due to a stopped motorist ahead, however brakes failed, consumer swerved to miss vehicle and crashed into a backhoe, there were no injuries in accident, dealer found no problems.
Service brakes · crash · 1995-11-27 · NHTSA complaint #975509
Vehicles driver side airbag did not deploy 11:00 position at 20mph. Tt
Air bags · crash · 1995-02-21 · NHTSA complaint #960320
Dt: 1992 buick park avenue. The consumer states that the struts that hold the hood up can wear out. The struts are not working all at this time. They stopped working approximately 4 or 5 months ago. Consumer did call buick and they told him that because there was not a recall they could not do anything for him.
Latches, locks, linkages · 2005-07-08 · NHTSA complaint #10127871
Car stalled as I was going down freeway 65 mph. Stalled, no warning at all. No brakes (power)no steering (power. Lucky I was in right hand lane to horse car off to side and call tow truck. Second time going down steep grade, stalled same exact thing no power coasted down to bottom of hill trying to avoid accident.
Fuel system · 2003-07-03 · NHTSA complaint #10025363

When owners complained

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

199512
199614
199712
199812
199911
20005
20014
20023
20031
20051
20071
20151

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,196 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Park Avenue has 60 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 77, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
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 1992 Buick Park Avenue?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, air bags. Total complaints: 77. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (6%), brake failure (5%), A/C or heater (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 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 1992 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 1992 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.