AI Damage1990 Buick Riviera: common problems
Owners of the 1990 Buick Riviera filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 19% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 19% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (25% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (19% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (13% 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
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 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.
Owner states that vehicle was involved in an accident while traveling at 30 mph and there was no deployment of the driver's side airbag. Owner questions the safety of the airbags.
Vehicle hesitate d before accelerating. Dealership will be notified.
Abs braking problem, when applying brakes there is noise and less braking power.
While driving and upon attemtping to stop, brake pedal got very hard, causing complete brake failure. This caused consumer to skid out into traffic. It has been an ongoing problem. Consumer has contacted dealer. Dealer has replaced part number 1646523, problem still occurs. Please provide any further details.
Anti-lock brakes continually failing, several replacements however continues to fail, almost resulting in vehicle accidents due to loss of control. Mjs
Consumer has a complaint concerning dealer/manufacturer's. Refusal to replace defective driver's air bag.
Vehicle lost all lighting while driving causing complete loss of sight.
The headlights went out while driving and the cruise control was on when the headlights went out.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,040 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Riviera has 18 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 16, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1990 Buick Riviera?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, air bags, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (6%), brake failure (6%), hesitation when accelerating (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 Buick Riviera?
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 1990 Buick Riviera 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 1990 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.