AI Damage1992 Buick Riviera: common problems
Owners of the 1992 Buick Riviera filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 12
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 17% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 8% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- Air bags: 3 complaints (25% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (17% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (17% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (8% 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 12 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
Upon impact, driver's side airbag didn't deploy. Consumer has not contacted buick. Please provide any further information.
Vehicle was involved in a head-on collision at 30 mph and the airbag did not deploy. The manufacturer has been notified.
Airbag did not deploy during front end accident; vehicle hit telephone pole. Tt
Dt*: the contact stated the driver seat belt catches and will not feed. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer who mentioned, nhtsa recall # 113343 pertaining to the seat belt webbing. The vehicle was not included in the recall.
Cooper tire life liner, classic ii, 205/70r15 was on a buick, riviera, 1992. While vehicle was parked right front tire suddenly exploded, causing tread to separate from sidewall. This happened after traveling a short distance. Manufacturer has been contacted.
Vehicle was in stop and go traffic, exterior temperature gauge red line appeared and the brakes became very spongy. When the brakes were applied, resulted in loss of control. Consumer said that with reduced traffic and increased speed, cooling occured and the brake pedal effectiveness returned. Contacted dealer.
While driving smoke came out of the ignition. The dealer has been notified.
Intermittently the vehicle braking system malfunctions, causing the brake pedal to go to the floor, and causing extended stopping distance. Dealer replaced with a "new" master cylinder.
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 10,160 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Riviera has 18 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 12, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- 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 1992 Buick Riviera?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, service brakes, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (25%), seat belts (8%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 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 1992 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 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.