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FaultScore report

1986 Buick Electra problems

Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 1986 Buick Electra with NHTSA between 1995 and 2000. The largest single group is the brakes.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Buick Electra
—

Not graded

Too few complaints, or too short a model run, to compare fairly.

How this is worked out

The numbers

15

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

How 1986 compares with every other Buick Electra

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 1986 Buick Electra

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Brakes 9 60.0%
Engine & Cooling 2 13.3%
Acceleration & Cruise Control 1 6.7%
Body & Structure 1 6.7%
Electrical System 1 6.7%
Transmission & Drivetrain 1 6.7%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Feb 1995 peak 4 Oct 2000

NHTSA investigations into the 1986 Buick Electra

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

EA89028 Opened 28 Jul 1989 Closed 27 Jul 1990 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

REAR BRAKE PIN

SUMMARY:THESE VEHICLES HAVE REAR DRUM BRAKES.THE PARKING LEVER PIVOTPIN IS HELD BY AN E RING.WHEN THE RING FAILS, PARTS OF THE RING ANDPIN FALL LOOSE INTO THE DRUM AND MAY JAM THE BRAKE, LOCKING THE WHEEL.A STRONGER E RING IS USED IN 1988 AND NEWER CARS.THIS INVESTIGATIONHAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE GMS C BODY CARS LISTED ABOVE (E RING COMMONTO ALL CARS SHOWN).===

PE89098 Opened 10 Mar 1989 Closed 17 May 1989 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

ANTI LOCK BRAKES

===

EA88031 Opened 22 Apr 1988 Closed 23 Oct 1989 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

SUDDEN ACCELERATION

STATUS:ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER IS IN PROGRESS.HOWEVER, NEITHER NHTSA OF GM HAS IDENTIFIED A FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION THATCOULD RESULT IN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION.SOME VEHICLES IN THIS GROUP WEREFOUND POTENTIALLY SUBJECT TO THROTTLE CABLE RESTRICTIONS, AND WERERECALLED ALONG WITH H CARS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS.INVESTIGATION ISCONTINUING.===

EA88019 Opened 28 Jan 1988 Closed 31 Oct 1990 STEERING

HYDRO BOOST

EA87022 Opened 27 Aug 1987 Closed 27 Nov 1991 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

STALLING

SUMMARY:THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT STALLING IS DUE TO VARIOUS FAULTYCOMPONENTS OF THE FUEL INJECTION AND/OR IGNITION SYSTEM. THE FOLLOWINGMODELS ARE INVOLVED:BUICK ELECTRA, LESABRE, RIVERA, CENTURY; OLDS CUTLASSCIERA, 88, 98, TORONADO; PONTIAC BONNEVILLE.STATUS:THIS INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.WE ARE CONTINUING TO ANALYZEINFORMATION PROVIDED BY GM AND ARE PREPARING AN ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONREQUEST TO GM TO CLARIFY CERTAIN TECHNICAL ITEMS.===

PE87038 Opened 9 Jul 1987 Closed 28 Jan 1988 STEERING

HYDROBOOST FAILURE

SUBJECT VEHICLES:CAPRICE, CAPRICE CLASSIC, CUSTOM CRUISER, DEVILLE,ELECTRA, ESTATE WAGON, FLEETWOOD, LESABRE, NINETY-EIGHT, PARISIENNE,PARK AVENUE.(ALL 1984-86 GM VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDROBOOST II SYSTEMS)ANALYSIS:CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ALLEGE SEVERAL PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE POWERSTEERING AND POWER BRAKE SYSTEMS OF THESE VEHICLES.THESE PROBLEMSINCLUDE: POWER STEERING FLUID LOSS, POWER BRAKE FLUID LOSS, LEAKAGE FROMTHE HYDRO-BOOST II POWER BRAKE BOOSTER, BROKEN BOOSTER SEALS, AND MASTERCYLINDER FAILURE.ALL PROBLEMS SEEM TO BE RELATED TO THE HYDRO-BOOST IIPOWER ASSIST SYSTEM, IN WHICH THE WORKING...

Recalls on the 1986 Buick Electra

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 1987078 378 units in Canada

Brakes

ON VEHICLES WITH ANTILOCK BRAKES,BRAKE FLUID MAY SEEP FROM THE ABS PRESSURE/WARNING SWITCH,EVENTUALLY LEADING TO THE LOSS OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR.ALSO THE PUMP MOTOR AND ABS ELECTRICAL RELAYS MAY HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED DURING ASSEMBLY.THIS CAN CAUSE LOSS OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR &/OR THE ABS FUNCTION.LOSS OF THE PUMP MOTOR WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO LOSS OF THE REAR BRAKES & LOSS OF POWER ASSIST TO THE FRONT BRAKES.THIS WOULD RESULT IN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE.AN INOPERATIVE ABS RELAY COULD CAUSE LOSS OF THE ABS FUNCTION.ABS,PUMP MOTOR RELAYS,& 30 AMP FUSES WILL BE REPLACED.

Recall 1986123 3,221 units in Canada

Steering

THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP RETURN HOSE AND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD DUE TO INCORRECT ROUTING. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING OF THE HOSE, RESULTING IN A FLUID LEAK. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CORRECTION: POWER STEERING PUMP HOSE WILL BE REPLACED IF IT WAS INCORRECTLY ROUTED.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Great Falls, MT

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

THE CRANK SENSOR-WHICH CONTROLS ENGINE TIMING-THE BRACKET ITS HOUSED IN CAN WORK LOOSE DURING NORMAL DRIVING CAUSING THE SENSOR TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE MAGNET CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL W/NO WARNING. IT HAPPENED FIRST LASTE YEAR IN JULY-99 HAD IT REPLACED BY DEALER USING OE PART. WORKED LOOSE THIS YEAR OCT-00, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL ON BUSY STREET AND BARELY MADE IT TO THE SIDE. CONTACT DEALER-WOULD NOT REPLACE PART-MADE US BUY ANOTHER....

NHTSA complaint #734703 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Plymouth, MN

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH POWER ASSIST WITHIN BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO AVOID ACCIDENT. DEALER HAD REPLACED BRAKE SYSYTEM, BUT DEFECT HAS REOCCURRED WITHIN 150 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #824649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hicksville, NY

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 87V613000, ABS BRAKES. TOOK VEHICLE FOR REPAIRS. WORK WAS DONE. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. TOOK VEHICLE BACK. MECHANIC SAID SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. ORDERED ANOTHER FROM MANUFACTURER. REPLACED SWITCH AGAIN, WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE. REPLACED OLD SWITCH THAT WORKED W/SWITCH THAT DIDN'T. THEN REPLACED NEW W/OLD SWITCH. NOT SATISFIED W/RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #822189 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hicksville, NY

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

BRAKE SENSOR REPAIRED UNDER RECALL WORK DONE, HOWEVER NEW SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE CAUSING BRAKE PUMP TO FAIL.

NHTSA complaint #533537 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orlando, FL

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILURE, TWICE.

NHTSA complaint #530105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Calgary AB, 00

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKES FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #516122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newington, CT

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

WHILE DRIVING BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON AT THIS TIME THERE ARE NO BRAKES, NO WARNING, FIXED 5 DIFFERENT TIMES STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA complaint #976399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orlando, FL

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

RECEIVE RECALL LETTER DEALER FIXED IT CONSUMER HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM . TT

NHTSA complaint #976249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cherry Hill, NJ

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE, REPLACED TWO TIMES, BRAKE PEDAL BECAME HARD TO APPLY. TT

NHTSA complaint #972180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fenton, MI

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

THE REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN IF NOT USED VERY OFTEN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA complaint #971593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

RIO Grande C, TX

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

BRAKE POWER BOOSTER FAILURE, LOSS OF BRAKING, INVOLVED IN RECALL 87V93000. TT

NHTSA complaint #966896 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED, ALSO BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY PRIOR TO RECALL (87V-093).

NHTSA complaint #480575 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

ADJUSTED IDLE SPEED CONTROL UNIT.

NHTSA complaint #480575 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

REPLACED OXYGEN SENSOR.

NHTSA complaint #480575 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

FUSE FOR BRAKES BLOWS OUT REPEATEDLY.

NHTSA complaint #480575 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.