Worst years for a Buick Riviera
Owners have filed 439 complaints about the Buick Riviera with NHTSA across model years 1969 to 1999. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.
Avoid
1995 Buick Riviera177 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.
Every Buick Riviera year, graded
The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.
| Year | Grade | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Median miles | Most reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | C | 12 | 3 | 0 | 65,000 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1998 | B | 43 | 3 | 2 | 161,000 | Brakes |
| 1997 | C | 48 | 3 | 5 | 94,386 | Steering |
| 1996 | B | 69 | 0 | 1 | 112,500 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1995 | D | 177 | 8 | 6 | 75,000 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1993 | — | 9 | 4 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1992 | — | 17 | 3 | 1 | — | Airbags |
| 1991 | — | 16 | 4 | 0 | — | Brakes |
| 1990 | — | 16 | 1 | 0 | — | Brakes |
| 1989 | — | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | Brakes |
| 1988 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Body & Structure |
| 1987 | — | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | Engine & Cooling |
| 1986 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1985 | — | 7 | 0 | 7 | — | Engine & Cooling |
| 1983 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1982 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Suspension |
| 1973 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Tires |
| 1969 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | Fuel & Propulsion |
What breaks on a Buick Riviera
Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.
Worst in 1995
Worst in 1995
Worst in 1995
Worst in 1995
Worst in 1998
Worst in 1995
Worst in 1995
Exactly what failed on a Buick Riviera
The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.
Complaints filed over time
Every complaint about every Buick Riviera, by the month it reached NHTSA.
Buick Riviera problems by state
Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.
Compare the Buick Riviera
Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.