IllustrationTHERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE ABS BRAKES ON BUICK REATTA. *AK
1989 Buick Reatta
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Reatta years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 10 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
10 reportsI HAVE HAD CONSTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES OF MY REATTA. THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAILED WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER ($1200) THEN THE ACCUMALATER ALONG WITH SEVERAL TRIPS TO MY MECHANIC BECAUSE THE BRAKES WILL STILL GO TO THE FLOOR IF PRESSED HARD OR AT A STOP. IF I DIDN'T LIKE THE CAR SO MUCH I'D SELL BECAUSE TH…
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I HAVE HAD CONSTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES OF MY REATTA. THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAILED WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER ($1200) THEN THE ACCUMALATER ALONG WITH SEVERAL TRIPS TO MY MECHANIC BECAUSE THE BRAKES WILL STILL GO TO THE FLOOR IF PRESSED HARD OR AT A STOP. IF I DIDN'T LIKE THE CAR SO MUCH I'D SELL BECAUSE THE BRAKES ARE DEFINITLY NOT UP TO PAR. WHEN I GO THE THE REATTA CLUB PAGE IT SEEMS EVERY ONE HAS SIMILAR PROBLEMS. PEASE TRY TO MAKE BUICK FIX THIS PROBLEM. *AK
PLEASE ADVISE IF GENERAL MOTORS HAS HAD OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS MATTER ...I FEEL THERE SHOULD SOME TYPE OF REFUND REASON BEING I DID HAVE ONE BOLT BACK ON THE FRONT BRACKET WHICH IN TURN COULD HAVE BODILY INJURY TO MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE.*AK
I HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OTHER REATTA OWNERS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM. THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING ON SEVERAL REATTAS, AND I AM AFRAID OF THIS HAPPENING TO MY CAR WHILE IT IS BEING DRIVEN. BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AFFECTED, I BELIEVE THIS IS WORTH AN INVESTIGATION. *AK
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS ON THIS CAR, THE BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, , ALL COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND MANY REPLACED AT COST OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, AND TO THIS DAY THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST, NOT ONE MECHANIC CAN FIGURE OUT WHY. I KNOW OF SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS W…
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THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS ON THIS CAR, THE BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, , ALL COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND MANY REPLACED AT COST OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, AND TO THIS DAY THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST, NOT ONE MECHANIC CAN FIGURE OUT WHY. I KNOW OF SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS. *AK
REPAIR:RETIRED G.M. MECHANIC TRIED FOR 1 MONTH TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX PROBLEM. HE GAVE UP! I TOOK CAR TO G. M. BUICK DEALER WHO REPORTED "BAD ACCUMULATOR" BUT DIDN'T PERFORM CORRECT PROCEDURE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM.ABS ACCUMULATOR REPLACED BUT DID NOT SOLVE PROBLEM!*AK
THE METAL SUPPORTING THE SUNROOF IS DETERIORATING & COMING APART, CAUSING THE SUN ROOF HEAD LINING TO DROP DOWN. *AK
GOODYEAR TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURIES. *SD
THE ABS VALVE BLOCK MADE THE CAR PULL TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE DRIVER HIT THE BRAKES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
HEADLIGHTS DO NOT OPERATE; WHILE DRIVING, LIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT; CAUSE UNKNOWN; REPAIR EFFORTS MADE BY DEALER; DROVE HOME WITH PARKING LIGHTS ONLY. TT
Official recalls
189V056000 · Service Brakes, Air:antilock
Apr 5, 1989
LEFT FRONT BRAKE PIPE MAY CONTACT THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BRACKET.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: BRAKE LINE COULD WEAR THROUGH CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKEFLUID AND PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY; THIS COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLECRASH.
Remedy: REPLACE LEFT FRONT BRAKE PIPE ASSEMBLY.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE90122 · Front Brake Steering Pull
Opened Sep 24, 1990 · Closed Nov 29, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available