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
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
7 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 ABS VALVE BLOCK MADE THE CAR PULL TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE DRIVER HIT THE BRAKES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. 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