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1990 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 →
29Owner complaints

Model-year median: 10

3Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
10
198810
198929
19902
19911
1993
Compare all Reatta years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
23Structure
2Air Bags
1Electrical System
1Service Brakes
1
All reported categories
Visibility
1

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: 3 of 29 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 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. 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.

3 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

23 reports
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Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 1996
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL FADES, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE. *AK UPON SUDDEN STOPPING MOTION APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL , AS IN A PANIC STOP THE PEDAL BECOMES HIGH AND HARD AS IF THE POWER ASSIST HAS DISAPPEARED, VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LE…

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FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL FADES, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE. *AK UPON SUDDEN STOPPING MOTION APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL , AS IN A PANIC STOP THE PEDAL BECOMES HIGH AND HARD AS IF THE POWER ASSIST HAS DISAPPEARED, VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT .*JB

NHTSA ODI #805896

Mileage unknown · Nov 13, 1996
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

POOR ABS BRAKE PERFORMANCE, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, THE FIRST TIME IT WAS APPLIED, EXPERIENCED COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE, WHEN RELEASED AND APPLIED A SECOND TIME THE BRAKING WAS NORMAL. *AK

NHTSA ODI #804915

Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 1995
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE, DRIVER IS EXPERIENCING UNEVEN BRAKING. TT

NHTSA ODI #977172

Official recalls

3

91V158000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:brake Fluid Low Warning: Lamp

Sep 13, 1991

BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT MAY NOT LIGHT WHEN IGNITION IS IN THE "ON" POSITION, THE PARKING BRAKE IS APPLIED, AND THE SHIFT SELECTOR IS IN THE PARK OR NEUTRAL GEAR RANGE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: VEHICLES WOULD NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 101AND 105.

Remedy: REPLACE THE PROM IN THE BODY COMPUTER MODULE TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION FROM OCCURRING.

90V164000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift

Sep 6, 1990

TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE MAY DISENGAGE FROM THE FROM THE FLOOR SHIFT CONTROL WITH LOSS OF GEAR INDICATOR REFERENCE AND SHIFT SELECTOR OPERATION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: DRIVER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE ACTUAL GEARPOSITION THE TRANSAXLE IS IN, WHICH COULD RESULT IN UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENTAND AN ACCIDENT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: INSTALL A TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO PREVENT CABLE DISENGAGEMENT.

90V031000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Feb 12, 1990

THE FORWARD SENSOR FOR THE AIR BAG MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY CONSTRUCTED WITH PART OF THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE SENSOR REVERSED.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE REVERSAL OF THE WIRES COULD CAUSE DELAY IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG AND INCREASE THE SEVERITY OF THE OF INJURY TO AN UNBELTED DRIVER IN AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy: REPLACE FORWARD DISCRIMINATING SENSOR AS NECESSARY.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.