IllustrationDRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEFLATED DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. IN ADDITION, HORN FAILED AND CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
1995 Buick Riviera
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 Riviera years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 22 of 130 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports4 fire reports5 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
8 reportsWHILE TRAVELING AT 20-25 MPH CONSUMER HAD REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. IT BURSTED THROUGH WINDSHIELD AND LANDED ON HOOD OF VEHICLE . PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
THIS IS COMMON ON 1995 BUICKS.IT'S IN THE AIR BAG STEERING HUB.ABOUT $800 TO REPLACE.GM/BUICK HAS PAID FOR OTHERS ,WHY WONT THEY FIX MINE? *AK
ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH HORN GOING ON BY ITSELF. TOLD BY DEALER THAT HORN AND AIRBAGS ARE TIRED TOGETHER AND THAT THE AIRBAG HAS COLAPSED, CAUSING HORN TO GO ON. DEALER SAYS THEY MUST REPLACE AIRBAG, COST $900.00. HAVE CONTACTED BUICK, AND BOTH BUICK AND DEALER REFUSE TO HELP. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I DOUBT A COLAPSED AIRBAG…
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ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH HORN GOING ON BY ITSELF. TOLD BY DEALER THAT HORN AND AIRBAGS ARE TIRED TOGETHER AND THAT THE AIRBAG HAS COLAPSED, CAUSING HORN TO GO ON. DEALER SAYS THEY MUST REPLACE AIRBAG, COST $900.00. HAVE CONTACTED BUICK, AND BOTH BUICK AND DEALER REFUSE TO HELP. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I DOUBT A COLAPSED AIRBAG WILL WORK. THE HORN GOING ON BY ITSELF COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I'VE NOTICED FROM SEARCHING YOUR WEBSITE THAT 1994 AND 1995 BUICKS HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN MOST MODELS. NHTSA HAS MANY COMPLAINTS ON FILE FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH BUICK, ESPECIALLY 1995 SKYLARKS AND 1994 ROADMASTERS. PLEASE HELP ME. THANK YOU.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 45MPH. THERE WAS A DELAY IN DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS HIT FIRST ON FRONT LEFT , THEN IN THE REAR, AND FINALLY ON FRONT RIGHT. THEN, VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPIN, AND AFTER IT STOPPED, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY WHEN AI…
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VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 45MPH. THERE WAS A DELAY IN DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS HIT FIRST ON FRONT LEFT , THEN IN THE REAR, AND FINALLY ON FRONT RIGHT. THEN, VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPIN, AND AFTER IT STOPPED, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY WHEN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
DRIVERS DOOR LOCK FAILED, TRAPPING PASSENGER IN VEHICLE, CONTRIBUTING TO FATALITY.
CONSUMER SON WAS IN AN ACCIDENT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND BLEW OUT THE WINDOW DRIVER SIDE AIR DEPLOYED AFTER CAR STOPPED . TT
FRONTAL COLLISION IMPACT 12:00 POSITION SPEED 50 MPH, DRIVERS AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT
Official recalls
100V057000 · Seat Belts:front:webbing
Feb 28, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE REAR SHOULDER BELT(S) DO NOT RETRACT. A RETAINER COULD SEPARATE FROM A REAR SEAT SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR WHICH RESULTS IN THE RETRACTOR RETURN SPRING BECOMING DISENGAGED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN A CRASH, AN OCCUPANT MAY RECEIVE MORE SEVERE INJURIES IF THERE IS EXCESSIVE SLACK IN THE SHOULDER BELT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT BOTH REAR SHOULDER BELT RETRACTORS FOR CORRECT FUNCTION AND INSTALL A SPRING COVER RETAINING STRAP TO EACH RETRACTOR. IF A RETRACTOR DOES NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
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
2EA00006 · Rear Seat Belt Retractor
Opened Feb 22, 2000 · Closed Mar 6, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:rear/other
IN ITS LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 25, 2000 TO NHTSA, GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF 85,253 MODEL YEAR 1995 BUICK RIVIERA AND OLDSMOBILE AURORA VEHICLES FOR THE DEFECT IN THE OUTBOARD REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLIES.
PE99059 · Rear Seat Belt Retractor
Opened Sep 15, 1999 · Closed Feb 22, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:rear/other
COMPLAINTS GENERALLY STATED THAT ONE OR BOTH OUTBOARD REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT AT ALL AND ARE USELESS.IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT PROVIDE ANY TENSION AND HAVE EXCESS SLACK.THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY HAS A PLASTIC COVER NEXT TO THE RETRACTOR RETURN SPRING.ACCORDING TO GENERAL MOTORS (GM), HEAT MAY SOFTEN, WARP AND DEFLECT THE PLASTIC SPRING COVER ALLOWING THE RETURN SPRING TO DISENGAGE THROUGH AND JAM IN THE SPRING COVER ACCESS HOLE RENDERING THE RETURN SPRING NONFUNCTIONAL.TO ELIMANATE THE PROBLEM, GM CHANGED THE SPRING COVER MATERIAL AND ACCESS HOLE AT THE BEGINNING OF PRODUCTION OF MODEL YEAR (MY) 1996 BUICK RIVIERA AND OLDSMOBILE AURORA VEHICLES.BOTH COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS HAVE DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM MY 1995 SUBJECT VEHICLES TO MY 1996 VEHICLES.