FOUL SMELL THEN PARKED AND WENT INSIDE MALL CAME BACK CAR HAD BEEN ON FIRE. *TR
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.
Structure complaints
8 reportsPAINT IS SPLITTING, THEN BLISTERING AND FINALLY POPPING CLEAR OF THE PRIMER. THIS STARTED ALONG BOTH FRONT FENDER 'SEAMS' WHERE THEY MEET THE HOOD. PROBLEM THEN BEGAN ALONG TOP AND BACK SIDE OF TRUNK; THEN REAR FENDERS AND FINALLY INVOLVED ALL PANELS OF THE VEHICLE WITHIN A ONE-YEAR PERIOD. PRIMER SHOWS FIRST AS A GREEN SHADE…
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PAINT IS SPLITTING, THEN BLISTERING AND FINALLY POPPING CLEAR OF THE PRIMER. THIS STARTED ALONG BOTH FRONT FENDER 'SEAMS' WHERE THEY MEET THE HOOD. PROBLEM THEN BEGAN ALONG TOP AND BACK SIDE OF TRUNK; THEN REAR FENDERS AND FINALLY INVOLVED ALL PANELS OF THE VEHICLE WITHIN A ONE-YEAR PERIOD. PRIMER SHOWS FIRST AS A GREEN SHADE THAT FADES TO GREY. GM TELLS ME THIS IS 'EXCESSIVE ULTRAVIOLET EXPOSURE' EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS GARAGE KEPT - EVIDENTLY THESE CARS SUFFER FROM SUNBURN? OVER 50% OF THE PAINT ON THIS VEHICLE IS INVOLVED.
PAINT BUBBLING UP AND PEELING - ALL AREAS OF VEHICLE. PROBLEM STARTED ON FRONT END AND HAS NOW SPREAD FROM BUMPER TO BUMPER. PAINT SLIDES OFF WHEN IT RAINS, WHEN I DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND NEW CRACKS ARE APPEARING WITH INTENSIVE REGULARITY. ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY BEGINNING IN 1999 (ACCORDING TO OWNER'S …
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PAINT BUBBLING UP AND PEELING - ALL AREAS OF VEHICLE. PROBLEM STARTED ON FRONT END AND HAS NOW SPREAD FROM BUMPER TO BUMPER. PAINT SLIDES OFF WHEN IT RAINS, WHEN I DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND NEW CRACKS ARE APPEARING WITH INTENSIVE REGULARITY. ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY BEGINNING IN 1999 (ACCORDING TO OWNER'S MANUAL WAS SIX YEARS FOR PAINT) ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FROM TWO GM DEALERSHIPS AND TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED - PAINT WAS NOT COVERED THIS LONG PERIOD. PAINT IS ORIGINAL PAINT JOB. FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GAIN GM DIRECT CONSUMER NUMBER AND SPOKE WITH AMANDA IN DEC 2002 - FIRST WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD TO REPORT DAMAGES. WHEN REMINDING HER THAT PEELING STARTED DURING WARRANTY PERIOD SHE THEN INFORMED ME THAT IF I'D BEEN PARKING THE CAR OUT IN THE SUNSHINE AT ANYTIME (REGARDLESS OF FACT THAT VEHICLE WAS GARAGED AT HOME) THAT 'EXPOSURE TO SUNSHINE' WOULD CAUSE THIS AND WAS THEREFORE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. FOUR YEARS AND THE PAINT BEGINS TO SEPARATE FROM THE PRIMER? I'VE HAD TWENTY YEAR OLD CARS WITH ORIGINAL PAINT JOBS THAT LOOKED BETTER THAN THIS 'LUXURY' CAR DID AT FOUR YEARS. THE INCIDENT DATE SHOWN IS THE ORIGINAL DATE I FIRST NOTICED THE PEELING. THE DEALER WAS FIRST CONTACTED SHORTLY AFTER.
ELECTRICAL DOOR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *ADJ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES CAUSING MANY COMPONENTS TO FAIL, DEFROSTER, SIGNALS, ETC.
HEATER FAN INOPERABLE DUE TO SHORTED WIRE IN THE RELAY CENTER.
DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN TO REMOTE DEVICE OR TO KEY.
POWER DOOR LOCKS FAILED. *AK
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.
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