IllustrationWHILE DRIVING ONTO A PARKING RAMP STEERING AND BRAKES LOCK UP WHILE ENGINE STILL RUNNING. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *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
What owners actually said
130 reportsCONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00V057000 REGARDING SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILURE. DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT RECALL PROBLEM. CONSUMER INDICATED SEAT BELTS WERE INOPERABLE. *AK
NEW MASTER CYLINDER WAS INSTALLED 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO IT'S FAILURE, WHILE DRIVING FORWARD CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP VEHICLE THE BRAKE WENT TO THE FLOOR, CONSUMER APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUE FORWARD INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. NLM
AT SLOW SPEED BRAKE PEDAL GETS STUCK AND STAYS THAT WAY. DEALER SAID PROBLEM WAS WITH ABS SYSTEM. TRACTION AND SENSOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES.*AK
TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT STAYED ON/NEEDED FOR SNOWY CONDITIONS HERE IN NEW ENGLAND. REPL'D BRAKE PRESS. MOD.VALVE. HEAT ON DRIVERS SIDE DOESN'T THROW OUT MUCH HOT AIR. HAD IT CHK'D TWICE/O-RINGS REPL'D/ AND IT STILL ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY -(11/2000) NEW OIL PAN NEEDED. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT DOESN'T RETRACT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT. SHE HAS TO REPLACED IT HERSELF.*AK
THE AIR CONDITIONING AND TRANASMISSION HAVE BEEN CHECKED OUT A NUMBER OF TIMES AND THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG , THE TRANSMISSION SOMETIMES DOES NOT SHIFT AND STICKS IN FIRST GEAR , THE AIR CONDITIONING DOES NOT BLOW COOL OR COLD AIR WHEN IT IS HOT AND MUGGY OUT. IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BLOW COOL AIR ON ONE SIDE AND HOT …
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THE AIR CONDITIONING AND TRANASMISSION HAVE BEEN CHECKED OUT A NUMBER OF TIMES AND THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG , THE TRANSMISSION SOMETIMES DOES NOT SHIFT AND STICKS IN FIRST GEAR , THE AIR CONDITIONING DOES NOT BLOW COOL OR COLD AIR WHEN IT IS HOT AND MUGGY OUT. IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BLOW COOL AIR ON ONE SIDE AND HOT AIR ON ANOTHER.
I HAVE YOUR NHTSA REPORT NUMBER #00V057000 AND BUICK'S RECALL NUMBER #00023. THE FILE NUMBER THEY GAVE FOR ME AT BUICK WAS #C01749088. BUICK REPRESENTATIVES REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNTILL THEY DO THE OFFICIAL RECALL. THE REMEDY THEY GAVE WAS FOR ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND THEN FILE FOR A REIMBURSMENT. WHICH I DO NOT WANT …
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I HAVE YOUR NHTSA REPORT NUMBER #00V057000 AND BUICK'S RECALL NUMBER #00023. THE FILE NUMBER THEY GAVE FOR ME AT BUICK WAS #C01749088. BUICK REPRESENTATIVES REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNTILL THEY DO THE OFFICIAL RECALL. THE REMEDY THEY GAVE WAS FOR ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND THEN FILE FOR A REIMBURSMENT. WHICH I DO NOT WANT TO DO.NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
I PULLED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN # 00V0057000 & CALLED DLR. THEY PULLED UP VIN. AND SAID THERE WASNO SAFETY RECALL ON MY VIN. I THEN CALLED EBONY DAVIS @ BUICK .SHE SAID NHTSA RECALL NOT CORRECT AND WAS NOT RELATED TO ANYTHING AT BUICK. PLEASE HELP I THINK THIS REPAIR IS SOMETHING BUICK SHOULD PAY FOR.TFCT WAS INVAIL H. *AK
OUT OF FOUR TIRES PURCHASED FROM WAL-MART I HAVE HAD THE RADIAL BELTS SEPARATE ON TWO OF THEM---OF COURSE IT MADE THE CAR VERY WOBBLY AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT REPLACED BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG---THE TIRE WAS BULGING BY THE TIME I GOT IT TO A REPAIR PLACE---I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS AND POSSIBLY INVESTIGAT…
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OUT OF FOUR TIRES PURCHASED FROM WAL-MART I HAVE HAD THE RADIAL BELTS SEPARATE ON TWO OF THEM---OF COURSE IT MADE THE CAR VERY WOBBLY AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT REPLACED BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG---THE TIRE WAS BULGING BY THE TIME I GOT IT TO A REPAIR PLACE---I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS AND POSSIBLY INVESTIGATE-IT FRIGHTENED ME TO KNOW THAT TWO OF FOUR WERE DEFECTIVE AND ALTHOUGH WAL-MART WAS VERY KIND AND REPLACED BOTH (UNDER WARRANTY) I AM STILL VERY CONCERNED THAT GOODRICH MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS FIRESTONE---THANK YOU.
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.