IllustrationWHILE DRIVING OVER RAILROAD VEHICLE WILL START SHAKING. CONSUMER HAS TO STOP, THEN VEHICLE WILL DRIVE FINE. SOMETIMES HAS TO KEEP ACCELERATING SO ENGINE WON'T SHUT DOWN.*AK
1988 Buick Skylark
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 Skylark 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: 0 of 14 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 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 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 reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
14 reportsPAINT IS PEELING BADLY. VARIOUS SOURCES OF INFORMATION INDICATE A DEFECT WITH CERTAIN NEW PAINT FORMULAS USED DURING THE MID TO LATE 1980'S CAUSING CHIPPING AND PEELING ON NUMEROUS MODELS OF VEHICLES MADE DURING THIS PERIOD. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
STARTED THE VEHICLE AND PUT THE GEAR IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS WITHOUT PUTTING FOOT ON GAS PEDAL. PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND WENT INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S BACK YARD AND HIT A TREE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. *AK
INADEQUATE OR SOFT BRAKES CONTRIBUTED TO A CRASH.
BRAKES FAILED.
DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AND CAR CUT OFF, RESTARTED AND ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. RAISED HOOD AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH. INSURANCE EXPERT SAID CAUSE OF FIRE WAS FROM FUEL FEED HOSE . *AK *SLC
WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATES, AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE IS STILL ACCELERATES. CAUSE OF THIS ACCELERATION IS UNKNOWN. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE TAKES OFF AND THE ONLY WAY THE VEHICLE WILL STOP IF THE DRIVER HIT SOMETHING. ALSO DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL PICK UP SPEED NOT WHEN VEHICLE IS ON LEVEL ROAD. *AK
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM AND THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK
Official recalls
392V150000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Oct 19, 1992
FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY COULD CRACK OR SEPARATE AT THE COUPLING ON THE ENGINE END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD RESULT IN ANUNDERHOOD FIRE.
Remedy: REPLACE FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY.
90V042000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Mar 5, 1990
FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY COULD CRACK OR SEPARATE AT THE COUPLING ON THE ENGINE END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LEAKING FUEL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: REPLACE FRONT FUEL FEED HOSE ASSEMBLY.
87V169000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Oct 26, 1987
UNEXPECTED LOSS OF TAIL LAMP AND SIDE MARKER LAMP FUNCTION MAY OCCUR, REDUCING OTHER DRIVERS ABILITY TO SEE THE VEHICLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNINGIN CONDITIONS OF POOR VISIBILITY, SEVERE WEATHER OR NIGHTTIME.
Remedy: REPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH PANEL.
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
2EA90041 · Brake Performance
Opened Aug 29, 1990 · Closed Mar 30, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
===
EA89010 · Brake Ineffectiveness
Opened Jan 17, 1989 · Closed May 8, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available