Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 29 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1990 Buick Reatta, most frequently naming the brakes, body & structure and airbags categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| Dec 1995 | 1 | 2 |
| Nov 1996 | 1 | 3 |
| Dec 1996 | 1 | 4 |
| Mar 1997 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 1997 | 1 | 6 |
| Dec 1997 | 1 | 7 |
| Jan 1999 | 1 | 8 |
| Jun 1999 | 1 | 9 |
| Aug 1999 | 1 | 10 |
| Nov 1999 | 2 | 12 |
| Jan 2000 | 1 | 13 |
| May 2000 | 2 | 15 |
| Jun 2000 | 3 | 18 |
| Jul 2000 | 1 | 19 |
| Sep 2000 | 1 | 20 |
| Oct 2000 | 2 | 22 |
| Jan 2001 | 2 | 24 |
| Sep 2001 | 1 | 25 |
| Jul 2004 | 1 | 26 |
| Mar 2007 | 1 | 27 |
| Apr 2007 | 1 | 28 |
| Mar 2020 | 1 | 29 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
4 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
WE HAVE HAD THE CAR OVER 10 YEARS AND IT HAD A HARD PEDAL WHEN YOU FIRST START IT UP THEN AS WE USE THE BRAKES THEY WORK BETTER
COMPLETE FAILURE OF ANTI BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY 1990 BUICK REATTA ALSO-- AS SPECIFICALLY REPORTED FROM OTHER REATTA OWNERS. DEALER STATES THERE ARE PROBLEMS --- REATTA INTERNET SITES STATES THERE ARE MAJOR PROBLEMS --- NHTSA WEBSITE LIST SEVERAL COMPLAINTS / PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF ABS FAILURE. HOW MANY INCIDENTS / DEATHS WILL IT TAKE FOR BUICK OR NHTSA TO CORRECT THIS FACTORY / PART DEFECT? WHAT A DISGRACE OF PUBLIC SAFETY SHOWN BY BUICK AND NHTSA. DEALER STATES OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE -- $1500.00-$2000.00. SAME PART MANUFACTURE, SAME CONTINUOUS DEFECT. *JB
THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE 1990 BUICK REATTA. THE CAR HAS AN AUTOMATIC HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TURN ON THE DEFROSTER TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD FROM FOGGING UP WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 39 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IF THE CAR IS LOW ON FREON. I REALIZE THAT WINDSHIELDS CLEAR UP FASTER IF THE AIR IS DEHUMIDIFIED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE COMPUTER OF THIS SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW ANY AIR TO BE BLOWN ON THE WINDSHIELD IF THE FREON PRESSURE SWITCH DETECTS LOW FREON PRESSURE. THE SYSTEM SHOULD ALLOW AIR WARM AIR TO BE BLOWN ON THE WINDSHIELD TO DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD. IT IS AN UNSAFE DESIGN WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DEFOG YOUR WINDSHIELD BECAUSE OF A BAD FREON SWITCH OR BECAUSE OF LOW FREON. IN LOUISIANA THERE ARE MANY DAYS IN WHICH THE WINDSHIELD NEEDS DEFOGGING DUE TO HIGH HUMIDITY OR RAIN. *JB
FAILURE OF HYDRALIC/ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY 1990 BUICK REATTA CONVERTIBLE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND ABS SYSTEM. *AK
THE ABS SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE NEW. MANY TIMES THE BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD PULL TO ONE SIDE AND THIS IS DOCUMENTED IN REPAIR ORDERS AT THE DEALER. DEALER NEVER WAS ABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM AT THE TIME OF THE RO.IN 1996 DEALER REPLACED ABS RELAYS TO CORRECT CONCERNS OF ABS SYSTEM INOPPERABLE. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON MANY TIMES. DEALER NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE ANY PROBLEM. THEN DURING JULY AND AUGUST OF 2000 MORE CONSISTANT PROBLEMS BEGAN TO OCCUR. VERY BAD PULL TO ONE SIDE UPON BRAKING ON ONE OCCASION AND A STIFF PEDAL WITH GREATLY REDUCED BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS. TOOK TO DEALER FOR THESE PROBLEMS , RO STATES RED BRAKE LIGHT AND YELLOW ABS WARRNING LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON. REPLACED ACCUMULATOR. LEFT DEALER AND WITH IN BLOCKS WARNING LIGHT COMES BACK ON. RETURN TO DEALER AND DISCUSS REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM. BEGIN TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON WEB AND FIND REATTA OWNERS GROUP FORUM WITH MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT ARE OF THE SAME NATURE INVOLVING THE BRAKING SYSTEM. BUICK, DEALER AND OWNER (ME) SPLIT THE 3291.91 BILL 3 WAYS AFTER SEVICE MANAGER AND FACTORY SERVICE REP. REVIEW INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE REATTA OWNERS FORUM. MY FEELING IS THAT THE TEVES BRAKING SYSTEM USED BY BUICK/GENERAL MOTORS ON MANY VEHICLES DURING THE LATE 80. *AK
BOTH TIMES WE EXPERIENCED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS "HARD" (WOULD NOT MOVE). BOTH TIMES THERE WAS NO WARNING IE. NO ABS LIGHT ON DASH AND NO BRAKE LIGHT ON DASH. BOTH TIME THE FAILURE OCCURED WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED SO THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR OR DIVER.
BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP CAR WHILE BACKING DOWN DRIVEWAY. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. ALSO HAVE HAD BRAKE FAILURES AT ROAD SPEED WHERE CAR SWERVES WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALER MANY TIMES AND THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. HAVE CONTACT WITH MANY REATTA OWNERS WHO HAVE THIS SAME DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT CAN'T BE RESOLVED BY THE DEALER. *AK
INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT FAILURES RESULTING IN NEAR MISSES ON HIGHWAY.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.