RoadVitals

1994 Buick Skylark Steering Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Steering reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Dec 30, 2011
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
16%
of 68 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Buick Skylark submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming steering

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Steering
Filed Dec 30, 2011

TILT STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY FAILED AND STEERING WHEEL BECAME DETACHED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE PINS CAME OUT OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE ASSEMBLY SHOWS EXTREME WEAR WHERE THE PINS SHOULD INSERT. PINS CANNOT BE REINSTALLED. REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF STEERING COLUMN. THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF STEERING COLUMN DEFECTS ONLINE INCLUDING HIGHWAY SPEED LOSS OF CONTROL CRASHES. WHY HAS A RECALL NOT BEEN ISSUED. *KB

NHTSA ID
10441798
Incident
Dec 19, 2011
Mileage
54,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jun 22, 2004

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL LOOSENED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THREE STEERING BOLTS FAILED ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10079632
Incident
May 17, 2004
Mileage
129,000 mi
BrakesElectricalEngine+4 more
Filed Jan 15, 2004

AC HEATING - HEATER CORE WENT OUT- AC STILL NOT WORKING COMPUTER CONTROL- BUICK REPROGRAMMED COMPUTER CHIP- MY COMPLAINT WAS ERRATIC IDLING. IT FIXED PROBLEM. PAINT PEELING THIS YEAR STRUTS AND SPRINGS ON SUSPENSION ARE NOT LASTING LONG TIRES- PROBABLY MY FAULT FOR NOT ROTATING TRANSMISSION- I REPLACED IT WITH SALVAGED ONE AT 170,000- HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS 4T60E TRANSMISSION. BRAKES- FRONT ONES LAST 1,000 MILES. I REPLACE ALL HARDWARE. STEERING-LISTEN TO THIS-THE PIVOT PINS ON MY TILT STEERING FELL OUT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ON MY LAP.CAR COULD STILL DRIVE. I EPOXIED NEW PIVOT PINS IN AND THIS SOLVED THE PROBLEM. ALL REPAIRS DONE BY ME, EXCEPT FOR THE COMPUTER REPROGRAMMING-I THOUGHT IT WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THEY SHOULD HAVE FIXED IT FOR NO CHARGE. THEY DID NOT. HEARD FRIENDS TELL ME G.M CARS EAT UP ALTERNATORS AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS THREE TIMES. THANK YOU!

NHTSA ID
10070104
Incident
Mar 15, 2003
Mileage
110,000 mi
Steering
Filed Sep 2, 2003

AT 70,514 MILES THE TILT WHEEL PIVOT PINS ON THE STEERING WHEEL WERE LOOSE AND REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. NOW AT 75,000 MILES THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. *AK *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID
10032033
Incident
Nov 15, 2002
Mileage
70,514 mi
Steering
Filed Aug 28, 2003

THE PINS THAT HOLDS AND ALLOWS THE STEERING WHEEL TO TILT HAVE COME OUT OF THEIR HOLES ON TWO OCCASIONS MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER

NHTSA ID
10036739
Incident
Jun 14, 2003
Exterior lightingSteering
Filed Jan 14, 2002

STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK AND NO AJUSTMENTS CAN BE MADE, ALSO STEERING WHEEL IS EXTREMELY LOOSE WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. *AK CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, DEALER FOUND TILT WHEEL IS VERY LOOSE, FOUND PIN LOOSE IN SHAFT, NOTCHED SHAFT TO HOLD PIN, FACTORY HAD NOTCHED SHAFT 3 TIMES, DEALER NOTCHED SHAFT APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES AND COLUMN WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, MULTI-FUNCTION TURN SIGNAL FAILED AND LEVER WAS INOPERATIVE. *YD

NHTSA ID
8002099
Incident
Jan 1, 2002
Steering
Filed Jun 26, 2001

WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WAS TURNING INTO A CURVE AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIBRATING AND STEERING COLUMN DROPPED DOWN TO FLOOR. PINS FELL OUT FROM STEERING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
891302
Incident
Jun 24, 2001
Steering
Filed May 22, 2001

TILT MECHANISM ON STEERING COLUMN CAME APART INTERNALLY. ABLE TO USE STEERING, BUT PROBLEM MIGHT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF STEERING WAS AFFECTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
888909
Incident
Feb 3, 2001
Steering
Filed Nov 17, 2000

STEERING COLUMN LITERALLY FELL IN LAP TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS!! VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR BOTH TIMES. IS THIS A DEFECT? *AK

NHTSA ID
736469
Incident
Oct 5, 2000
Steering
Filed Jan 16, 2000

PIN HOLDING TILT STEERING WHEEL DISLODGED, MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WON'T STAY IN PLACE. *AK

NHTSA ID
717418
Incident
Jan 15, 2000
Steering
Filed Apr 27, 1999

PIN HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL (TILT) DISLODGED, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO BECOME LOOSE ON TWO OCCASIONS. MJS

NHTSA ID
545263

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .