1990 BUICK REATTA Problems & Recalls
Detailed safety information and owner complaints
Problem Breakdown
Compare to Other Years
Common Problems
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
Mileage: 99,000
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 IN...
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 ...
Mileage: 92,000
FAILURE OF HYDRALIC/ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY 1990 BUICK REATTA CONVERTIBLE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND ABS SYSTEM. *AK
Mileage: 137,000
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 SYST...
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 CON...
INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT FAILURES RESULTING IN NEAR MISSES ON HIGHWAY.
INTERMITANT FAILURES WHERE ABS WOULD EITHER ENGAGE OR WHEELS WOULD LOCK AND/OR THE CAR WOULD LUNGE LEFT OR RIGHT. IN 10 MONTHS NUMEROUS DEALERSHIPS WERE NEVER ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEMS, ALWAYS SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE SYSTEM ON CAR.
BRAKE BOOST FAILED ONLY ONCE, AFTER 500 MILES OF DRIVING, THEN WORKED OKAY AGAIN FOR ANOTHER 50 MILES. NO PANEL INDICATORS SHOWED. WHEN BRAKED HARD I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN ENOUGH TO MAKE THE CURVE AT ROADWAY EXIT. DURING THIS SLOW DECELERATION A WHINE OR SCREECH CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HO...
IN BUMPER/BUMPER TRAFFIC, 97 DEGREES, STOP AND GO, ABS BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. NO LIGHTS ON DASH. AT TIME WAS JUST BARELY MOVING. CHECKED FLUID LEVELS, OKAY, NO LEAKS. ABS BRAKES JUST STOPPED WORKING WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER HINTS. GLAD I WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL AND NOT MY WIFE.*AK
WHILE BRAKING NORMALLY, BRAKES FAILED TO GRAB, AND MAY HAVE RESULTED IN POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO OTHER CARS. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2X BEFORE. *AK
ONE SIDE BRAKES HARDER THAN THE OTHER CAUSING CAR TO SWERVE. HAVE CHECKED THE BUICK REATTA CLUB HOME PAGE AND THIS IS A TOO COMMON PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT EVERY TWO WEEKS FOR YEARS. WE HAVE PROPERLY MAINTAINED THE CAR, BUT THE DEALERS ARE AT A LOSS OF WHAT TO DO. THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS W...
ABS SYSTEM COMPLETLY FAILED WITH NO WARNING, HAD TO PUMP BRAKES AND FINALY CAME TO A STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING. BUICK OFFERED TO PAY ONE THIRD OF THE REPAIR COST THEN THEY BACKED OUT OF THAT AGREEMENT. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THROUGH THE BUICK OWNERS OF AMERICA THAT THIS IS NOT A INSOLATED PROB...
ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THEN VEHICLE LOST ALL BRAKING ABILITY. *MJS
COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
I'M WRITING A SECOND TIME ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I READ THE COMPLAINTS SECTION OF YOUR WEBSITE AND FOUND TWO MORE INCIDENTS SUSPICIOUSLY SIMILAR TO MY OWN. I ALSO WROTE ABOUT IT ON THE BUICK REATTA DISCUSSION PAGE ON THE INTERNET AND ONE OTHER PERSON WROTE IN TO SAY HE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM....
I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE APPARENTLY THE BRAKE SYSTEM CAN FAIL IN THESE CARS WITH NO WARNING. THE MECHANIC THINKS THAT A SWITCH BURNED OUT, WHICH LET THE ELECTRIC PUMP RUN CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL IT BURNED OUT. THERE'S A SENSOR THAT'S SUPPOSED TO NOTIFY THE DRIVER OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE SENSOR IN M...
WHILE TRAVELING AT 30 TO 40 MPH A VEHICLE JUMP LANES IN FRONT OF THE REATTA. REATTA, IN TURN, STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR THAT CAUSED ABOUT $8000 IN DAMAGES. UPON IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH MASTER CYLINDER WENT OUT, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HAVE LITTLE BRAKING POWER. VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN GRADUALLY AND CAME TO A STOP. *AK
ABS BRAKE FAILURE.
WHILE DRIVING AT 45-50 MPH THE DEFECTIVE BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BE HARD, AND ONE WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
ABS BRAKES MALFUNCTION, PULLS OCCASIONALLY ON REAR LEFT SIDE. *AK
THE VEHICLE'S FRAME HAS PREMATURELY RUSTED AND CORRODED, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK
FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL FADES, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE. *AK UPON SUDDEN STOPPING MOTION APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL , AS IN A PANIC STOP THE PEDAL BECOMES HIGH AND HARD AS IF THE POWER ASSIST HAS DISAPP...
FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL FADES, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE. *AK UPON SUDDEN STOPPING MOTION APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL , AS IN A PANIC STOP THE PEDAL BECOMES HIGH AND HARD AS IF THE POWER ASSIST HAS DISAPP...
POOR ABS BRAKE PERFORMANCE, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, THE FIRST TIME IT WAS APPLIED, EXPERIENCED COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE, WHEN RELEASED AND APPLIED A SECOND TIME THE BRAKING WAS NORMAL. *AK
BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE, DRIVER IS EXPERIENCING UNEVEN BRAKING. TT
IN ALL AROUND WEATHER IT HARD TO START THE CAR AND WHEN DRIVING CAR STALLS . TT