Buick ESTATE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
8 distinct recall campaigns
74,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1974 to 1994 model years. Data snapshot: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Fuel System, Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 50.0% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 50.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Hydraulic | 1 |
Fuel System, Gasoline: 1; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Hydraulic: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
1996: 1; 2004: 1
Pattern summary
Fuel System, Gasoline leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 501976 · 1996-03-06 (March 6, 1996)
TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PROBLEMS.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 501976 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10083173 · 2004-08-02 (August 2, 2004)
CURRENTLY OWN 1986 BUICK ESTATE EQUIPPED WITH "POWER MASTER" BRAKE UNIT. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL FACTORY BRAKE UNIT FOR THIS AUTOMOBILE. THE PRESSURE SWITCH DEVELOPED A CRACK, ALLOWING THE BRAKE FLUID TO BE PUMPED OUT. MY FATHER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME, AND MANAGED TO GET THE CAR STOPPED AND OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT CRASHING. NEVERTHELESS, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT. WHAT'S MORE, I KNOW NOW THAT GM HAS LONG BEEN AWARE OF THIS DEFECT. SINCE THIS OCCURED, I HAVE LEARNED THAT GM WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR QUITE SOME TIM…
Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10083173 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 1 |
| 1979 | 1 |
| 1984 | 1 |
| 1985 | 1 |
| 1986 | 3 |
| 1987 | 2 |
| 1988 | 1 |
| 1994 | 0 |
1978: 1; 1979: 1; 1984: 1; 1985: 1; 1986: 3; 1987: 2; 1988: 1; 1994: 0