U.S. public vehicle records

Buick SKYLARK problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

328 owner complaints analyzed

50 distinct recall campaigns

90,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1966 to 2000 model years. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 61 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip is the most frequently named component, appearing in 23 of 328 complaints (7.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	55	16.8%
Steering behavior	34	10.4%
Engine operation	30	9.1%
Electrical and battery issues	23	7.0%
Transmission and shifting	11	3.4%
Fuel system concerns	6	1.8%

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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Air Bags:Frontal

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Air Bags

Electrical System:Ignition

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

Electrical System:Horn

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	23
Air Bags:Frontal	21
Vehicle Speed Control	21
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	20
Air Bags	19
Electrical System:Ignition	18
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	18
Electrical System:Horn	12

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 23; Air Bags:Frontal: 21; Vehicle Speed Control: 21; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 20; Air Bags: 19; Electrical System:Ignition: 18; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 18; Electrical System:Horn: 12

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 4; 25,000 to 49,999: 5; 50,000 to 74,999: 13; 75,000 to 99,999: 15; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 8

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (16). 267 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.

1995

1996

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2011

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

1995: 51; 1996: 36; 2000: 53; 2001: 57; 2002: 47; 2003: 23; 2004: 18; 2005: 6; 2006: 4; 2007: 3; 2008: 9; 2009: 2; 2011: 4; 2013: 1; 2014: 6; 2015: 3; 2016: 3; 2017: 2

Pattern summary

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 55 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 34 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 30 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 501000 · 1996-01-27 (January 27, 1996)

BRAKE CALIPERS LOCKED UP. *SD

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 501000 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 484700 · 1995-08-08 (August 8, 1995)

BRAKE PROBLEMS. *SD

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 484700 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 800836 · 1996-08-14 (August 14, 1996)

CONSTANT REPLACEMNT OF BRAKING SYSTEM DUE TO WEAR ALSO, STEERING VIBRATION AT 55MPH.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 800836 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 973359 · 1995-10-13 (October 13, 1995)

STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN DURING COLD WEATHER UNTIL WARMING OF VEHICLE. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 973359 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10036945 · 2003-08-31 (August 31, 2003)

1990 BUICK SKYLARK (QUAD 4 ENGINE)-CHRONIC STALLING DUE TO FAULTY LOCKUP TORQUE CONVERTER.COIL HOUSING WAS REPLACED 3X IN SIX YEARS .ALLDATA LISTS TECH. SERVICE BULLETINS CONCERNING THESE PROBLEMS.LETTERS TO GM AND BUICK FIELD ZONE OFFICE SEEKING RESTITUTION RECEIVED NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10036945 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 884075 · 2001-03-26 (March 26, 2001)

VEHICLE HAS BEEN STALLING INTERMITTENTLY, MOSTLY AT 50 MPH. ALSO ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN INTERMITTENTLY. *AK. DEALER REPLACED CRANK SENOR ASSEMBLY.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 884075 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 729973 · 2000-09-02 (September 2, 2000)

HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FAN MOTOR, COOLING SYSTEM, BOTH FRONT DOOR WINDOW MOTORS, AND THE BATTERY TWICE. THIS PLUS 6 ALTERNATORS WITHIN 5 1/2 YEARS. THE COOLING SYSTEM, FAN MOTOR, AND ALTERNATOR PROBLEMS OCCURED AT VARYING SPEEDS-IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS INCLUDE THAT THE IDLE RECALIBRATED ITSELF CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING IN TRAFFIC.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 729973 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 722075 · 2000-04-28 (April 28, 2000)

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. I REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH, FUSIBLE LINK, AND STARTER WHEN THE IGNITION STARTED TO SMOKE/BURN WHEN STARTING IN THE PARKING LOT. THE REPLACEMENT STARTER FAILED 3 MONTHS LATER AND THE REPLACEMENT FUSIBLE LINK 4 MONTHS LATER. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE POWER WINDOWS REPAIRED 3 TIMES, THE POWER LOCKS TWICE, THE BATTERY TWICE, AND THE TURN SIGNAL/MULTIFUNCTION LEVER ONCE IN 3 1/2 YEARS. A POWER LOCK BROKE AGAIN A FEW WEEKS AGO. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 722075 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005389 · 2003-02-06 (February 6, 2003)

TRANSMISSION MAKES A LOUD JOLTING BANG WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR WHETHER IT IS IN DRIVE,REVERSE OR PARK. DRIVER ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF CAR WHEN IN DRIVE GEAR. ALSO HAS A DEFECTIVE FUEL LINE HOSE, WHICH DURING MORNING CAR WARM-UP, CAR STARTED SMOKING, WHICH CAME FROM UNDER CAR FROM THE VAC. LINE(FUEL LINE). HAD THE LINE REPAIRED BUT TRANNY IS STILL A PROBLEM.

Owner-reported narrative. 138,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005389 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 971772 · 1995-09-08 (September 8, 1995)

THE FUEL PUMP BROKE SPRAY FUEL ALL ON THE FAN BELT THE WHOLE ENGINE . TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 971772 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 973321 · 1995-10-12 (October 12, 1995)

POWER STEERING FLUID IS NOT GETTING TO THE BRACKET. TT CONSUMER STATES STEERING BRACKET IS GOING OUT, POWER STEERING FLUID DOES NOT REACH BEARING, THIS IS WHAT CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT BUICK DEALERS CONSUMER STATES WHAT IS DANGEROUS ABOUT THIS, IS WHEN YOU WANT TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT IT STICKS AND VEHICLE WANT STO CONTINUE TO GO STRAIGH. ALSO CONSUMER HAS A FUEL LEAK THE FUMES ARE COMING INSIDE VEHICLE VERY STRONG ODOR HAVE TO KEEP THE WINDOWS DOWN.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 973321 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

2000

1984: 3; 1985: 1; 1986: 1; 1987: 1; 1988: 3; 1989: 2; 1990: 1; 1991: 1; 1992: 3; 1993: 1; 1994: 2; 1995: 1; 1996: 4; 1997: 3; 1998: 1; 2000: 0

First model yearSecond model year

Year-by-year records

Buick SKYLARK model-year comparison
Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Change in recalls
1966	0	1	Not available
1967	0	2	+1
1968	0	1	-1
1970	0	1	Not available
1971	0	1	0
1975	0	1	Not available
1977	0	2	Not available
1978	0	2	0
1979	0	1	-1
1980	0	9	+8
1981	1	2	-7
1982	1	3	+1
1983	1	1	-2
1984	6	3	+2
1985	5	1	-2
1986	3	1	0
1987	0	1	0
1988	6	3	+2
1989	2	2	-1
1990	14	1	-1
1991	22	1	0
1992	19	3	+2
1993	32	1	-2
1994	46	2	+1
1995	52	1	-1
1996	50	4	+3
1997	47	3	-1
1998	20	1	-2
2000	1	0	Not available