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U.S. public vehicle records

1986 Buick ESTATE: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

1 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

74,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1986 model year. Data snapshot: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Hydraulic is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior1100.0%

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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Hydraulic
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Hydraulic1

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.

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
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9991
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

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). 0 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.

2004
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20041

2004: 1

Pattern summary

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Hydraulic leads the component reports. 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.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

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 ↗

Recall history

3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

86V056000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch

Reported: 1986-04-28 (April 28, 1986)

THE PUSH-PULL HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY HAVE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WHICH ALLOW AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO FLICKER OR SUDDENLY GO OUT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SUDDEN LOSS OF THE HEADLIGHTS UNDER SEVERE WEATHER OR NIGHTTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD REDUCE DRIVER VISIBILITY WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. NOTE: ALSO, SEE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 86V131000.

Remedy: REPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AS NECESSARY.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
86V131000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Switch

Reported: 1986-09-19 (September 19, 1986)

THE PUSH PULL HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY HAVE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WHICH ALLOW AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO FLICKER OR SUDDENLY GO OUT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SUDDEN LOSS OF THE HEADLIGHTS UNDER SEVERE WEATHER OR NIGHTTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD REDUCE DRIVER VISIBILITY WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: REPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AS NECESSARY.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
89V102000 · Vehicle Speed Control

Reported: 1989-06-16 (June 16, 1989)

A SMALL NYLON BUSHING IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BAIL MAY SLIP OUT OF PLACE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT AND UNEXPECTED INCREASES IN ENGINE SPEED OR DIESELING (ENGINE RUN ON WITH IGNITION OFF).

Consequence: SERVO ROD ASSEMBLY COULD CATCH ON ENGINE COMPONENTS ANDRESULT IN A STUCK THROTTLE WITH POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: INSTALL A NEW BUSHING IN CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BAIL.

NHTSA campaign record ↗