Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about the 1990 Buick Reatta, and it carries 4 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 23 | 79% |
| Structure | 2 | 7% |
| Service brakes | 1 | 3% |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% |
| Air bags | 1 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
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
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
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
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
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 U
NHTSA complaint: Visibility
FAILURE OF HYDRALIC/ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY 1990 BUICK REATTA CONVERTIBLE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND ABS SYSTEM. *AK
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
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 T
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
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 DRIV
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
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 ANYTH
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT FAILURES RESULTING IN NEAR MISSES ON HIGHWAY.
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 1990 Buick Reatta. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT MAY NOT LIGHT WHEN IGNITION IS IN THE "ON" POSITION, THE PARKING BRAKE IS APPLIED, AND THE SHIFT SELECTOR IS IN THE PARK OR NEUTRAL GEAR RANGE.
Risk: VEHICLES WOULD NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 101AND 105.
Fix: REPLACE THE PROM IN THE BODY COMPUTER MODULE TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION FROM OCCURRING.
THE FORWARD SENSOR FOR THE AIR BAG MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY CONSTRUCTED WITH PART OF THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE SENSOR REVERSED.
Risk: THE REVERSAL OF THE WIRES COULD CAUSE DELAY IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG AND INCREASE THE SEVERITY OF THE OF INJURY TO AN UNBELTED DRIVER IN AN ACCIDENT.
Fix: REPLACE FORWARD DISCRIMINATING SENSOR AS NECESSARY.
THREADED INFLATOR COMPONENTS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY WHICH MAY ALLOW COMPONENTS TO SEPARATE WHEN INFLATOR RECEIVES A SIGNAL TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAG.
Risk: INFLATOR COMPONENT SEPARATION ALLOWS HOT COMBUSTION GASESTO ESCAPE INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURIES TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.
Fix: REPLACE AIR BAG MODULES CONTAINING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE INFLATORS.
TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE MAY DISENGAGE FROM THE FROM THE FLOOR SHIFT CONTROL WITH LOSS OF GEAR INDICATOR REFERENCE AND SHIFT SELECTOR OPERATION.
Risk: DRIVER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE ACTUAL GEARPOSITION THE TRANSAXLE IS IN, WHICH COULD RESULT IN UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENTAND AN ACCIDENT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Fix: INSTALL A TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO PREVENT CABLE DISENGAGEMENT.
| Reliability raw | 86 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 81 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 75 | good |
| Depreciation | 54 | average |
| Performance | 59 | average |
| Efficiency | 36 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other sports & two-seaters in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and service brakes is the most reported area with 23 of them (79%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 86/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 81/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 1990 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 70/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.