1993 Buick Skylark

Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.

71/100

Worth a look

AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.

What owners actually report

Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about the 1993 Buick Skylark, and it carries 1 recall. 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.

Complaints by area, from NHTSA records for this model-year
Area	Complaints	Share
Service brakes	11	20%
Engine and engine cooling	10	18%
Power train	5	9%
Steering	5	9%
Electrical system	4	7%
Vehicle speed control	4	7%
Seats	3	5%
Seat belts	3	5%
Structure	2	4%
Visibility	2	4%

In owners' own words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.

1993 BUICK SKYLARK DEFECTED DRIVER SEAT RECLINER ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION OF THIS PROBLEM. USE ODI # 813444 AS A R
NHTSA complaint: Seats

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. *BF THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *NM
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling

CONSUMER NOTICED WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKES VEHICLE WOULD TRAVEL EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. TECHNICIAN WHO SERVICED VEHICLE REPLACED BRAKES DUE TO CORROSION. *AK
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, AND FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. BUT CONSUMER WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE SHUTTING OFF ON THE MIDDLE OF T
NHTSA complaint: Fuel system

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN TURNING THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION, VEHICLE HESTIAGES TO TURN OVER, AND CONSUMER HAS TOO TURN KEYS SEVERAL TIMES, WHICH RESULT IN KEYS GETTING HOT. PLEASE PROVIDE INFORMATION. MR
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system

THE SENSOR THAT CONTROLS TEMPERATURE MAY BE DEFECTIVE AND MAY CAUSE A MAJOR OVERHAT.*AK
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE NOT STOP BRAKES LOCKS UP AND VEHICLE SHIMMIED. HAD REPAIRED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes

CONSUMER WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 02-070-001 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK CONSUMER ADDS WITH VEHICLE IN PARK AND KEY REMOVED FROM I
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system

Recalls on record

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 1993 Buick Skylark. 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.

Electrical system:ignition:switch 93V153000

THE NEUTRAL START SAFETY SWITCH COULD HAVE BEEN FRACTURED DURING INSTALLATION.

Risk: A FRACTURED SWITCH CAN RESULT IN A NO-START CONDITION.ALSO, A VEHICLE WITH A FRACTURED SWITCH CAN BE STARTED IN GEAR, CAUSING THEVEHICLE TO MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.

Fix: THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE NEUTRAL START SWITCH. THE MANUAL SWITCH OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF AN OVERSIZED CONDITION EXISTS.

The seven scores

Reliability raw	82	excellent
Longevity est.	79	good
Maintenance	89	excellent
Depreciation	54	average
Performance	48	below average
Efficiency	43	below average

How it compares in its class

Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.

Reliability: better than 38% of compact cars
Longevity: better than 54% of compact cars
Running costs: better than 82% of compact cars
Value retention: better than 19% of compact cars

Which of these numbers are measured

What stands behind each score for this car:

Reliability 82: from NHTSA recalls and complaints. This one is a raw count: we do not have a sales figure for this model, so a high-volume car looks worse here than it should.
Longevity 79: an estimate from powertrain and brand record. No 200,000-mile population exists for a 1993 car yet, so this is a prior, not evidence.
Maintenance 89: repair-cost data where we have it for this model, otherwise a mechanical-complexity estimate from engine size, cylinder count and drivetrain.
Safety: no score. NHTSA crash testing thins out for older vehicles and we would rather show nothing than guess.

Common questions

What goes wrong with the 1993 Buick Skylark?

Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and service brakes is the most reported area with 11 of them (20%). There is 1 recall on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.

Is the 1993 Buick Skylark reliable?

AVOIR scores its reliability 82/100 (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.

How long will a 1993 Buick Skylark last?

AVOIR scores its longevity 79/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 1993 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.

Should I buy a 1993 Buick Skylark?

AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 71/100. 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.