Your vehicle report
1990 Buick Reatta
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 29
- Received Nov 1995 to Mar 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up9 complaints · 31% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines4 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal4 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #91V158000Brake 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.
- Recall #90V164000Transaxle shift control cable may disengage from the from the floor shift control with loss of gear indicator reference and shift selector operation.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 4 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Brakes
- Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up
- Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines
- Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 2 |
| 1996 | 2 |
| 1997 | 3 |
| 1998 | 0 |
| 1999 | 5 |
| 2000 | 10 |
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 29 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 9 | 31% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 14% | – | |
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 4 | 14% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 3 | 10% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #91V158000September 13, 199118,904 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: brake fluid low warning: lamp
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.
Vehicles would not meet the requirements of FMVSS 101AND 105.
Remedy
Replace the prom in the body computer module to prevent this condition from occurring.
NHTSA recall #90V164000September 6, 199063,964 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
Transaxle shift control cable may disengage from the from the floor shift control with loss of gear indicator reference and shift selector operation.
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.
Remedy
Install a transaxle shift control cable retaining clip to prevent cable disengagement.
NHTSA recall #90V031000February 12, 1990857 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
The forward sensor for the air bag may have been incorrectly constructed with part of the wiring harness to the sensor reversed.
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.
Remedy
Replace forward discriminating sensor as necessary.
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1990 Buick Reatta.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN