Your vehicle report
1996 Buick Skylark
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
- 85
- Received Jun 1996 to Jul 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes11 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract8 complaints · 9.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Check engine light comes on repeatedly5 complaints · 5.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #02V070000On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
- Recall #98V027000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles were built with the potential for the interior lamps to come on unexpectedly while the vehicles are being driven. This does not meet the requirements of FMVSS no. 101, "controls and displays."
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: 7 crashes, 1 fire, 9 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 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 6 |
| 1997 | 13 |
| 1998 | 10 |
| 1999 | 8 |
| 2000 | 10 |
| 2001 | 5 |
| 2002 | 11 |
| 2003 | 4 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 85 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 11 | 13% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 8 | 9.4% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 5.9% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 3.5% | – | NHTSA recall #02V070000 |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 3 | 3.5% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 3 | 3.5% | – |
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 #02V070000March 6, 20021,589,948 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition: switch
On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
If the switch is damaged, a fire could occur in the steering column, even with the engine off and the key removed.
Remedy
Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch. Owner notification began march 27, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, Buick at 1-800-521-7300, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
NHTSA recall #98V027000February 17, 1998249,420 vehicles affected
interior lighting
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles were built with the potential for the interior lamps to come on unexpectedly while the vehicles are being driven. This does not meet the requirements of FMVSS no. 101, "controls and displays."
The interior lamps coming on unexpectedly could startle a driver causing a momentary loss of control increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
Remedy
Dealers will run a diagnostic test on the lamp control module and, if necessary, replace it.
NHTSA recall #96V249000December 17, 1996424 vehicles affected
steering: steering wheel/handle bar
The steering column lower pinch bolt was not properly tightened during assembly.
An undertorqued pinch bolt Can rattle and cause looseness in the steering system. If the pinch bolt backed out of the joint completely, rotation of the steering shaft against the connector could cause increasing looseness in the steering system and result in loss of steering and an accident.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the steering column pinch bolt for correct torque and, if necessary, tighten the bolt to the specified torque.
NHTSA recall #96V211000October 28, 199648,689 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
During deployment of the passenger air bag, the air bag fabric Can snag on a reinforcement inside the instrument panel, causing the expanding air bag to lift the instrument panel pad and then deploy under the instrument panel instead of through the door in the instrument panel.
In a crash, the front seat passenger could receive more severe injuries if he or she contacts a broken reinforcement or if the snagging affects the deployment of the air bag.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the instrument panel pads and, if necessary, install a plastic edge protector to the instrument panel pad reinforcement. On certain early-production vehicles, the instrument panel pad will be replaced.
Other model years
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 1996 Buick Skylark.
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