Total Complaints
2 filings
BUICK BUICK · model year
1986 BUICK BUICK
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986BUICKBUICK carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1986 BUICK is steering:linkages:tie rod assembly with 1 filings, followed by steering:rack and pinion (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1986 BUICK. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020624STEERING:RACK AND PINION
WHEN COLD, POWER STEERING IS VERY HARD TO TURN. SOMETIMES WILL HARDLY TURN AT ALL, TO THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUS. I AM THE SECOND OWNER, AND HAVE ALL RECORDS FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I KNOW THIS IS AN OLDER CAR, BUT, IT IS IN BEAUTIFUL CONDITION. I HAVE READ ELSWHERE THAT THIS IS A RECOGNIZED PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE AT THIS TIME?*AK
19950706STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
BROKEN TIE RODS. *AW
Compare 1986BUICKBUICK to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 BUICK BUICK have?▼
The 1986 BUICK BUICK has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 BUICK BUICK?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 BUICK BUICK is STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:RACK AND PINION.
Is the 1986 BUICK BUICK safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.