Total Complaints
3 filings
BUICK BUICK · model year
1996 BUICK BUICK
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996BUICKBUICK carries 3 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, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1996 BUICK is suspension with 1 filings, followed by visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:windshield:electrical heating element (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1996 BUICK. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
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 |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020610ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
TO START THE ENGINE , AND THE CAR WAS PUSHED INTO ST STALL BY.THE SS TUBE UNDER THE CAR AND THE SS MANIFOLD ON THE MOTOR BLOCK ARE CONNECTED VIE A THIN-WALLED PLASRIC TUBE, WHICH IS HEAT-SHRINKE UNDER THE CAR AND CONNECTED TO THE MANIFOLD BY A FLIMSY PLASTIC CONNECTOR. BOTH CONNECTORS BROKE ( OF COURSE THEY MUST BRAKE EVENTUALLY THRU AGE ETC), AND THE GAS SPILLED ONTO THE HOT MOTOR BLOCK, FORMING A PUDDLE AND VAPORIZING , THUS FORMING AN EXPLOSIVE MIXTURE WAITING TO BE IGNITED FROM THE HOT EXHAUST MAMNIFOLD. *AK REFERENCED IN EA02-030
20000623VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT
ON AND WHILE DRIVING IN ADVERSE WEATHER IF DEFROST/DEFOGGER IS ENGAGED THEN ALL INSIDE LIGHTS COME ON AND STAYS ON UNTIL DEFROST/DEFOGGER IS DISENGAGED, CAUSES BIG PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT AND WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAYS/HIGHWAYS BECAUSE I CAN'T USE THE WINDOW CLEARING TOOLS AS I NEED TO. AND THE MANUAL STATES TO REPORT IF THE SECURITY LIGHT STAYS ON ANYWAY AS IT MAY BE CAUSE FOR SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN FUTURE. *AK
19960417SUSPENSION
AXLE BROKE, MAKING NOISE. *DSH
Compare 1996BUICKBUICK to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 BUICK BUICK have?▼
The 1996 BUICK BUICK has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 BUICK BUICK?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 BUICK BUICK is SUSPENSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE.
Is the 1996 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1996 BUICK BUICK; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.