Total Complaints
10 filings
BUICK ELECTRA · model year
1990 BUICK ELECTRA
10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990BUICKELECTRA carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 1990 ELECTRA is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by unknown or other (2) and steering: steering wheel/handle bar (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 1990 ELECTRA. 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.
10
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20160222ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. MOVING.
Mileage: 90,000
20160222VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. MOVING.
Mileage: 90,000
20160222UNKNOWN OR OTHER
SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. MOVING.
Mileage: 90,000
20000623UNKNOWN OR OTHER
BECAUSE OF THE DARK BLUE PRIMER USED THAT YEAR ON ALL BUICKS MY CAR LOOKS LIKE IT IS STARTING TO MELT, I HAVE TROUBLE SELLING THE CAR BECAUSE OF THIS, THERE IS NO RUST OR ANY OTHER PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS MAKE/MODEL I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. GETTING A WHOLE NEW PAINT JOB WILL COST MONEY I DON'T HAVE.NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
19980323STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED.
19980323ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FAILED.
19980323ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP FAILED.
19980323POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
19970430STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING THEIR IS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUM AREA. OWNER ALSO NOTES THAT THIS IS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. OWNER IS CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY. *AK
19950512CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL RUNNING WILD HITTING BUILDING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Compare 1990BUICKELECTRA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 BUICK ELECTRA have?▼
The 1990 BUICK ELECTRA has 10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BUICK ELECTRA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 BUICK ELECTRA is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR.
Is the 1990 BUICK ELECTRA 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.