Total Complaints
12 filings
BUICK PARK AVENUE · model year
1990 BUICK PARK AVENUE
12 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990BUICKPARK AVENUE carries 12 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 1990 PARK AVENUE is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 4 filings, followed by unknown or other (2) and seat belts:front:retractor (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 PARK AVENUE. 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.
12
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 4 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030812SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE JAMMED 1/3 OF THE TIME. THE CONSUMER HAD TO STEP OUT OF THE VEHICLE, STILL BUCKLED AND THEN THE SEAT BELT UNBUCKLED.*AK FAILURE OF THE SEAT BELT TO RELEASE WHEN THE BUTTON WAS PRESSED HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. *PH *JB
20030811ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OUR BUICK STARTS JUST FINE BUT OFTEN DIES OUT INTERMITTENTLY AT STOP SIGNS, WHEN WE SLOW DOWN, WHEN WE ARE JUST IDLING, WHEN WE FIRST START IT AND WHEN WE PUT IT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. IT HAPPENS WHETHER IT'S COLD OR HOT, BEEN RUNNING FOR A LONG TIME OR NOT, GOING 50 MPH OR 2 MPH, IT JUST DIES OUT. WE'VE HAD 3 DIFFERENT MECHANICS TRY TO FIX IT THIS PAST YEAR, COSTING APPROXIMATELY $900 AND IT STILL DIES OUT. WHAT THE HECK IS THE PROBLEM? IT'S PRETTY SCARY DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND HAVING IT DIE OUT AT 50 MPH AND HAVING TO RESTART IT, SOMETIMES 3 TO 4 TIMES. I BELIEVE THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS. AS FAR AS THE "INCIDENT DATE" IT HAS HAPPENED SO OFTEN I CAN'T PUT JUST ONE DATE ON IT. AND THE NUMBER OF FAILURES IS JUST TOO MANY TO COUNT. THE VEHICLE COMPONENT INFORMATION I PUT DOWN IS A COMPLETE GUESS. 3 MECHANICS AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES. *NLM
Mileage: 200,000
20000228UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS COMPONENT WAS SUBJECT TO RECALL ON THE 1990 BUICK REGAL WHICH APPEARS TO USE IDENTICAL COMPONENTS. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
20000218VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
WHEN MOVING TRANSMISSION PAWL FROM PARK TO DRIVE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK
19991020UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
19990217SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES THE PEDAL RESISTED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19981014TIRES
KELLY-SPRINGFIELD TIRES GT,P205/75R14 TIRES FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.
19980903EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
TWICE WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, CAUSING POOR VISIBILTY AT NIGHT. POSSIBLE CAUSE DEFECTIVE AUTOMATIC LIGHT SENSOR. *AK
19980713SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ABS: WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY WOULD GET SPONGY & THEN PULL HARD TO RIGHT. TOOK TO DEALER & DIAGNOSTICS WAS PERFORMED. PROBLEM INTERMITTENT. FINALLY MECHANIC FOUND PROBLEM & HAD THE REAR BRAKES ADJUSTED. *AK
19970306SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
OWNER SAID THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO PULL OFF AND THE BRAKES WENT OUT. *AK
19960509SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED. *SD
19960509SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT LOCKING MECHANISM FAILS TO RELEASE WITHOUT TURNING VEHICLE OFF. *DSH
Compare 1990BUICKPARK AVENUE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 BUICK PARK AVENUE have?▼
The 1990 BUICK PARK AVENUE has 12 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BUICK PARK AVENUE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 BUICK PARK AVENUE is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1990 BUICK PARK AVENUE 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.