Total Complaints
2 filings
BUICK RIVIERA · model year
1986 BUICK RIVIERA
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986BUICKRIVIERA 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 RIVIERA is electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (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 RIVIERA. 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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19970929ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
VOLTAGE CONVERTER FOR THE DASH AND SHIFTING INDICATORS FAILED. DASH AND SHIFTING INDICATORS ARE DEPENDENT ON VOLTAGE CONVERTER. WITHOUT THE LIGHTS AND IN THE DARK IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THE LIGHT SWITCH IS LOCATED OR WHERE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER IS POSITIONED. *AK
19961227ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE IS DRAINING THE BATTERY AND COULD CAUSE A FIRE. *AK
Compare 1986BUICKRIVIERA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 BUICK RIVIERA have?▼
The 1986 BUICK RIVIERA has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 BUICK RIVIERA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 BUICK RIVIERA is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR.
Is the 1986 BUICK RIVIERA 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.