Total Complaints
1 filings
BUICK RIVIERA · model year
1988 BUICK RIVIERA
1 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 1988BUICKRIVIERA carries 1 consumer safety complaint 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1988 RIVIERA is structure:frame and members with 1 filings. 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 1988 RIVIERA. 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.
1
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 |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010723STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
I WAS CHNAGING MY OWN OIL WHEN I NOTICED A PART OF THE UNIBODY SUB-FRAME NEAR THE STEERING CONTROL ARM WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. I HAD IT INSPECTED BY A PROFESSIONAL FABRICATOR WHO TOLD ME THAT IT WAS AN ORIGINAL DEFECT, THAT IT WAS NOT PROPERLY POWDER COATED OR ANOTHER TYPE OF FACTORY CONTAMINATION BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY SPOT ON THE CAR SHOWING SIGNIFICANT RUST. THERE IS ONE OTHER 1988 BUICK RIVIERA IN TOWN AND JUST RECENTLY THERE CAR FAILED IN EXACTLY THE SAME SPOT. COINCIDENCE DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY. ARE THERE OTHER ACCIDENTS OR HIGHWAY DEATHS THAT HAVE BEN REPORTED FOR THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL YEAR AS MINE.THANK YOU FOR YOR TIME AND CONSIDERATION REGARDING THIS MATTER. PLEASE ADVISE WITH INFORMATION THAT YOU FIND.*AK
Compare 1988BUICKRIVIERA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 BUICK RIVIERA have?▼
The 1988 BUICK RIVIERA has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 BUICK RIVIERA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 BUICK RIVIERA is STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1988 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 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 1988 BUICK RIVIERA; 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.