BUICK SKYLARK · model year

1982 BUICK SKYLARK

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1982BUICKSKYLARK 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, 4 injuries, and 1 fatality. 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 1982 SKYLARK is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (1) and fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (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 1982 SKYLARK. 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

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

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

19990705FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

ENGINE STALLS WHEN CORNERING OR WAITING AT INTERSECTIONS WITH STOP LIGHTS WHENEVER AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURES EXCEED 85 DEGREES F*. MUST WAIT LONGER AS TEMPS. INCREASE. *AK

19971009FatalSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT WORK WHILE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, FOUR PEOPLE INJURED AND ONE DEATH DUE TO SEAT BELT FAILURE.

19960222SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

BRAKE CALIPERS LOCKED UP. *SD

Compare 1982BUICKSKYLARK to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1982 BUICK SKYLARK have?
The 1982 BUICK SKYLARK has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1982 BUICK SKYLARK?
The most-complained component for the 1982 BUICK SKYLARK is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM.
Is the 1982 BUICK SKYLARK 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.