Total Complaints
18 filings
Buick Skylark · model year
1989 Buick Skylark
18 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
- Complaints
- 18
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1989 Buick Skylark posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 39%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1989BuickSkylark carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 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 1989 Skylark is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system (2) and fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:fuel rail (1). 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 1989 Skylark. 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.
18
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1989 Buick Skylark
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990420FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND AFTER STARTING IT, VEHICLE EXPLODED AND BURST INTO FLAMES, RESULTING IN A FIRE WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19970325POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET REPLACED 2 TIMES. *SD
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
SPARK PLUGS REPLACED. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MUFFLER REPLACED. *SD
19960425SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
THERMOSTAT REPLACED. *SD
19960425STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
STEERING BELT LOOSE. *SD
19960425SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BRAKE ROTORS TURNED. *SD
19960425SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM
BRAKE SHOES REPLACED. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM OVERHEATED. *SD
19960425SUSPENSION:FRONT
VEHICLE MISALIGNED. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
EXHAUST PIPE REPLACED. *SD
19960425POWER TRAIN
ODOMETER INOPERATIVE. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP REPLACED DUE TO LEAK. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ECM REPLACED. *SD
19960411FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
FUEL FEED HOSE RUPTURED AND LEAKED FUEL IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CAUSING A FIRE. *AK
Compare 1989BuickSkylark to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 Buick Skylark have?▼
The 1989 Buick Skylark has 18 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Buick Skylark?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 Buick Skylark is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL.
Is the 1989 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.
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 1989 Buick Skylark; 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.