Model year record

1990 Buick Reatta

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 30 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 91V158000

Service brakes, hydraulic: brake fluid low warning: lamp

Component
Service brakes, hydraulic: brake fluid low warning: lamp
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Vehicles affected
18,904
Reported to NHTSA
1991-09-13
Owners notified
1991-11-27

Defect description

BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT MAY NOT LIGHT WHEN IGNITION IS IN THE "ON" POSITION, THE PARKING BRAKE IS APPLIED, AND THE SHIFT SELECTOR IS IN THE PARK OR NEUTRAL GEAR RANGE.

Safety risk

VEHICLES WOULD NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 101AND 105.

Manufacturer remedy

REPLACE THE PROM IN THE BODY COMPUTER MODULE TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION FROM OCCURRING.

Recall campaignNHTSA 90V164000

Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift

Component
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Vehicles affected
63,964
Reported to NHTSA
1990-09-06
Owners notified
1990-10-05

Defect description

TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE MAY DISENGAGE FROM THE FROM THE FLOOR SHIFT CONTROL WITH LOSS OF GEAR INDICATOR REFERENCE AND SHIFT SELECTOR OPERATION.

Safety risk

DRIVER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE ACTUAL GEARPOSITION THE TRANSAXLE IS IN, WHICH COULD RESULT IN UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENTAND AN ACCIDENT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Manufacturer remedy

INSTALL A TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO PREVENT CABLE DISENGAGEMENT.

Recall campaignNHTSA 90V031000

Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

Component
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Vehicles affected
857
Reported to NHTSA
1990-02-12
Owners notified
1990-03-01

Defect description

THE FORWARD SENSOR FOR THE AIR BAG MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY CONSTRUCTED WITH PART OF THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE SENSOR REVERSED.

Safety risk

THE REVERSAL OF THE WIRES COULD CAUSE DELAY IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG AND INCREASE THE SEVERITY OF THE OF INJURY TO AN UNBELTED DRIVER IN AN ACCIDENT.

Manufacturer remedy

REPLACE FORWARD DISCRIMINATING SENSOR AS NECESSARY.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip20137,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components2
Structure: frame and members2
Air bags: frontal1
Electrical system: ignition1
Service brakes199,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder1
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist1
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system192,000 mi

The 1989 model has 3 times as many complaints as this one. The 1991 model has 15 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.