Is This A Lemon?

Year · Make · Model

1986 Buick Electra

What the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration knows about this vehicle: every recall, every consumer complaint, every defect investigation, every NCAP crash test. Sourced directly from NHTSA data feeds.

3
Open recalls
12
NHTSA complaints
6
Defect investigations
0
Service bulletins

Consumer complaints

12 filed
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries reported
0
Fatalities reported

What people complain about

  • Service BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC Limited Slip
    3
  • Service BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION Components
    2
  • Vehicle Speed CONTROL:CRUISE Control
    1
  • STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
    1
  • Power TRAIN:MANUAL Transmission
    1
  • Service BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC Limited SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
    1
  • Service BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER Assist
    1
  • Engine AND Engine COOLING:ENGINE
    1

Recalls

3 campaigns
87V093000·SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1987-06-23

THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) PRESSURE/WARNING SWITCH MAY EXHIBIT BRAKE FLUID SEEPAGE WHICH EVENTUALLY CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR AND ABS ELECTRICAL RELAYS MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO WATER CONTAMINATION DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE LOSS OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR AND/OR LOSS OF THE ABS FUNCTION.

RiskLOSS OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR WOULD RESULT IN A TOTALLOSS OF REAR BRAKES AS WELL AS POWER ASSIST TO THE FRONT BRAKES. THE RED BRAKEWARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND STAY ON. IF THIS WARNING IS NOT HEEDED, ALOSS OF REAR BRAKES AT A TIME WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE IS REQUIRED COULDRESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH. AN INOPERATIVE ABS ELECTRICAL RELAY COULD CAUSELOSS OF THE ABS FUNCTION, BUT NORMAL POWER ASSISTED BRAKING WOULD BE RETAINED.THE AMBER ANTI LOCK WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND STAY ON.

FixTHE ABS AND HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR ELECTRICAL RELAYS AND 30 AMP FUSES WILL BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR ASSEMBLY AND PRESSURE/WARNING SWITCH WILL BE INSPECTED AND, IF REQUIRED, REPLACED.

86V145000·STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS1986-11-03

THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP RETURN HOSE AND THE ENGINE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: HOSE COULD OVERHEAT, RESULTING IN A HOLE AND FLUID LEAK, AND A POSSIBLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

FixREPLACE AND CORRECTLY ROUTE HOSE, AS NECESSARY.

86V131000·EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH1986-09-19

THE PUSH PULL HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY HAVE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WHICH ALLOW AN INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO FLICKER OR SUDDENLY GO OUT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: SUDDEN LOSS OF THE HEADLIGHTS UNDER SEVERE WEATHER OR NIGHTTIME DRIVING CONDITIONS COULD REDUCE DRIVER VISIBILITY WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

FixREPLACE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AS NECESSARY.

NHTSA investigations

6 actions
EA89028·SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1989-07-28 → 1990-07-27

REAR BRAKE PIN

PE89098·SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1989-03-10 → 1989-05-17

ANTI LOCK BRAKES

EA88031·VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES1988-04-22 → 1989-10-23

SUDDEN ACCELERATION

EA88019·STEERING1988-01-28 → 1990-10-31

HYDRO BOOST

EA87022·VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES1987-08-27 → 1991-11-27

STALLING

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