1997 Buick Riviera problems
The 1997 Buick Riviera has 48 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (21%) concerns steering. Next are brakes (15%) and engine (15%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 48 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 94,000 miles 10 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 0 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 4 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 10 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 94,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 80% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1997 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 4 model years of the Buick Riviera with enough data (21 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
As I turned the switch on, the car back fired and then smoke started coming in the car and it was smoking from under the hood. The car was parked in the driveway, I immediately got out. My husband who had heard the back fire from inside the house, opened the hood, and the fire was already blazing. We tried to put the fire out but ended up calling the fire department. The care was completely destroyed.
1997 buick rivera. Consumer was driving onto the turnpike upon stopping at the toll plaza he noticed smoke and smelled plastic burning. Consumer pulled over and the vehicle burst into flames. Ohio traffic crash report.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 buick riviera. The contact noticed small flames erupting from underneath the vehicle. Smoke immediately appeared from the front end of the vehicle, followed by flames under the hood. The failure occurred without warning. The fire department was called to the scene and a report was filed. There were no personal injuries or property damage. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Jack for my 1997 buick riviera collapsed when I tried to change tire. Fortunately, I had not removed the flat tire yet and was not injured. This was the first time I had ever used the jack since the car was new. I still have the defective jack. I also own a 1995 buick riviera and its jack is much sturdier and has never been a problem. I showed the broken jack to my auto mechanic. He said the jack was unsafe and never should have been part of the equipment for the car.
Steering column/wheel started a little wiggle room, (wouldn't lock into place after adjusting position). Within about a month or so it was not drivable. It would not stay in a fixed position at all. In september 2006 we took it in to be repaired. They had to find and rebuild another steering column. It cost us almost $1000 dollars, plus the cost of a rental for about ten (10) days. The biggest reason I'm writing this now is because, it has broken again. (it is the same exact thing as before).