1990 Buick Reatta Problems: Brakes (29 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 1990 Buick Reatta is Brakes (83% of 29 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 1990 Buick Reatta?
24 of 29 filings named Brakes (83% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Body / frame (2 reports).
There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Transmission / driveline, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 1989 has 10 reports on file; this year has 29. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 3
- Fires 0
- Injuries 0
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 24 | 82.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 2 | 6.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 1 | 3.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 1 | 3.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 1 | 3.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 28 | 96.6% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1996-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1997-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1997-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1999-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1999-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1999-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1999-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2000-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2000-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2000-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2000-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2001-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 90V031000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 90V164000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 90E043004 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 91V158000 |
Safety Recalls (4)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Transmission / driveline, and Brakes.
-
Recall campaign 90E043004
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- INFLATOR COMPONENT SEPARATION ALLOWS HOT COMBUSTION GASESTO ESCAPE INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURIES TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.
- Remedy:
- REPLACE AIR BAG MODULES CONTAINING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE INFLATORS.
-
Recall campaign 90V031000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- REPLACE FORWARD DISCRIMINATING SENSOR AS NECESSARY.
-
Recall campaign 90V164000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- INSTALL A TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO PREVENT CABLE DISENGAGEMENT.
-
Recall campaign 91V158000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- VEHICLES WOULD NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 101AND 105.
- Remedy:
- REPLACE THE PROM IN THE BODY COMPUTER MODULE TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION FROM OCCURRING.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 1990 Buick Reatta?
Owners named Brakes most often — 24 of 29 reports (83%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 1990 Buick Reatta?
NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Transmission / driveline, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 1990 Buick Reatta?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.