1990 Buick reatta
Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 1990 Buick reatta is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 3 on record.
1990 Buick reatta at a glance
Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.
1990 Buick reatta recalls 4
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.
Fix: REPLACE THE PROM IN THE BODY COMPUTER MODULE TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION FROM OCCURRING.
THREADED INFLATOR COMPONENTS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY WHICH MAY ALLOW COMPONENTS TO SEPARATE WHEN INFLATOR RECEIVES A SIGNAL TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAG.
Fix: REPLACE AIR BAG MODULES CONTAINING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE INFLATORS.
TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE MAY DISENGAGE FROM THE FROM THE FLOOR SHIFT CONTROL WITH LOSS OF GEAR INDICATOR REFERENCE AND SHIFT SELECTOR OPERATION.
Fix: INSTALL A TRANSAXLE SHIFT CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO PREVENT CABLE DISENGAGEMENT.
THE FORWARD SENSOR FOR THE AIR BAG MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY CONSTRUCTED WITH PART OF THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE SENSOR REVERSED.
Fix: REPLACE FORWARD DISCRIMINATING SENSOR AS NECESSARY.
Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.
1990 Buick reatta common problems
The most-reported problem areas across all 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.
1990 Buick reatta MPG & running costs
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov.
Estimated 5-year cost to own
A rough guide to what running a 1990 Buick reatta costs over five years and 75,000 miles.
How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.
Dimensions & weight
Manufacturer-reported figures for the 1990 Buick reatta — ranges cover the 2 body / drivetrain versions on record. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.
Canadian recalls 3
Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 1990 Buick reatta. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.
Lights And Instruments
VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH C.M.V.S.S.105- HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEMS AND C.M.V.S.S.101- CONTROL LOCATION AND IDENTIFICATION. THE BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR LIGHT DOES NOT LIGHT WHEN THE IGNITION IS IN THE "ON" POSITION, THE PARKING BRAKE APPLIED, AND THE SHIFT SELECTOR IN THE (P) PARK OR (N) NEUTRAL GEAR RANGE POSITION. CORRECTION: THE PROGRAMMABLE READ ONLY MEMORY (PROM) IN THE BODY…
Transport Canada #1991130 · Sep 1991Powertrain
THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONTROL CABLE MAY DISENGAGE FROM THE FLOOR CONTROL ASSEMBLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF INDICATOR REFERENCE AND SHIFT OPERATION. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE TRANSMISSION NOT BEING IN THE GEAR INDICATED BY THE SELECTOR THEREBY ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY IF PARKED ON AN INCLINE OR TO PROCEED IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE ONE SELECTED. CORRECTION: TRANSMISSION…
Transport Canada #1990142 · Sep 1990Seats And Restraints
THE FORWARD DISCRIMINATING SENSOR FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL INFLATABLE RESTRAINT (AIR BAG) SYSTEM MAY HAVE BEEN MISBUILT. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THIS COULD RESULT IN DELAYED DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG WITH POSSIBLE INJURY TO THE DRIVER. CORRECTION: FORWARD DISCRIMINATING SENSOR WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY.
Transport Canada #1990029 · Feb 1990Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.
About the Buick reatta
The Buick Reatta is a low-volume transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive, two-door, two-seater grand tourer manufactured and marketed by Buick as a coupe (1988–1991) and convertible (1990–1991) — both featuring a 3.8 liter V6 engine and shortened version of the GM E platform, shared with the seventh generation Buick Riviera.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.