1990 BUICK REATTA Complaints

WE HAVE HAD THE CAR OVER 10 YEARS AND IT HAD A HARD PEDAL WHEN YOU FIRST START IT UP THEN AS WE USE THE BRAKES THEY WORK BETTER

COMPLETE FAILURE OF ANTI BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY 1990 BUICK REATTA ALSO-- AS SPECIFICALLY REPORTED FROM OTHER REATTA OWNERS. DEALER STATES THERE ARE PROBLEMS --- REATTA INTERNET SITES STATES THERE ARE MAJOR PROBLEMS --- NHTSA WEBSITE LIST SEVERAL COMPLAINTS / PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF ABS FAILURE. HOW MANY INCIDENTS / DEATHS WILL IT TAKE FOR BUICK OR NHTSA TO CORRECT THIS FACTORY / PART DEFECT? WHAT A DISGRACE OF PUBLIC SAFETY SHOWN BY BUICK AND NHTSA. DEALER STATES OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE -- $1500.00-$2000.00. SAME PART MANUFACTURE, SAME CONTINUOUS DEFECT. *JB

THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE 1990 BUICK REATTA. THE CAR HAS AN AUTOMATIC HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TURN ON THE DEFROSTER TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD FROM FOGGING UP WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 39 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IF THE CAR IS LOW ON FREON. I REALIZE THAT WINDSHIELDS CLEAR UP FASTER IF THE AIR IS DEHUMIDIFIED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE COMPUTER OF THIS SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW ANY AIR TO BE BLOWN ON THE WINDSHIELD IF THE FREON PRESSURE SWITCH DETECTS LOW FREON PRESSURE. THE SYSTEM SHOULD ALLOW AIR WARM AIR TO BE BLOWN ON THE WINDSHIELD TO DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD. IT IS AN UNSAFE DESIGN WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DEFOG YOUR WINDSHIELD BECAUSE OF A BAD FREON SWITCH OR BECAUSE OF LOW FREON. IN LOUISIANA THERE ARE MANY DAYS IN WHICH THE WINDSHIELD NEEDS DEFOGGING DUE TO HIGH HUMIDITY OR RAIN. *JB

FAILURE OF HYDRALIC/ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ON MY 1990 BUICK REATTA CONVERTIBLE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND ABS SYSTEM. *AK

THE ABS SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE NEW. MANY TIMES THE BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD PULL TO ONE SIDE AND THIS IS DOCUMENTED IN REPAIR ORDERS AT THE DEALER. DEALER NEVER WAS ABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM AT THE TIME OF THE RO.IN 1996 DEALER REPLACED ABS RELAYS TO CORRECT CONCERNS OF ABS SYSTEM INOPPERABLE. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON MANY TIMES. DEALER NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE ANY PROBLEM. THEN DURING JULY AND AUGUST OF 2000 MORE CONSISTANT PROBLEMS BEGAN TO OCCUR. VERY BAD PULL TO ONE SIDE UPON BRAKING ON ONE OCCASION AND A STIFF PEDAL WITH GREATLY REDUCED BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS. TOOK TO DEALER FOR THESE PROBLEMS , RO STATES RED BRAKE LIGHT AND YELLOW ABS WARRNING LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON. REPLACED ACCUMULATOR. LEFT DEALER AND WITH IN BLOCKS WARNING LIGHT COMES BACK ON. RETURN TO DEALER AND DISCUSS REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM. BEGIN TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON WEB AND FIND REATTA OWNERS GROUP FORUM WITH MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT ARE OF THE SAME NATURE INVOLVING THE BRAKING SYSTEM. BUICK, DEALER AND OWNER (ME) SPLIT THE 3291.91 BILL 3 WAYS AFTER SEVICE MANAGER AND FACTORY SERVICE REP. REVIEW INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE REATTA OWNERS FORUM. MY FEELING IS THAT THE TEVES BRAKING SYSTEM USED BY BUICK/GENERAL MOTORS ON MANY VEHICLES DURING THE LATE 80. *AK

BOTH TIMES WE EXPERIENCED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS "HARD" (WOULD NOT MOVE). BOTH TIMES THERE WAS NO WARNING IE. NO ABS LIGHT ON DASH AND NO BRAKE LIGHT ON DASH. BOTH TIME THE FAILURE OCCURED WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED SO THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR OR DIVER.

BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP CAR WHILE BACKING DOWN DRIVEWAY. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. ALSO HAVE HAD BRAKE FAILURES AT ROAD SPEED WHERE CAR SWERVES WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALER MANY TIMES AND THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. HAVE CONTACT WITH MANY REATTA OWNERS WHO HAVE THIS SAME DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT CAN'T BE RESOLVED BY THE DEALER. *AK

INTERMITANT FAILURES WHERE ABS WOULD EITHER ENGAGE OR WHEELS WOULD LOCK AND/OR THE CAR WOULD LUNGE LEFT OR RIGHT. IN 10 MONTHS NUMEROUS DEALERSHIPS WERE NEVER ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEMS, ALWAYS SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE SYSTEM ON CAR.

BRAKE BOOST FAILED ONLY ONCE, AFTER 500 MILES OF DRIVING, THEN WORKED OKAY AGAIN FOR ANOTHER 50 MILES. NO PANEL INDICATORS SHOWED. WHEN BRAKED HARD I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN ENOUGH TO MAKE THE CURVE AT ROADWAY EXIT. DURING THIS SLOW DECELERATION A WHINE OR SCREECH CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CHECKED WITH USERS GROUP ON WEB. THEY HAVE STARTED TO SEE THIS PROBLEM WITHIN THE PAST YEAR AND ARE NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THIS INTERMITTANT PROBLEM. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH NO WARNING.

IN BUMPER/BUMPER TRAFFIC, 97 DEGREES, STOP AND GO, ABS BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. NO LIGHTS ON DASH. AT TIME WAS JUST BARELY MOVING. CHECKED FLUID LEVELS, OKAY, NO LEAKS. ABS BRAKES JUST STOPPED WORKING WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER HINTS. GLAD I WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL AND NOT MY WIFE.*AK