1995 Buick Riviera problems & reliability
130 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1995 Buick Riviera, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (8 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 21 | 16% |
| Seat Belts → | 21 | 16% |
| Power Train → | 18 | 14% |
| Electrical System → | 17 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 14 | 11% |
| Steering → | 13 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 6% |
| Structure | 8 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 5% |
| Visibility | 6 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,100 miles (middle 50% between 56,000 and 92,500 miles), based on 22 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 buick riviera. While driving at 25 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The traction control warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle later failed to start. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic but was not…”
Engine · filed Apr 29, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 buick riviera. The contact stated while driving, the engine stalled. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure recurred seven times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the mechanic was unable to detect a failure. The approximate failure mileage was…”
Engine · filed Aug 8, 2014
“This is an intermittent issue and has been occurring at different times since purchase in 1999. While driving engine stalls and I lose power steering control. Experiencing long cranks before engine will start. However, engine eventually restarts but engine stalls again several times before car will run without…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jun 12, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR
Engineering Analysis EA00006 · opened Feb 22, 2000 · closed Mar 6, 2000 · led to recall 00V057000
- REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR
Preliminary Evaluation PE99059 · opened Sep 15, 1999 · closed Feb 22, 2000
Technical service bulletins
56 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1995 Buick Riviera. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 15, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 15, 2017
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2017
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1995 Buick Riviera has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1995 Buick Riviera?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 75,100 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.