1997 Buick Riviera Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Riviera years
- About as many complaints as other years 3rd of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Buick Riviera. That ranks 3rd out of 6 Riviera model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (10 complaints, 23%), typically at around 165,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 5 fires, 4 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 43owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Buick Riviera problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 10 | 23% | 165,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 14% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 14% | 121,887 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 7% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 5% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% | 93,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Buick Riviera recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 1997 Buick Riviera.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine compartment fires (EA02030) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 9, 2004, led to recall 04V090000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have a 1997 buick riviera that has a security light problem. I try to crank the car and sometimes it will crank other times it wont. I am a young male that normally travels back and forth to work but some morning's all i can do is pray. It never really bothered me before i have been told that i…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 buick riviera. The contact stated the vehicle was parked when he noticed there was a puddle of oil on the engine due to an oil leak from the valve covers. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 08v118000 (engine and engine cooling) but did not confirm if the…
On the night of august 11, 2009 my car caught on fire. My husband was driving home form the grocery store one night, as he was driving down the street when he smelled a burning smell coming from the car, he immediately pulled over to see were it was coming from. When he got out of the car he seen a…
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…
This morning i tried to start the car to get my kids to school, i turn the key but the engine didn't start, immediately a big loud explosion (the car never started), then smoke came out from under the hood, i got out to open the hood and fire was coming out of the engine right next dashboard near…
Other Buick Riviera years
← 1996 Riviera · 1998 Riviera →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 Riviera | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 Riviera | 6 | 0 |
| 1998 Riviera | 29 | 0 |
| 1997 | 43 | 0 |
| 1996 Riviera | 44 | 2 |
| 1995 Riviera | 130 | 1 |
See all Buick Riviera problems by year, every Buick model, or the Buick VIN decoder.
Similar Buick models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Buick Riviera?
Owners most often report steering, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 10 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Buick Riviera?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 1997 Buick Riviera a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Riviera model years, the 1997 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.