Buick Roadmaster Reliability
452 NHTSA complaints (1989–1999). Complaint rate: 4808.5 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1994 Buick Roadmaster. The 1991 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Buick Roadmaster Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 36 | 13.9% |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 29 | 93.1% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 22 | 31.8% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 18 | 5.6% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 16 | 0.0% |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 12 | 8.3% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 11 | 0.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 10 | 10.0% |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 10 | 0.0% |
| SUSPENSION | 9 | 11.1% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1989View→ |
| 1991GOOD | — | 9 | 2 | — | View 1991View→ |
| 1992AVOID | — | 105 | 20 | 1 | View 1992View→ |
| 1993 | — | 65 | 13 | 1 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994AVOID | — | 132 | 18 | 8 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995 | — | 76 | 5 | 1 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996 | — | 62 | 3 | 1 | View 1996View→ |
See also: Buick Roadmasteraccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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