1988 Buick Park Avenue review from North America

Replaced plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter upon purchase. Replaced with factory AC parts.

Replaced alternator and battery at 188,000 miles.

Replaced noisy water pump at 190,000 miles. Easy 30 minute repair.

Converted A/C system to R134A at 191,000. Still blows cold.

Replaced front pads/rotors/calipers and rear shoes/hardware/wheel cylinders/drums at 195,000. Brake parts for these cars are dirt cheap and easy to replace.

Replaced front struts/strut mounts and sway bar links at 200,000 miles. Wow, what a difference!

Replaced fuel pump, fuel pump sending unit and fuel filter at 210,000 miles.

Less than $50 in parts.

Replaced brake lines from master cylinder to rear wheel cylinders due to rust. 15 Northern Michigan winters!

Oil changed at least every 3,000 miles.

Always use Valvoline and AC filter.

Tremendous reliability, nearly impossible to kill a 3800.

Replacement parts for these cars are very inexpensive.

440-T4 trans, while having a somewhat poor reliability record, is rock solid in my car. Shift timing and shift quality is superb.

Terrific fuel mileage, 23 city, 30 highway doing 85 with the air on.

Good power-3800 has tons of low end torque. Acceleration would be better if these cars weren't geared terribly high for fuel mileage. 2.81 axle ratio=somewhat lazy off the line. Easy to bury the speedo needle though!

3800 easily rivals Japanese engines in smoothness. I should know, I am a Toyota technician. While certainly not scientific, I can still stand a nickel on end on the intake manifold of my 3800 with it idling and it will not fall over! Cast iron block/heads/overhead valves! Who needs 4 cams!