1998 Buick Riviera review from North America

My Buick is a real gem, unfortunately it likes to break down. Quite often. And when it comes time to repair it, my car spends weeks and even months in the shop while they desperately try to order parts. Which is a real inconvenience , for a car that is six years old it has had a lot of repairs, the supercharger belt frayed at 120,000 miles, the transmission has started slipping recently, and the router and brake pads, thru no fault of my own wear out very quickly. But probably the biggest problem is the door mechanics, when I got the car it was two years old, and then the passenger door mechanism didn't always work, now it has completely stopped working. The interior, though nice looking, is very cheaply made, the leather seats tear even with proper maintenance, and the plastic dashboard warps. After five years I had to have the interior of both doors replaced, and the back of the passenger seat.

The car is nice to look at and makes a beautiful show piece, but it is just no meant to be a sturdy car. Also there is no cheap repair on a Buick Riviera, ie the bumper cost $1,400 new, and $800 refurbished. For those prices you could go out and buy a used Toyota that would be more reliable. But as for me I still prefer my 20 mile to the gallon, accident prone, money sucker. Because if it ain't a Buick, I ain't going to drive it.