1989 Buick Skyhawk Base review from North America
"A great little car, but not without its quirks!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Alternator.
Power steering pump.
Power steering hose blew three times.
Radiator hose.
A/C compressor kicked the bucket a couple years ago.
Exhaust system twice.
Cigarette lighter died.
Some rust around the body, but all surface rust (what else can you expect for a car this old?)
General comments?
Overall, it's been a great little car to have. My complaints are that it's very small, and quite underpowered. This car does not like hills. When we bought the car, the interior looked brand new. It had very low miles, the A/C worked, the seats looked like they had never been sat in, dashboard was not cracked or anything, it still had the original can of touch-up paint in the glove compartment.
Over the years, it's had to have a few things replaced. The biggest issue with this car has been the power steering. We've replaced the hose 3 times, and the pump once, and it still makes noise and drops fluid. These cars (along with its sister cars the Pontiac Sunbird, Chevrolet Cavalier, and Cadillac Cimarron) have been known to have this problem.
It really has been a wonderfully reliable car. Very economical.
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| 1992 - Skyhawk GS 3.3 V6 209hp One bad ass car! |
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| Best new car I have ever owned |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1989 |
| Year of manufacture | 1989 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 liter inline 4 cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 34000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 74000 miles |
| Previous car | GMC Safari |
| Date of Entry | 6th August, 2009 |