1990 Buick Park Avenue from North America - Comments

Anti-lock brake system and pitman arm need to be replaced at 50000, probably bad when purchased.

Harmonic ballancor fell of at 60,000.

Chrome trim around parking lights corroded from the inside, leaving only the plating (which held up well, considering).

Electric seats, interior lights failed at 60,000.

Rocker panels rotted out completely before 78,000, making the car unsafe. Uni-body construction made repair too costly (over $5000.00) to justify.

Overall we loved the car and hated to part with it. However, we were told by an insurance claims adjustor, and confirmed by three independent collision shops, that the rocker panel problem was typical of that era, and appeared to be a design flaw.

1990 Park Avenue Ultra with over 200,000 miles on original engine. Just had the transmission rebuilt. Very little rust. Still a daily driver.

Actually these Buicks were much better prior to 1995, when a new version of the 3.8 liter v6 began to be used, which was much less reliable due too bad intake manifolds.

I had a '90 with over 110K miles on it between 1998-2000. I put 40,000 miles on it just in those 2 years. That 3.8 took daily beatings from me and the worst that ever happened was the water pump fell apart. It had the customary clearcoat failure/fading/peeling like all the other cars from that era.

This car acted like it was haunted, although thinking about it now, it probably just needed a new chassis computer. The door locks would operate by themselves, the trunk release would activate, the interior/opera lights went on and off, and while driving, the electronic climate control would start switching on and off and changing it's settings. Every now and then I'd get these wisps of smoke from between the steering wheel and the column, too. Never could figure it out. I eventually sold it because of the rust problems in the unibody, if I put the car up on jacks the body flexed so much I couldn't open the front doors! It was a comfy good running car though, save for the spooky electronics.

I have a 1990 and it has over 200,000 miles and still going strong.

I am happy with mine and that it has lasted so long.

I guess in any make of vehicle any of us can get a lemon although many get the ones that just keep running well and never give us a good excuse to purchase a new car yet!