How many recalls does the 1988 Buick Riviera have?

The 1988 Buick Riviera has no NHTSA safety recalls on record.

How do I check if my 1988 Buick Riviera has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1988 Buick Riviera?

Of 1 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is structure.

1988 Buick Riviera Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1988 Buick Riviera. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA, most often about the structure. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

Total complaints1

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“I was chnaging my own oil when I noticed a part of the unibody sub-frame near the steering control arm was almost completely rusted through. I had it inspected by a professional fabricator who told me that it was an original defect, that it was not properly powder coated or another type of factory…”

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS · reported 2001-01-21

Defect investigations

Investigation C89001 Opened 1989-03-06 · closed 1990-01-16

THROTTLE NON-RETURN

There is no summary currently available

Investigation EA88036 Opened 1988-07-22 · closed 1991-08-30

REAR DISC BRAKES

SUMMARY: CORROSION IN THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER PREVENTS AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT FOR PAD WEAR. THIS MAY EVENTUALLY CAUSE LOSS OF REAR SERVICE BRAKE AND PARKING BRAKE. GM HAS ADDED CORROSION PROTECTION AND CHANGED SPRING RATE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. SAME BASIC DESIGN USED ON ALL MODELS IDENTIFIED.

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Buick Riviera as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.