Half of all complaints arrive by 9 years of age, so 100% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Service Brakes, with 34 complaints.
Buick Reatta years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 22 | 16 | yes | |
| 1989 | 10 | 7 | yes | |
| 1988 | 7 | 4 | yes |
Among the 3 Buick Reatta years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 1988, 1989, 1990; the three worth hunting are 1990, 1989, 1988.
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 0% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 100% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for few of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
What waits further out is Structure at 9 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | — | 4 | — | |
| Hydraulic | — | 4 | — | |
| Structure | 9 yrs | — | — | |
| Exterior Lighting | — | — | — | |
| Tires | — | 1 | — | |
| Visibility | — | — | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the Reatta's vehicle class. Per production run, the Chevrolet Corvette draws 3.41 and the Dodge Viper 1.2, against 1.41 for the Reatta.
| Same class as the Reatta | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audi R8 | 8 | 2008–2023 | |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 155 | 1981–2026 | |
| Dodge Viper | 45 | 1992–2017 | |
| Mazda MX-5 | 34 | 1990–2026 | |
| Lamborghini Huracan | 25 | 2015–2026 | |
| Ford GT | 12 | 2004–2022 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
- Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
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- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
Is the Buick Reatta reliable?
By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.41 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.
Which Reatta years should you avoid?
By complaints per production run, 1988, 1989, 1990. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 1990, 1989, 1988. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.
When do Reatta problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 9 years of age. The most reported system is Service Brakes, followed by Hydraulic.
Will the warranty cover Reatta problems?
Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 0% of reported failures fall inside it.
Is the Reatta more reliable than the Chevrolet Corvette?
Yes: 1.41 complaints per production run for the Reatta against 3.41 for the Chevrolet Corvette.
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