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1981 Buick SkylarkProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 1981 Buick Skylark, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints11 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Engine and engine cooling

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 3, 1995. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1981 Buick Skylark has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling10
Fuel system, gasoline10
Power train10
Service brakes, hydraulic10
Vehicle speed control11

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1981 Buick Skylark recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Buick.

Best & worst years

1981 vs. every other Skylark year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Skylark median. How we score

'66'67'68'70'71'75'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'00
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1981 Buick Skylark, and the recalls they led to.

  1. TRANS. LOCKUPS AND TRANS. HARD SHIFTINGDP82010 · closed Oct 18, 1982
    No recall
  2. LOCKED POWER STEERING SYSTEMDP83008 · closed Jul 20, 1983
    No recall
  3. POWER ST. ASSISTEA87006 · closed Sep 19, 1988
    No recall

Own a 1981 Skylark?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.