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Buick SkylarkModel year report

1997 Buick Skylark Problems

Complaints
79filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
55,033miles, 15 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.4L 4-cyl FWD · 19 city / 29 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1997 Buick Skylark (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe braking problems, particularly ABS-related symptoms such as a soft or low pedal, longer stopping distances, and noise or lockup on wet or uneven roads. Electrical complaints are also common, including stalling and no-start conditions tied to the ignition switch and anti-theft system, and horn and air-bag assembly faults. Many reports come in at relatively low mileage, with some cooling and window problems appearing under 30,000 miles.

  1. Brakes

    ABS engagement, soft pedal and long stopping distance

    • 12 complaints (15%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 18.6 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 1998–2015

    Complaints describe ABS activating when it isn't expected, a brake pedal that sinks toward the floor, and longer stopping distances, often on wet roads, downhill, or while turning. Several owners mention grinding or knocking noises and repeat dealer visits where the problem could not be duplicated; some report pad and rotor replacement without resolving the symptom. Reported across a wide mileage range, most often during everyday braking on wet or uneven surfaces.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Test the brakes on wet pavement and note whether the pedal stays firm; ask whether the ABS pump and wheel sensors have been serviced. A service bulletin covers an ABS pump that runs when not needed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The entire time I have owned this car, there have been issues with the ABS - especially when the road is wet and driving down hill. When applying the brakes in these conditions, the car does not always stop even when pushing the brake pedal to the floor. You will here a clicking or grinding type of noise. It's not the pads or rotors because it happens when they have been replaced. In these conditions, I have to make sure I have plenty of room so I won't hit the car in front of me. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10721213, filed 2015-05, 60,000 miles

    “Recall 97v059000: consumer was traveling on the highway 35mph and ABS brake system blew up in her face. There was white smoke inside of vehicle brake system was grabbing slowly. Consumer drove vehicle home very slowly. Consumer stated that she had very little braking power.”

    NHTSA complaint #865897, filed 2000-07
  2. Air bags

    Horn faults and air-bag assembly concerns

    • 15 complaints (19%)
    • median 56,166 mi at 9.3 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 1998–2014

    Many complaints concern the horn, which stops working or sounds on its own, with dealers describing faulty contacts inside the air-bag assembly or heat causing the horn to trigger. Some owners were told the air bag might not deploy unless the horn was repaired, and others report air bags that did not deploy in a collision or deployed unexpectedly. Reported from low to high mileage, with some owners noting the horn issue appears or worsens in hot weather.

    What to check: Test the horn and watch for one that blows on its own; ask whether the air-bag assembly or horn contacts have been replaced, and whether the air-bag warning light stays off.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Horn button is under airbag in order to fix airbag must be replaced at a cost of $800 or I remove the fuse, I can't afford to replace airbag for a simple button so this becomes a safety issue. Since I have no horn am deeply concerned for my and my kids safety in case of an emergency (need to alert someone who is going to run into me ) please help.”

    NHTSA complaint #754639, filed 2001-11

    “While parking horn continuously sounded. The gear shift lever knob broke off. The dealership had to replace the entire air bag system in order to correct the horn failure and replaced the shifter knob.”

    NHTSA complaint #10038189, filed 2003-09, 43,749 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Stalling and no-start (ignition switch, anti-theft)

    • 18 complaints (23%)
    • median 104,500 mi at 15.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 1998–2014

    Owners describe the engine quitting at low speed, at stops, or while accelerating, and sometimes failing to restart until it sits. Several complaints link the symptoms to the ignition switch or the anti-theft system, with the theft warning light flashing and a clicking sound when the key is turned; some report the problem returning after the ignition switch recall work was done. Reported from early miles up to high mileage, often after the car has sat for a while or in stop-and-go traffic.

    Recall 02V070000Recall 97V059000

    What to check: Ask whether the ignition switch recall work was completed and whether the car has stalled or needed repeated restarts. Check that the anti-theft light behaves normally on start-up.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The car had been stalling for more than a year but not as frequent. The most dangerous time it stalled was in the middle of interstate 240n. My wife and child was with me. It was rush hour and there were lots of traffic. We were terrified! Once I merged over to the side of the highway, we had to wait for about 20 minutes before the car started again. Mind you, we are on the side of a busy and dangerous interstate highway. I noticed when I tried to start the car after it had stalled, the theft system light was flashing. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10291114, filed 2009-11, 155,000 miles

    “This car has been stalling out almost from the beginning of our purchase. It was a used vehicle but it was under warranty. It has been in the repair shop numerious times and I keep getting told it is a phantom problem and they cannot recreate it at the service dept. I have in the past thought the service departments are doing their job but after a year of having the same problem, something needs to be done. …”

    NHTSA complaint #711168, filed 2000-04
  4. Transmission and drivetrain

    Park-to-reverse shift without the key

    • 5 complaints (6%)
    • median 43,749 mi at 6.9 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 1999–2003

    Several owners report the vehicle moving out of park into reverse while parked, including cases with no key in the ignition, and a shifter knob that broke off. Complaints describe the car rolling backward on an incline or after being left in park, and dealers were unable to correct the condition in some cases. Reported at varied mileage, typically with the vehicle parked or left unattended, including on inclines.

    What to check: On a test drive, park on a slight incline and confirm the shifter holds firmly in park and that the key can be removed only in park.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When vehicle was parked on an incline, 5 year old son was able to put vehicle in gear without keys in the ignition. The vehicle was in park with the steering wheel locked. When vehicle began to roll backwards, child became scared, jumped out of vehicle, vehicle rolled over child and hit an embankment before stopping. Please provide any further details.”

    NHTSA complaint #837667, filed 1999-05

    “While child was in vehicle playing and vehicle was turned off it was put in reverse and rolled backwards, hitting a tree while child was still in vehicle. Manufacturer will be contacted. Please provide further information.”

    NHTSA complaint #8010883, filed 2002-06

Buying note. Braking behavior and electrical stalling are the areas owners describe most, so a wet-road brake test and a check of the ignition switch recall history are worth doing before purchase. Also confirm the horn and air-bag warning light work correctly and look for coolant leaks, since those come up at relatively low mileage.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 59 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 79 consumer complaints for the 1997 Buick Skylark. 15 of the complaints include a mileage, and 33% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 55,033 miles. Of all complaints, 8 involved a crash, 7 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 15 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Exterior lighting (3), Steering (3), Seats (2), Equipment (1), Fuel system (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Other or unknown (1), Tires (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “Ongoing problem with ABS engaging on wet roads or intermittently on dry road. Vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on three occasions, and problem still reoccurring. Please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.”

NHTSA complaint #880013, filed 2001-02

Electrical system: “The contact owns a 1997 Buick Skylark. The contact stated that the anti-theft system would activate independently, causing the vehicle to stall without warning. The failure was recurring with the illumination of the anti-theft warning light. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start with the key in the ignition. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic, who diagnosed that the instrument panel cluster or central computer would need to be replaced. The contact was then referred to an authorized dealer for possible repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …”

NHTSA complaint #10576917, filed 2014-04, 54,000 miles

Air bags: “The contact owns a 1997 Buick Skylark. The contact stated that the air bags deployed unexpectedly. A police report was not filed and an injury was sustained. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and the current mileage was 140,000. The VIN was unavailable.”

NHTSA complaint #10597478, filed 2014-06, 140,000 miles

Engine cooling: “The contact owns a 1997 Buick Skylark. After parking the vehicle, the contact noticed that the water pump was leaking. There were no warning lights present prior to the failure. He checked the water and oil levels daily. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer. The failure mileage was 26,000 and current mileage was 27,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10223950, filed 2008-04, 26,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

33% of the 15 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 43,749 and 85,000 miles.

13%0–107%10–2513%25–5033%50–757%75–10020%100–1507%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (15 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 55,033 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’9717’99’01’03’05’08’11’15
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 1997 Buick Skylark. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Skylark · coupe not rated4 / 5———
Skylark · sedan not rated5 / 4———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1997 Buick Skylark version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Skylark FWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic192923$2,900
Skylark FWD3.1L 6-cyl4-speed automatic182621$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 1997 Buick Skylark → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 15 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 15 bulletins →

Other model years of the Buick Skylark

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
19982494,5001—23—Stable
19977955,0333—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19968595,2804—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19958590,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199468110,0002—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199346—1—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199232—3—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19913888,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199019138,0001—23—Stable
198814—3—24—Not enough data
19868135,0141———Not enough data
19856—1—19—Not enough data
19848—3—20—Not enough data

All Buick Skylark model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Buick Skylark?

Owners of this model year most often describe braking problems, particularly ABS-related symptoms such as a soft or low pedal, longer stopping distances, and noise or lockup on wet or uneven roads. The issues reported most often: ABS engagement, soft pedal and long stopping distance; Horn faults and air-bag assembly concerns; Stalling and no-start (ignition switch, anti-theft).

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1997 Buick Skylark have?

NHTSA recorded 79 consumer complaints for the 1997 Buick Skylark as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1997 Buick Skylark is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 16 complaints (20% of the total), followed by electrical system with 13.

Has the 1997 Buick Skylark been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1997 Buick Skylark get?

The EPA rates the 1997 Buick Skylark (Skylark, 2.4L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 19 city and 29 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1997 Buick Skylark reported?

Among the 15 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 55,033 miles and the middle half falls between 43,749 and 85,000 miles; 33% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.