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#BS-1997-BUIPAR-7AFB

1997 Buick Park Avenue

Based on reports from 355 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
355
Crashes
5
Fires
40
Recalls
3
TSBs
76
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 355 complaints, 5 crashes, 40 fires, and 3 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.6x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

broken front seats

1 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
2

tensioner pulley and serpentine belt came loose

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

frame rotting

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineHIGH

25 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline issues — failures commonly reported around 90K miles.

!Inspect the Seat Belts:front:retractorMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

4
0–30K
9
30–60K
24
60–90K
23
90–120K
8
120–150K
6
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (24 reports) • Median: 90K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (25 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline25 (7%)
Seat Belts:front:retractor24 (7%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip22 (6%)
Engine15 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission12 (3%)
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery11 (3%)
Seat Belts:front:webbing11 (3%)
Seat Belts10 (3%)

1997 Buick Park Avenue: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Park Avenue, with 25 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 90,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 90K-mile mark.

Seat Belts:front:retractor Issues

Seat Belts:front:retractor complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Park Avenue, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to seat belts:front:retractor-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Park Avenue, with 22 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Buick Park Avenue, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

38
00
44
01
32
02
12
03
26
04
15
05
8
06
6
07
6
08
1
09
4
10
3
11
5
12
1
13
3
14
2
15
1
16
1
19

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Buick Park Avenue. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (3 recalls)

00V117000Aug 2000

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE FRONT SEAT SHOULDER BELTS THAT MAY TWIST, ALLOWING THE WEBBING TO BECOME JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR.

97V036000Mar 1997

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY

THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH CENTER REAR SEAT BELT ANCHOR BOLTS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."

97V064000May 1997

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE OR THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROL MODULE CAN CAUSE THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) TO CYCLE DURING A NON-ABS BRAKE APPLICATION.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Buick Park Avenue is the 1998 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1997 Buick Park Avenue vs. Class Average (Large Cars)

This vehicle

355

Class avg

219

1.6x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical large cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 355 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Buick Park Avenue Model Years

2005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984
View all Buick Park Avenue years →

1997 Buick Park Avenue: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Buick Park Avenue?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Buick Park Avenue is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline, with 25 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Buick Park Avenue reliable?
The 1997 Buick Park Avenue has 355 complaints, 5 crash reports, and 40 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 1.6x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1997 Buick Park Avenue problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1997 Buick Park Avenue have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Buick Park Avenue has 3 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Buick Park Avenue problems start?
Based on 74 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 90,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 355 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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