Name what you do NOT like about your Riviera

[Titan4]

Not sure if anything like this has been posted and I am too lazy to search! :-)
I love my '95 Riv, but there are a few things that I do not like about it.

1) If you are low on windshield washer fluid the light does not come on to warn you of that until you are trying to dispense the fluid on your windshield! It only says low fluid level if you are trying to use it! By the time I get home I have forgetten about it and it lays there in wait until I try it again at some other time.

2) Speaking of windshield washer fluid - I do not care for Buick thinking it knows how much fluid to dispense. When I push the lever for mine it will spray fluid on the windshield for something like 3 or 4 seconds (or so). You are pretty much blinded while it is doing this. I wish it were like most other cars where it only sprays as long as you push the lever. I would like to control how much fluid it dispenses.

3) Battery - nobody other than AC Delco makes the battery for this car. Since it mounts under the seat you need a vented battery. This can become a real nightmare when it happens to you on a Friday night when most dealers will not be open again until the following Monday (this happened to me). Expensive things too!

4) Vent (lack thereof). Most cars have a VENT position if you do not need A/C at that particular time. Most cars let you put it on VENT and then use the blower to control how much outside air you want to blow on you. No such thing on the '95 Riv.

5) Turning radius like the Queen Mary! Maybe it is just the front wheel drive (as the Riv is my first front wheel drive car in my 28 years of driving).

These are really minor things, but thought I would see if anyone else felt the same way.

[Movinfr8]

I don't like thatthe paint on the passenger side B-Pillar is flaking off in big chunks every time it is washed or the wind blows. Contacted Buick and they had us take it to the dealer to verify the problem, then called us to report that they ain't going to do jack to help us. Thanks a heap GM!!
Norm
p.s. I also dont care for the fact that I have to adjust the passenger side mirror every time i get in or out of the car. something to do with the automatic mirror mover thingie.

[neo200485]

I dont like the fact that you can not fast forward to a certain part of a CD you have to listen to the entire song.

[Titan4]

Oh yeah! I forgot about that one! Before I upgraded my entire sound system my factory CD had the functionality of an 8 Track player. You are right - there was no fast forward or reversing within the track of a CD. The funny thing is that according to the owner's manual you were supposed to be able to do it, but it never worked even with two different factory CD players that I had.

[interwoven]

It won't start

[chalkman]

Mine has to be trying to get into the car in a tight spot; my wife hates driving it, the doors are about the size of a sheet of plywood!

[rivman]

The thing that bothers me the most is when you open the back of the moonroof air blows out the driver side door latch onto your leg.
But the W-I-D-E turnning radius is a pain.

[Tripseleven]

I have a 95 Rivi, and mine would be that everytime a warning light comes on it's like a $800.00 sensor or part to fix the issue. Not a big deal cause I ignore the minor issues (ie. traction control problems), but at night I am blinded by the bright orange billboards on my dash!

[mgladden]

Originally Posted by Titan4

Not sure if anything like this has been posted and I am too lazy to search! :-)
I love my '95 Riv, but there are a few things that I do not like about it.

1) If you are low on windshield washer fluid the light does not come on to warn you of that until you are trying to dispense the fluid on your windshield! It only says low fluid level if you are trying to use it! By the time I get home I have forgetten about it and it lays there in wait until I try it again at some other time.

2) Speaking of windshield washer fluid - I do not care for Buick thinking it knows how much fluid to dispense. When I push the lever for mine it will spray fluid on the windshield for something like 3 or 4 seconds (or so). You are pretty much blinded while it is doing this. I wish it were like most other cars where it only sprays as long as you push the lever. I would like to control how much fluid it dispenses.

3) Battery - nobody other than AC Delco makes the battery for this car. Since it mounts under the seat you need a vented battery. This can become a real nightmare when it happens to you on a Friday night when most dealers will not be open again until the following Monday (this happened to me). Expensive things too!

4) Vent (lack thereof). Most cars have a VENT position if you do not need A/C at that particular time. Most cars let you put it on VENT and then use the blower to control how much outside air you want to blow on you. No such thing on the '95 Riv.

5) Turning radius like the Queen Mary! Maybe it is just the front wheel drive (as the Riv is my first front wheel drive car in my 28 years of driving).

These are really minor things, but thought I would see if anyone else felt the same way.

I like mine also, but if it weren't for the fact that I fix a lot of the problems, the thing would bankrupt me. It has way too much plastic on it and the parts are priced right up there with gold. God help me if it ever catches fire. It will probably vaporize right from under me.
The latest headach was the valve body plastic intake housing that sprung a leak and flooded the engine locking it up. $250 later and a lot of cursing, it's running again (shame, shame GM) you should have stayed with the aluminum.

[LiquidSapphire]

The trunk is soooo shallow! Try moving from one apartment to another in that sucker... it barely fits any sort of reasonable size box. It's decent in length, but man try to put in anything tall and you're basically shot. I had a world of a time moving my 28" TV, had to put it in the Front Seat because, being a two seater, it wouldn't fit in the back (seats wouldn't move forward enough) and I had not a prayer of fitting it in the trunk.

[Keithc]

where is the oil pump located and how do you get to it...

[iheartnaps]

I would like to reply to the windshield washer fluid problem. I have driven this car for about 3 years and it was driving me bonkers that you would have to use half a gallon of washer fluid every time. I figured it out though, if you just push the lever for the fluid and hold it for just a second, you can control how much is splashed out. You are basically holding it in to dispense how much you want, when you are done let go and it will stop

What I don't like about my Buick. Well right now, the switches for the windows. My passenger window is completely down and I have done everything to get it back up including jumpering the switch to no avail. I took apart the entire door but there is no manual way to put the window up!!

My dashboard also blinds me at night. I have a low coolant level light that is on since I replaced the rad. I had the light reset but it comes on and off at will. I also have the traction control light on (I covered that up with some black electrical tape, actually the dealership couldn't fix it so that's what their solution was). The ABS light comes on and off but I am going to check for that plug.

That pretty much covers it. If anyone knows anything about windows please let me know

[plathegame]

i dont like that the only real gauge is the temp gauge the oil and volts are idiot lights.. a boost gauge would have been nice also

the cheap plastic covers that go over the seat switches are a joke just about everyone that i have seen is broken and also the cheezy plugs that i have to push back in that cover the arm rest bolts


the screw on the ends of the upper corners of the door panels pull through the hole and it makes the window rattle.. everyone i have seen is like this including my brothers 98 w/ 9,000 miles


the stock radio sound system has junk speakers. they could have at least went w/ a bose system like is in my escalade.. the speakers sound horrible. i know they are stock but they should be better than they are


the car handles horribly around corners if you take a corner a slight bit fast you feel like you are going to continue going straight.. i think it maybe because of the longer wheel base.. my dads 92 bonneville will handle circles around my 95 riv

the paint has fine surface scratch marks in it that you can see when the sun shines on it a certain way mostly on the roof and trunk lid.. i havent tried to buff it for fear of damaging the clear coat

i know i have listed alot of stuff iam no ways trying to bash the car i really do like it its just some of the stuff gm seamed to have cut corners on are pretty pathetic for a originally priced $38,000 car

[Titan4]

This is a reply to iheartnaps. I tried your method of holding the button down for dispensing windshield washer fluid, but it made no difference in my '95 Riv. Whether I hold it down for a half second or 2 seconds I still get the preset-timed deluge of fluid that blinds me temporarily while I drive.

[Stza]

I don't like the gas shocks for the hood / trunk . $35 cdn a pair and both pairs are shot in my rivvy. I'm using an old pool cue to hold up the hood.

I don't like the fact the steering wheel is welded on (at least in my car). I tried to remove it to do some dash work and all was good after 5 minutes of removing crap just to see 3 holes welded holding the wheel on :P.

Last but not least, I don't like all the fancy stuff they add. I'm missing a piece of door trim, the trunk ornament, 3 of the R logo's and 3 of the wheel cover caps.